For nine seasons Mary McDonough was part of one of the most beloved families in television history. Just ten years-old when she was cast as the pretty wholesome middle child Erin Mary grew up on the set of The Waltons alternately embracing and rebelling against her good-girl onscreen persona. Now as the first cast member to write about her experiences on the classic series she candidly recounts the joys and challenges of growing up Walton--from her overnight transformation from a normal kid in a working class Irish Catholic family to a Hollywood child star to the personal challenges that led her to take on a new role as an activist for women's body image issues. Touching funny sometimes heartbreaking and always illuminating Lessons from the Mountain is the story of everything Mary McDonough learned on her journey over--and beyond--that famous mountain.
