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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews
This memoir of her childhood and beginning in the entertainment industry follows Julie Andrews through the highs and lows of her life. She puts everything out there for the readers and spares nothing. From her broken home to the alcohol abuse by her mother, Ms. Andrews is frank about her life.
It is a difficult task to put one’s life history on paper without sugar coating people and events, and Ms. Andrews manages to do this flawlessly. Whether it was the minute she learned her dad was not her biological father or the time when the family hunkered down during the bombings of Britain, Andrews tells it all.
Besides her frankness about her childhood and family, Andrews takes readers backstage as she prepared for her Broadway debut in The Boyfriend and later the original performances of Camelot which ran over four hours long. She does not hesitate to describe how out of place she felt, having had a background in vaudeville which was completely different than Broadway.
With co-stars like Rex Harrison and Richard Burton, Andrews flourished in her craft and even though she did not get the film role of Eliza Doolittle which she created on the stage, she made her mark as the flower girl turned classy beauty in My Fair Lady, as well as the loving Queen Guenevere in Camelot. She explores all her stage history and tells how difficult it was to maintain her voice during the performances.
The Broadway performances are discussed at length, as well as her many early television appearances, including the memorable show with Carol Burnett. Andrews also lets the readers in on how she was offered the role of Mary Poppins by Walt Disney, which won her the 1964 Academy Award for best actress in a leading role.
Meeting Britain’s royal family was one of the highlights of her life, however Julie Andrews is considered a Queen in the entertainment industry. She has been entertaining for over 70 years, having begun singing when she was very young.
From her beginning as a prodigal singer, through her dating experiences, Broadway, television, and first film role, Andrews writes from her perspective with candor and charm. While some might be shocked at her experiences, it is interesting to see all that went into making her the classy woman she is today. This is not a “tell all” book about Hollywood stars. It’s a frank look at her life and the people in it. It encompasses the first part of her extraordinary life, up to the birth of her first child in 1962. Whether she was the lookout for her family during World War II, a beautiful songstress, a naïve young actress, a bride, or a new mother, Julie Andrews always tackled life with a strength that has makes her one of the most admired women. She persevered through some very tough situations, and entertained the world while doing so.
The first word she spoke was “home,” and this book describes the feeling of “home” to this wonderful singer/actress. Whether it is her childhood residence, her island cottage, or the feeling when the curtain goes up and everything comes together, home is definitely where her heart is.
© 2008 Francine Brokaw
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