‘A memoir as soulful, wryly witty, and lyrical as it is candid and courageous’– Booklist, starred review
‘Impressive, candid and vivid’ The Times
‘Beautifully written’ Sunday Times
Sally Field is one of the most celebrated, beloved and enduring actors of our time, and now she tells her story for the first time in this intimate and haunting literary memoir. In her own words, she writes about a challenging and lonely childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.
Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated audiences for more than five decades, beginning with her first television role at the age of 17. From Gidget’s sweet-faced ‘girl next door’ to the dazzling complexity of Sybil to the Academy Award-winning ferocity and depth of her role in Norma Rae and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences time and time again with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within.
With raw honesty and the fresh, pitch-perfect prose of a natural-born writer, and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind the scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships including, most importantly, her complicated love for her own mother.
Powerful and unforgettable, In Pieces is an inspiring and important account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.
I have long been a fan of Sally Field. Starting with The Flying Nun re-runs (which I loved as a kid), all the way to her current role as LGBTQ activist, I have thought she is wonderful. Of course I wanted to read her book - and I'm so glad I did. It *feels* like her, or what an adoring public might believe of her. She is unsparing in her review of her life - of her family, of her husbands and lovers, and even more importantly, of herself. It can be hard to reconcile the girl once known as Gidget with the scary and sad experiences of a young girl growing up in the situation she did.
It is rare for a memoir to leave one wanting to read more, but I can say that this one did. I'd love to have her write a follow-up, detailing how she became such an outspoken advocate and if she has ever found the peace that seemed to elude her for so much of her life. But if this is the only book she writes - it is well worth reading.
