Voice Lessons: A Sisters Story

Voice Lessons is the story of one younger sister growing up in the shadow of a larger-than-life older sister―looking up to her, wondering how they were alike and how they were different and, ultimately, learning how to live her own life and speak in her own voice on her own terms.

As Cara Mentzel, studied, explored, married, gave birth (twice) and eventually became an elementary school teacher, she watched her sister, Idina Menzel, from the wings and gives readers a front row seat to opening night of Rent and Wicked, a seat at the Tonys, and a place on the red carpet when her sister taught millions more, as the voice of Queen Elsa in the animated musical Frozen, to “Let It Go.” Voice Lessons is the story of sisters―sisters with pig tails, sisters with boyfriends and broken hearts, sisters as mothers and aunts, sisters as teachers and ice-queens, sisters as allies and confidantes.

As Cara puts it, “My big sister is Tony-Award-Winning, Gravity-Defying, Let-It-Go-Singing Idina Menzel who has received top billing on Broadway marquees, who has performed for Barbra Streisand and President Obama, at the Super Bowl and at the Academy Awards. The world knows her as 'Idina Menzel', but I call her 'Dee'.” Voice Lessons is their story.

CARA MENTZEL is a writer and a teacher. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1996. She returned to CU Boulder in 2004 for her teaching certificate and Masters in Elementary Education with an emphasis in child literacy. She received her National Board certification as a reading teacher in 2011.

Cara lives in Boulder, Colorado with the love of her life. She has two teenage boys who like to reprimand her for cursing too much, and an older stepson who is an aspiring musician. She also has two dogs with whom she has much in common, a Border collie with OCD and a Maltipoo with a weak bladder. Voice Lessons is her first book.