Margaret Sullavan: Child of Fate

by Lawrence J. Quirk

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Carmen Slaughter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short but informative biography about one of my all-time favorite actresses. I remember watching the TV movie "Haywire" (based on her daughter Brooke's tell-all book) when I was a teenager. At the time I wasn't familiar with the majority of Ms. Sullavan's work. I think I had probably only seen "The Shop Around the Corner" at that point. Still, I remember thinking what a sad life for such a talented woman. I have now seen all of her screen work that is available. This book confirms what I felt then. I just wish we had more of her work to keep her memory alive. She was a damn fine actress and while this book doesn't shy away from her less appealing attributes it provides a balanced look at what a feisty, charming, and focused woman she could be. I particularly appreciated the section that examined how she stepped away from her career to focus on motherhood.