Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke

by Patty Duke

The The public saw her as a gifted child   the youngest actor to win an Oscar for her role  as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and the  youngest actor to have a prime-time television series  bearing her own name.

The What the public did not see was Anna Marie Duke, a young girl whose life changed forever at age seven when tyrannical mangers stripped her of nearly all that was  familiar, beginning with her name. She was deprived of family and friends. Her every word was  programmed, her every action monitored and criticized. She was fed liquor and prescription drugs, taught to lie to get work, and relentlessly drilled to win roles.

The Out of this nightmare emerged  Patty Duke, a show business legend still searching for the child, Anna. She won three Emmy Awards and divorced three husbands. A starring role in  Valley of the Dolls nearly ruined her career. She was notorious for wild spending sprees, turbulent liaisons, and an uncontrollable temper. Until a long hidden illness was diagnosed, and her amazing recovery recovery began.

The   Call Me Anna is an American success story that grew out of a bizarre and desperate struggle for survival. A harrowing, ultimately triumphant story told by Patty Duke herself—wife, mother, political activist, President of the Screen Actors Guild, and at last, a happy, fulfilled woman whose miracle is her own life.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Mental Health, Psychology

311 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Anna Marie "Patty" Duke was an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16 for the role of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, and later starring in her self-titled sitcom, The Patty Duke Show for three years. She progressed to more adult roles such as Neely O'Hara in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls . Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982; afterwards she then devoted much of her time to advocating and educating the public on mental health issues. She was later elected president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988.Duke died on the morning of March 29, 2016, at the age of 69, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, of sepsis from a ruptured intestine.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sad to learn that Patty Duke has died. I read her memoir when I was in junior high, and it had a profound affect on me. Her stories about the pressures she faced as a child actor and her battles with mental illness were deeply moving.

I thought this book was so interesting that I read it several times, and I even did a school report on it. Several decades later, I can still vividly recall scenes from this book. It's one of the great celebrity memoirs of the 1980s.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Charlie Brown was wont to say, "Good grief". I read this book years ago...no really when it came out.

I picked it up because I remembered The Patty Duke Show and had seen her on TV and in films (never saw her on the stage) as we both grew up.

If you are aware of her then I think you'll find this an interesting and even touching read. Even if you aren't familiar with her I don't see how anyone could "not" find it poignant in some places.

Anna Marie "Patty" Duke passed away a couple of years ago. Reading this book there are places where I had to question her...thinking(?) or whatever. I can only say read this for what it's worth and look at a life made, unmade and remade by "show business" and living with fans who think they know you. I think she may have metaphorically shot herself in her own foot a few times and suppose that with certain backgrounds and certain lives that may just be part of the package.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh boy, talk about a life filled with turmoil! Really made me appreciate the non-craziness of my life. Patty/Anna had a rough childhood. Rough! Ok, not Tatum O'Neal rough, but still bad. Her adult life wasn't much better since she was bipolar but not diagnosed until she was nearly 40. That's a long time to have manic episodes. I am actually impressed she managed a career at all, considering all the bridges she burned over the years. Everyone in Hollywood thought she had a drug problem. Maybe that actually worked in her favor since that is a common issue in the movie industry.

I felt she was very honest about her issues. I'm glad she finally found a good therapist & was diagnosed & lithium worked for her. I think her therapy helped Patty/Anna in terms of writing this book - she was able to discuss her behavior as well as the underlying issues surrounding the behavior. I appreciate she did not gloss over her problems. Talking about being an unfaithful wife, a demanding employee, an angry stepmother, a poor friend etc.must have been hard to write about, but she did. I am shocked her third husband stayed with her as long as he did. Talk about a handful. Whew.

Since this book was written 25 years ago, I googled her to see what had happened since the book ended. (Yet another memoir written in middle age so the book ends before the story is over.) She is still married to her fourth husband - that's good. Her son Sean has had moderate success as an actor. The most interesting discovery I made is that Sean's biological father is her third husband - the one she married in Vegas in the middle of a manic episode. The 13 day marriage. In her memoir, she insists they never had sex but apparently they did, according to the DNA test Sean Astin had.In-ter-est-ing. Hmmmm. Maybe she felt weird already admitting that she was sleeping with Desi Arnez Jr - a teenager! - and with John Astin, who was still married at the time and no one was sure who the father was.

Patty/Anna's memoir was a quick, easy read. Worth reading for her discussion of making The Miracle Worker and for a glimpse into what it is like being an undiagnosed manic-depressive.

[Leeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn between 4 stars and 5 stars. I hate to give almost everything I read 5 stars. Makes it seem that a REALLY great book isn't quite so great then... But on to my review.

This was a well-written, poignant story about a very interesting woman! I bought this book at the library from their Friends of the Library "shelf sale". I wasn't sure if I would be interested in it or not, but thought, "Maybe I'll get around to reading it." Once I started it, I couldn't put it down! I had no idea that the person that I knew as the "identical cousins girl" had done so much, been through so much, survived so much.

I'm not very good at writing reviews about books. For one, I don't want to give too much away about a book. For another, I can't seem to quite explain what any certain book means to me. I'll just say this; if you like autobiographies, have an interest in Patty Duke, or just want to learn what this lady's life was life up to that point; then DEFINITELY check out this book!!

[Abbi Dion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shit you not when I say this book is a masterpiece. Loved it. The anecdotes are riveting (her recounting of The Miracle Worker, in particular). The topics are engaging (family life, manic-depression, self-medicating, sleeping disorders). And the photographs are incredible. This memoir/autobio left a deep and lasting mark. Love.

[Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly liked this book but sometimes it was hard to follow. She would take you through an event, say the end of a relationship, and then start with a story that happened earlier. Also, some of the stories dragged on without having a point. She claims to be healed and to have found herself but there were no examples of it.

[Jim Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was all set to give CALL ME ANNA: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PATTY DUKE a five-star rating. It seemed to be one the most sincere and candid autobiographies I’ve read, ranking right up there with Maureen O’Hara’s, ‘TIS HERSELF. But, some further research held me back.

The book was published in 1987, and I wondered what had happened in the years since. I learned that she had died in 2016 and that her final marriage (occurring about a year before the book was published) had been a success. But, there was troubling information, too. Years before, she had become pregnant out of wedlock. There had been rampant speculation as to the father’s identity with the popular vote going to Desi Arnaz, Jr. Although not publicized, John Astin (who was married at the time) was also a contender. To add to the confusion, Duke was also married ... for 13-days ... to Michael Tell, a man she barely knew, and she stated that the marriage was not consummated. Eventually, John Astin “counts backwards” and Duke admits that the child was his, but she didn’t want to complicate his marriage difficulties even further.

Now, why do I go on about this? Well, there are two reasons. At one point, she indicates that one thing she cannot tolerate is when someone intentionally lies to her. Yet, it seems that the child, Sean Astin, eventually had a paternity test done. His biological father was Michael Tell, the only one who could definitely be ruled out because Duke said they had never been intimate.

In other words, she lied to the Reader.

Because she was so sincere and her comments seemed so heartfelt, that immediately caused me to question what else is inaccurate. Yet, this is still a book I recommend.

Born Anna Marie Duke, she had a father who she adored, but who was also an alcoholic. Her mother suffered serious bouts of clinical depression. Her brother had gotten acting work through two talent managers, John and Ethel Ross, and he introduced her to them. Eventually, they arranged for her to live with them and began training her for auditions. They also changed her name to Patty Duke.

CALL ME ANNA: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PATTY DUKE is the story of being treated as an exploitable asset that must be constantly supervised. Consequently, Duke maintains that she didn’t learn many of the basic “life lessons.” Instead, she was taught to perform not only onstage, but also in any social interactions. Emotions were not allowed to be expressed.

Much later in life, Duke is diagnosed as being manic depressive, or bipolar as it is termed today. She relates many episodes of rollercoaster emotions from intense highs to being unable to get out of bed for 48-hours. She would waver between extreme expressions of affection to a paranoid certainty that “loved ones” sought to hurt her. Consequently, people easily took advantage of her, especially when it involved her finances.

One of the things that initially attracted me to the book was knowing that she was married to John Astin, an actor whose work I have particularly enjoyed through the years. Astin has been very reticent to talk about his professional life, so I hoped that there would be some details here. Duke does describe how he prepares for his performances ... which is unique ... and tells enough stories that I believe I now understand that reticence.

Duke states that people who develop manic depressive states are usually born with it (being attributable to a lithium imbalance). However, being prone to it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will manifest itself to the point of being noticeable and needing treatment. Although she doesn’t specifically identify it, her psychological uncertainty with her own identity and lack of loving, restorative relationships might have caused her manifestations. The Rosses (the talent managers) may have coached her so well to audition for her most famous role as Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker” ... and it is likely she would not have become an actress if it wasn’t for their work ... yet, they also put her personality in “check,” robbing her of a huge percentage of childhood experiences (in addition to most of her financial earnings).

I was ... and still am ... moved by CALL ME ANNA: THE BIOGRAPHY OF PATTY DUKE. It is a book worth reading.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2016, we lost a treasure, for Patty Duke died unexpectedly. She was an actor who had won an Oscar and three Emmy Awards, plus a host of Golden Globes and other accolades during her career. She was a political activist who served a term as president of the Screen Actors’ Guild. She was a humanitarian, giving of herself to numerous causes. She was a birth mother of two boys who became successful actors in their own rights and the adoptive mother of three boys. And for over half of her life, she suffered from manic-depression, a condition we call bipolar today. It was not until a psychiatrist finally diagnosed her condition and prescribed Lithium did she “even out” and stop the many destructive acts she had been doing her own life. Call Me Anna, the Autobiography of Patty Duke tells of her life, warts and all. And we get a sense that she was a good mother, a caring person, and a consummate actor. A strange and upsetting childhood yielded a full career in acting, and despite all the things she endured as a child—and they are all here in this book—she is grateful to the managers/married couple The Rosses who steered her early career, a career that lead to a groundbreaking portrayal of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and to becoming the youngest Oscar winner up until that time despite all the Rosses’ abuses of her. The book was published in 1987 and thus accounts for only a little over half of her life. It ends with a marriage, and unlike her other marriages, that one lasted until her death. She spent her later years in Idaho, living a simple life with her husband, occasionally acting on Broadway and films, and participating in community theater. Her son Sean, upon her death, reported she was happiest when she was acting and mentoring young actors. It would be wonderful to hear a detailed account of her last thirty years, years in which she was at her happiest. And oh how I wish I had been a member of that community theater. Despite her awards, she never achieved the star status of Meryl Streep and her ilk, but Patty Duke was a treasure, nonetheless, to those of us who were her fans and to her family and those she helped. This is an inspiring autobiography. Co-written with journalist Kenneth Turan, I was surprised at the overwhelming comma errors, the comma splice being the most glaring. Duke herself was pretty much self-educated, but having a “ghost writer” was supposed to guarantee such glaring grammar errors wouldn’t be present. And, of course, both of the authors should have had an editor to catch all that. I say, “shame, shame, editor.”

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The youngest person to win an Academy Award - for her performance as Helen Keller in 'The Miracle Worker' - and winner also of three Emmys for outstanding dramatic appearances on television, Patty Duke is one of the most honored stars in America, a woman so respected by her fellow actors, she has been elected president of the Screen Actors Guild. With such unanimous public and professional recognition of her talent, Patty Duke would appear to represent the ultimate American success story.

But appearances, as Anna Marie reveals, are deceiving. For Anna Marie Duke is her real name; "Patty" was the stage name assigned to her by John and Ethel Ross, the managers who shaped her career as a child star and who, as she reveals in this deeply personal autobiography, made her life a living hell. Patty Duke spent most of her childhood and teenage years in the public eye, yet even her most devoted fans had no idea of the life she was living offstage.

When the Rosses took over Patty's life, she was not permitted to have friends; her parents were coldly and skillfully maneuvered out of her life. Her every word, public or private, was monitored; her days became an endless grind of schoolwork, auditions, rehearsals and performances. The Rosses' tyranny culminated in their forcing Patty to make terrifying appearances on TV's 'The $64,000 Challenge', appearances that led to her first act of defiance, before the congressional subcommittee investigating the show. Patty was only able to break the Rosses' fierce psychological hold on her life when they tried to stop her from seeing the first man she fell in love with.

But breaking away from the Rosses was not enough, because Patty, denied the normal stages of childhood development, had no idea who she was. Although her tremendous talent assured her of roles, there followed years of out-of-control behaviour, times when Patty didn't know what she might do or say next. On the 'Dick Cavett Show' she announced she was pregnant - a secret she hadn't even told the baby's father, who contrary to popular opinion was not her headline-making lover, Desi Arnaz Jr., but actor John Astin. Later, she married Astin, had a second child by him, adopted his three sons from a previous marriage, and enjoyed periods of happiness before their divorce in 1985.

But the nightmare of her childhood and adolescent years wouldn't be resolved until her thirties when a doctor diagnosed the manic-depressive illness that complicated her childhood problems and began her successful rehabilitation with a combination of psychotherapy and Lithium treatments. And so, finally, with courage and determination, Patty Duke has come to experience what she herself terms the miracle of life lived, without the wild ups and downs she thought were inevitable. She takes pride in her roles as wife (she has remarried), mother, actress, political activist and president of The Screen Actors Guild, one of the largest labor unions in America.

And now, for the first time, she tells her story, her journey from child star to award winning adult actress, from confused and abused teenager to a highly respected, refreshingly honest show business personality - and she tells it in a voice so familiar to millions of us, yet so starkly and startlingly frank that you will never see Patty Duke the same way again - or forget the little girl whose real name was Anna Marie."

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this a 4.5. I read this book years ago right after it came out almost 30 years ago. I was saddened to read that Patty Duke died this week. In honor of her, I decided to read this book again. Ms. Duke writes a very honest memoir of her life as a child actress who went on to many other roles as an adult. She was known for playing Helen Keller in the broadway play and movie. And for having her own show The Patty Duke show in the 1960s. There is so much more to this book. Her childhood was not easy. Her parents split up by the time she was eight. Around the same time she became a child actress following her older brother into acting. Her career was taken over by the Rosses' John and Ethel. Not only did they control her career, they took her from her mother into their own home and raised her for the rest of her childhood. These people were very controlling of her life. One of the worst things they did to her was to tell her that from now on her name is "Patty" and that Anna Marie{her real first name} was dead. She also writes of her problems with an undiagnosed mental illness that many times took over her life. She writes of her marriages especially to John Astin. her life was not always easy and she is very honest about what she dealt with. Toward the end of the book she shares how she was diagnosed with bi-polar illness.{ at that time known as manic- depressive. this is one of the better memoirs I have read. It ends in 1987. since then she has written another book about bi-polar disease. She also won many acting awards, including an Oscar at 16 for the Miracle Worker. I will miss this talented lady.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This autobiograhy of Patty Duke was excellently written and lets you into the world of this celebrity that was previously hidden from many. From her childhood trauma's to her struggles with mental illness, it was truly a very inspirational story.

Don't remember exactly when I read this paperback copy, but I do know I had her autograph it personally, when she was the speaker at a local mental health dinner.

[Bronwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a book about the life and career of patty duke from an award winning child actress, to her life as an adult, her career, her marriages, her relationships with such people as desi arnez jr, , her relationships with her children, and finally her diagnoses with and ongoing battle with bipolar disorder, and her life today

[Diane Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm proud to have this book in my library - always a fan of Anna Marie's, I learned of her struggles through a difficult yet successful life. I admire her greatly.
She made an error, however; her eldest son now knows who his father is. I'm glad of that.
A good book for anyone who likes biographies.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in a world where the stigma of mental illness is slightly easier to overcome, and this is largely thanks to people like Patty Duke and Margot Kidder who refused to hide in shame even after the whole world watched them fall. I have so much admiration for this woman.

[Leanna Dinsmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest and sad, with self awareness and humor. Patty details her life in an open way, as she moves through changes & strangeness. Her parental figures( or lack there of) certainly had an impact in her formative years. Patty makes her struggles relatable to those of us not in showbiz.

[Graceann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patty Duke's harrowing memoir recounting her horrifying, abusive childhood and her long journey to diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Painful but necessary reading.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a life…she was such a gift! 🧡

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This autobiography is very inspirational and well-written. In the 1960s, Patty Duke was seen as a peppy teenager and a gifted Oscar-Award winning actress. On the outside, it seemed as if she had everything--she was the youngest actress to win an Oscar Award for her performance as Helen Keller in the film adaptation of The Miracle Worker (1962). She was also the youngest actress to star in a TV series bearing her own name (The Patty Duke Show).
But nobody really knew of the deep struggles she dealt with as a child, a teenager and a woman. Regardless, she was eventually able to make peace with her past and overcome her struggles, including being under tight scrutiny of abusive managers and battling bipolar disorder. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

[Cathy Beckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for the May challenge on Booklovers General Fiction forum. I always loved the Patty Duke show so I thought why not find out more about her life. After reading this book I saw a troubled young lady fighting to get her life back.

She had abandonment issues, emotional and mental abuse, but she still came out of this fighting. She was treated awful by her managers/surrogate parents. Her own parents had mental illness issues and alcoholism. Patty had these same issues and throw medication into the mix you have one messed up lady.
She finally gets a diagnosis and treatment for her disease. Now she is a healthy adult.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Star--The public saw her as a gifted child star: the youngest actor to win an Oscar for her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and the youngest actor to have a prime-time television series bearing her own name.

The Nightmare--What the public did not see was Anna Marie Duke, a young girl whose life changed forever at age seven when tyrannical mangers stripped her of nearly all that was familiar, beginning with her name. She was deprived of family and friends. Her every word was programmed, her every action monitored and criticized. She was fed liquor and prescription drugs, taught to lie to get work, and relentlessly drilled to win roles.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book came out some time ago, it is still an excellent read for anyone who is a fan of Patty Duke, whose given name was Anna. I've loved her work for years but had no idea what a difficult and turmoil-filled early life she had. This autobiography tells of her childhood, which was filled with dysfunction, as well as her early career, marriages and also her struggle with undiagnosed manic depression.

I admire her greatly for her courage and wish I had found this book sooner. I plan to read her other book that goes more into detail regarding her struggle with manic depression, which is now called bipolar disorder. I thoroughly recommend this book to her fans.

[Marianne Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, what is there to say about her unbelievable childhood. Confusing, intense, lonely, and sad. It was hard to read, I wanted all the pain to be over. But it doesn't end there - having no guidance on how to function in the world, she sets off to the messy world of relationships. No matter where she is in her life, though, her ability to ring true and be honest is what saves her. And love, she is very lovable. I wanted to give her hugs as I read her book and say, ""it is ok now."" A wonderfully human and talented woman. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting autobiography of Patty Duke. I grew up around same time as she did and always thought of her as lucky and happy. Behind the scenes this was totally untrue. Even as a child drugs and alcohol pushed on her...so sad. As an adult she would have periods of being out control and the drugs, alcohol and binging of many things would define her. She was diagnosed as Bipolar and very brave and strong to come out with this diagnosis, esp. working in Hollywood. Good book, inspiring as well.

[Susan Baranoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first exposure to what we now call bi-polar disorder was through this book. We all knew her as The Star of the Patty Duke show, but at the time many of us had no idea about The Nightmare in which she lived. She tells it all here which is part of what makes her a Triumphant Legend and Force in the theater and movie industries.

[Toni Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Patty/Anna’s work. Growing up, I remember thinking that if a show or a movie had her in it, I wanted to see it.

After reading about her in her own words, I have several thoughts. 1. I wish she had had a better life experience surrounded by caring, nurturing, loving adults. Instead, what she got was isolation, manipulation, and a truly warping upbringing. It resulted in her showing clear signs of Stockholm Syndrome even up to the writing of this book. She bounces from recognizing that her situation was not only not normal, it was crippling to her mental development, to then not being able to cut herself completely free from her handlers. It’s heartbreaking.

2. In the chapter about Michael Tell, Patty/Anna blatantly lies. This shades every other encounter and story she tells. It paints her as a manipulative storyteller, who is possibly bending the narrative at any given point. She gives a false timeline for meeting him. At that point, she wants us to believe that she already knew she was pregnant, but couldn’t say anything because she believed the baby was John Astin’s, and he was married. But, she compounds the lie purposely by saying that she never consummated her 13 day marriage to Mr. Tell. Time has outed that coverup with DNA that Sean is, in fact, the biological child of Michael Tell. Whatever the true motive was, either self-preservation or wanting to protect Sean, we can’t know, but the lying makes me question everything.

I still adore her. And, I’m glad for Sean that he knows the truth. Everyone deserves that. I’m also grateful that she was able to get help for her manic depression while she still had time to live a happy life. And, I thank her for all her work. She was a magnificent talent and is dearly missed.

[Jill Robbertze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book from one of those free "tiny libraries" in our neighbourhood. I really didn't know anything about Patty Duke and only vaguely recognized her name, but after reading the synopsis decided to read it. I'm so glad I did. This is a very interesting autobiography of a child actress who had a difficult childhood and a roller-coaster life partially due to living with untreated bi-polar disorder for her first 40 years.
A lot of what she did was self destructive and she made some poor decisions but I think some of this was due to her mental illness and some due to her dysfunctional childhood. I respect that she was able to admit her faults and somehow endured and ultimately became an advocate for mental health. She also has had an amazing career as an actress and achieved multiple awards.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ol' Patty Duke tells the incredibly tumultuous story of growing up in a highly dysfunctional family, becoming an actress under the tutelage of a savvy but highly controlling, almost Dickensian couple who brought her success but at a high cost, starring in the classic film The Miracle Worker (for which she deservedly won the Academy Award—up until that time the youngest winner ever), her long subsequent career, four marriages, and battles with bipolar (here referred to as manic depression, not sure when that term was finally laid to rest). Throughout, there's a sense of no bullshit in her account and though she was obviously a lot to deal with when she was having episodes, she comes across like a really good person, someone you'd want to hang out with. I did anyway. This ain't high art but it's a good, absorbing Hollywood autobiographical read, very good of its type.

[Mary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a classy lady to be able to be so brutally honest about yourself and to take so much responsibility for both the good and bad in her life. Loved this book. Patty Duke was one class act in every way

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In some areas of my life I am totally crazy.” For almost 200 pages Patty Duke with the piercing brilliantly beautiful eyes that I remember from her TV show, ranted and raved about the Ross’s who commandeered her life as a young child and controlled her more mercilessly than any child star’s mother possibly could. I was about to quit at several points, fed up with the childishness.

The Miracle Worker time of her life became more interesting and she finally began to mature and take more independence. The final 50 or more pages were fascinating as she shared her understanding of Manic Depression and talked about her relationships and parenting the two youngest of her 5 sons. Patty Duke became like the caterpillar butterfly, finally evolving from an immature child into a caring and enlightened adult.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duke comprehensively recounts her life experiences from childhood star on. These include fabulously productive periods interspersed with more destructive ones. She can laugh at herself, and I found myself chuckling at some of her antics when she really brought the cray cray. (I couldn't help it; she's a pragmatic narrator, with a good sense of humor.) The book is insightful, honest, and unapologetic. The tone is very matter-of-fact and possesses a clarity of hindsight that's truly inspiring.