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Reading Rescue, January 2010:
Memoirs and Biographies
 By
Anne Allen
January, named after the two-headed Roman god who looks
to the future as well as to the past, is an appropriate month to review
past decisions and actions, and perhaps to be grateful for the clean
slate a new year offers. As we assess our own lives and choices, it can
be enlightening to examine those of other people. With that in mind, the
Reading Rescuers (no boring books here!) are offering a selection of
recent memoirs and biographies that are sure to inform, entertain, and
interest you.
In Thank Heaven (92 CARON), Leslie Caron offers a
fascinating look at her life. Born into a family of great wealth (an
ancestor invented and patented a distilling apparatus), young Leslie
grew up in a world of butlers, chauffeurs, and chefs. She and her family
(her French father, American mother, and brother) lived in her
grandparents' Paris mansion and spent holidays at their estate in
southern France. Caron details their struggles during the German
occupation of World War II, her years in a ballet company, and a fateful
meeting with Gene Kelly. She reminisces about her years living in
Hollywood and London, her films ("An American in Paris" and "Gigi") and
her men (including Warren Beatty). A large section of photos will remind
you of Caron's famous roles, and it is fun to see her as a young
ballerina.
In Open (92 Agassi), Andre Agassi takes a clear
eyed and insightful look at his past. A tennis prodigy who began hitting
balls at home before he started school, Agassi was playing for money
against Las Vegas high rollers by the time he was eight. At the age of
12 he competed in Australia (receiving beer for each tournament win),
and shortly thereafter was sent to the Bollettieri tennis academy in
Florida to prepare for life as a tennis professional. Agassi discusses
life with coach Nick Bolletieri, his marriage to Brooke Shields, and the
rivalry with Pete Sampras and Jim Courier. He adds plenty of tennis
action and includes some startling revelations of drug use and some
humor with toupee problems. Well-written and thoughtful, this is a
remarkable memoir from a man once known for an "image is everything" ad
campaign.
For many of us the descriptive words class and beauty
bring Grace Kelly to mind. In Donald Spoto's recent biography, High
Society: The Life of Grace Kelly (92 KELLY), it is clear the author
agrees. Based primarily on interviews he had with Princess Grace in the
1970's, Spoto has also questioned her friends and co-workers, and
diligently researched her work in Hollywood and New York. The result is
a biography that emphasizes her acting career and places it in a
historical perspective. Spoto lovingly traces Kelly's life from her
childhood in a moneyed Philadelphia family through her struggles in New
York, and then to her success in Hollywood. For those wanting the hot
scoop on her life after marriage, be warned: this is not that book. But
as an artful portrait of a woman who became an enduring Hollywood icon
after a mere eleven films, this can’t be beat.
In 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert burst onto the scene with her
huge best seller, Eat, Pray, Love (910.4 GIL), recounting how she
spent a year recovering from a bitter divorce. The book ended with
Gilbert living in Bali with a handsome Brazilian boyfriend and the
presumption of a happy ending. In Committed (306.81 GIL), she
continues their story, with a fascinating twist. Although devoted to
each other, both Liz and Felipe are divorced and they vow not to marry
again. With Gilbert back in the United States and Felipe returning to
live with her on three-month temporary visas, their lives seem settled.
But when Homeland Security steps in at an airport and tells Felipe he
will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. using a visa EVER, the couple’s
options narrow to marriage. As an immigration lawyer works on ironing
out the details, the couple travels through Southeast Asia and Gilbert
researches the institution of marriage, hoping to conquer her own fears.
Using historical research and personal interviews (members of the Hmong
tribe, her mother and grandmother), Gilbert demonstrates how marriage
has changed over hundreds of years and how it has endured. Emotional,
opinionated and direct, this is an examination of what constitutes love
but it is also the continuation of a love story. Gilbert’s writing is
compelling and she has the knack of treating her readers as friends.
And, yes, it ends with a wedding.
As a member of a show business family, then a child star
on television’s "Little House on the Prairie", and later an activist
president of the Screen Actors Guild, Melissa Gilbert is the ultimate
Hollywood insider. In Prairie Tales (92 GILBERT), Gilbert openly
tells of her adored but often absent father (thirteen wives!, yes,
really, thirteen), an ill-judged romance with Rob Lowe (he cheated on
her with Princess Stephanie of Monaco), and wild days partying with the
Brat Pack. She honestly addresses her problems with alcoholism, her
search for her birth parents, and details a first marriage so bad it is
almost unbelievable. This is not a polite memoir; Gilbert is frank and
profane, with engrossing stories to tell about the crazy world of
Hollywood.
It is never too early to start bringing used book
donations to the library. The Friends have scheduled their next sale for
March 25 to 27, so mark your calendar and empty your shelves. Helpers
are always welcome. Please phone the library at 724-744-7569.
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