Home: A Julie Andrews memoir

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews Edwards

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've always been a Julie Andrews fan, so it was interesting to read about her early years--she had quite a difficult childhood. Her stepfather was an alcoholic and bordered on abusive, and her mother was absent and disengaged at times. This memoir goes up to the point where Andrews has her first daughter, Emma, and is still in the midst of her first (presumably happy) marriage. When she writes the second half, I'll be sure to read it!

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Send Yourself Roses: Kathleen Turner speaking through the pages

Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles by Kathleen Turner

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read this highly conversational book as a break after Jane Eyre; talk about a complete contrast!

Kathleen Turner is a strong, opinionated woman, and her rising out of the ashes after her serious bout with rheumatoid arthritis (now in remission) piqued my interest in her memoir.

Do not read this book if you are sensitive to foul language. Turner (with the help of her friend Gloria Feldt) writes just as if she were speaking...with lots of colorful language and colloquialisms.

I enjoyed the descriptions of her stage and film work, as well as her strong commitment to public service. I had not been aware of her international upbringing. She clearly favors European life and culture over the U.S.' repressed sexual mores and attitudes toward women. (Can't say I blame her for that!)

She is a very interesting woman, and I enjoyed much of this book...but by the last 20 or 30 pages, I grew bored and scanned through the text until the end. That fact, combined with the extremely folksy writing, led me to give it just two stars.



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