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Surviving Cissy: My Family Affair of Life in Hollywood
Kathy Garver, the teenage heartthrob from the hit series Family Affair (1966 1971), was no one-hit wonder, but a journeywoman actress who appeared in such classic films as Night of the Hunter and The Ten Commandments long before she became a television icon. This memoir is a recollection of a working actress s experiences, from the many films, television shows, and stage plays in which she performed, to her second career as a voice-over specialist in popular animated films and audiobooks. Featuring anecdotes, Hollywood history, and details of her relationships with such stars as Charlton Heston and Jon Provost, Surviving Cissy is a veritable quilt of Kathy s exciting life."
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2015
40 people are currently reading
343 people want to read
About the author
Kathy Garver
68 books16 followers Kathy Garver is an accomplished and versatile actress whose acting career first took flight with the legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille. She is a UCLA graduate, attended London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and has proven her talents for comedy and drama with starring roles in My Fair Lady, Sunday in New York, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. She lives in San Francisco, where she gives classes on audiobook narration when she’s not recording an audiobook or a voice-over.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 23, 2022
I've been watching the old Family Affair reruns and I just love this show. So when I saw there was a autobio from Kathy Garver, who played Cissy I couldn't wait to read it. Well, she seems just as sweet and likable as she is on the show. Love this book for the nostalgia factor alone. Sad that most of the actors are gone now.
October 23, 2015
I received this book from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review.
I felt this was a very misleading title for this book. Surviving, to me, denotes a serious struggle to overcome something. Garver's book chronicles her life in Hollywood from her early childhood forward. However, there is little struggle, just a dry listing of who she met, what she performed in, and what the reviews were. The only real emotion I felt was near the end of the book when her husband had a medical emergency.
There were a couple of interesting tidbits, but not enough to make it a good read.
I felt this was a very misleading title for this book. Surviving, to me, denotes a serious struggle to overcome something. Garver's book chronicles her life in Hollywood from her early childhood forward. However, there is little struggle, just a dry listing of who she met, what she performed in, and what the reviews were. The only real emotion I felt was near the end of the book when her husband had a medical emergency.
There were a couple of interesting tidbits, but not enough to make it a good read.
May 10, 2017
What a delightful read! I loved watching “Family Affair” when I was much younger. It is so refreshing to read about the child stars who did not go the path of drugs. Ms. Garver was very open about how her parents made sure she stayed grounded. So many of the child stars did not know how to handle their fame.
It was interesting to read of how they had to work around Brian Keith’s schedule as he had several projects going at once. And she made Sebastian Cabot sound so warm. Sadly, Anissa Jones (“Buffy”) did not have the same stability and died much too young.
It did get a bit tiring reading all names of celebrities that became such “dear friends”. But she was able to make lifelong friends and that isn’t all that easy in Hollywood. She had quite a variety of roles, even moving on to voice-overs. I like how she described her life through the use of “threads”. It I these threads that tied her to people and places, and sometimes those threads led to new people and experiences through the threads she already had woven (friends, business contacts).
I must comment on the physical book itself – it is definitely one you could give as a gift. The cover is gorgeous – the pages are a heavier weight – and lots of photos throughout the book – both B&W and color.
It was interesting to read of how they had to work around Brian Keith’s schedule as he had several projects going at once. And she made Sebastian Cabot sound so warm. Sadly, Anissa Jones (“Buffy”) did not have the same stability and died much too young.
It did get a bit tiring reading all names of celebrities that became such “dear friends”. But she was able to make lifelong friends and that isn’t all that easy in Hollywood. She had quite a variety of roles, even moving on to voice-overs. I like how she described her life through the use of “threads”. It I these threads that tied her to people and places, and sometimes those threads led to new people and experiences through the threads she already had woven (friends, business contacts).
I must comment on the physical book itself – it is definitely one you could give as a gift. The cover is gorgeous – the pages are a heavier weight – and lots of photos throughout the book – both B&W and color.
August 5, 2017
This book was so much more than entertaining, it brought back fond memories of my youth and my interactions with television. I urge everyone to read this nonfiction even if you never saw the show, it is very well done and sure to capture your interest. Loved it!
September 2, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
First off let me say I'm truly impressed with Kathy Garver. Her work ethic is incredible and puts many of the younger generation to shame. She's an inspiration!
My mother recently mentioned the character Cissy and I remember seeing Family Affair in syndication as a child. I remember thinking how pretty Cissy was...and still is as her photos show! While I think the book could have benefited from some judicious editing, it's still an interesting peek into the earlier days of TV and the surprisingly small world of Hollywood.
First off let me say I'm truly impressed with Kathy Garver. Her work ethic is incredible and puts many of the younger generation to shame. She's an inspiration!
My mother recently mentioned the character Cissy and I remember seeing Family Affair in syndication as a child. I remember thinking how pretty Cissy was...and still is as her photos show! While I think the book could have benefited from some judicious editing, it's still an interesting peek into the earlier days of TV and the surprisingly small world of Hollywood.
November 1, 2015
I received this book for an honest review. I was mislead by the title as I thought that survival meant that there was a major struggle around the show itself, when in actuality it was more of mental struggle within herself to face loneliness. I enjoyed some of the stories about her life and not so much the very rote listing of who's who in each show/endeavor. Needed to be fleshed out a little more with her life experiences rather than a who I know story.
Although I feel this could have been much better, it was not a bad book. I truly feel her editor is the one that should get the review for not giving Ms. Garver directions in making the end result not be so dry and unappealing. I do respect and applaud Ms. Garver for her many interests and ways of keeping busy and fruitful in a society that is truly a struggle. I sincerely intend to lookup some of her audio book endeavors in the immediate future.
Although I feel this could have been much better, it was not a bad book. I truly feel her editor is the one that should get the review for not giving Ms. Garver directions in making the end result not be so dry and unappealing. I do respect and applaud Ms. Garver for her many interests and ways of keeping busy and fruitful in a society that is truly a struggle. I sincerely intend to lookup some of her audio book endeavors in the immediate future.
October 21, 2015
How refreshing to read a story about a child star that had the support of a loving family, made lifelong friends, didn't do drugs, and is still living a good clean life doing what she loves to do. I remember Family Affair and Cissy and I enjoyed reading about Kathys life and accomplishments. I was amazed that she had acted in so many movies and shows and will now look more closely when watching The Ten Commandments. If you are looking for dirty Hollywood gossip on people then this isn't the book for you. If you are looking to read about the life of a fine actress and person and the brighter side of the profession, something that makes you smile than pick up this book. I received this from LibraryThing for an honest review.
April 26, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really had not given any thought to Kathy Garver or what happened to her. I watched her show along with many others. This book takes us through many of those shows and the characters/actors in them. It also takes us through many, many other parts of filming, production, direction and just about every other aspect of the arts. I got lost in the information at times and will need to read again to fill in what I missed the first time.
Kathy is a highly educated, highly motivated person who has gone after what she wants and then some. I enjoyed "meeting" her friends and family and the honest way she approached writing this book. I love books about people and what makes them tick. This was certainly spot on for that.
Kathy is a highly educated, highly motivated person who has gone after what she wants and then some. I enjoyed "meeting" her friends and family and the honest way she approached writing this book. I love books about people and what makes them tick. This was certainly spot on for that.
September 15, 2015
As a nostalgic fan of '60s television, I found this book quite insightful and entertaining. While I don't remember the show well, I do remember Family Affair and Cissy, so was familiar with the characters of the time. This book shows a woman of class and character, and gave us insight into not only her life as part of Hollywood television but of Hollywood itself at that time. I enjoyed this book, but found it a bit hard to follow at points due to the jumping ahead to place someone now... hence the four stars.
September 7, 2015
I received this book free from Good Reads.
Although I wasn't an avid "Family Affair" watcher, I found this book delightful. Garver gives lots of details about working on the show, her career as a child actor and her career after the show ended.
The only minor complaint I had was that she would jump ahead in the story, perhaps elaborating on where an individual was currently. That wasn't distracting and I understand why she did it.
Lots of photos too. If you enjoyed 1960s television, this is a must read.
Although I wasn't an avid "Family Affair" watcher, I found this book delightful. Garver gives lots of details about working on the show, her career as a child actor and her career after the show ended.
The only minor complaint I had was that she would jump ahead in the story, perhaps elaborating on where an individual was currently. That wasn't distracting and I understand why she did it.
Lots of photos too. If you enjoyed 1960s television, this is a must read.
November 2, 2015
I enjoyed this book, although I vaguely remember watching Family Affair and didn’t know that Kathy Garver had a long career in show business. It’s not a book filled with gossip, but a glimpse into her life in the acting profession. I found it to be a remarkable foray into a nostalgic time. I did enjoy the photos.
November 28, 2015
Kathy Garver was a child star who defied the stereotypes of those who had difficulty transferring their careers to adulthood. While she still experienced some down times, she came through relatively unscathed. This book only touches upon the Family Affair years; there is lots more to learn about Hollywood history here. I never knew Ms. Garver had such a prolific career.
December 1, 2015
Very good
Ms. Graver writes with good mechanics and a nice balance between her professional and personal lives. It's not a tell all, she's courteous and kind even when it's possible to extrapolate some not so pleasant aspects of people. It's a gentle read but not boring. Perhaps not riveting either but worthwhile if you are interested in the show and the Hollywood era.
Ms. Graver writes with good mechanics and a nice balance between her professional and personal lives. It's not a tell all, she's courteous and kind even when it's possible to extrapolate some not so pleasant aspects of people. It's a gentle read but not boring. Perhaps not riveting either but worthwhile if you are interested in the show and the Hollywood era.
December 4, 2015
This is a well written autobiography. Lots of interesting information and pictures. I didn't realize that Kathy had been in 60 TV shows, 40 commercials amd 8 movies before getting the part of Cissy. No tragic tales of the life of a child star.
January 6, 2023
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I agree with many reviewers who say Surviving Cissy is not really a story of survival in the truest sense. Kathy Garver really had a charmed life until the most recent years. Her time leading up to and including Family Affair was good, at least that's what she tells us.
Told as a way to weave a quilt together with threads from various parts of her life joining together was an interesting way to tell one's life story, but it wasn't handled well. You could tell there wasn't a ghostwriter on this book; it really seemed amateurish.
Garver's early life is documented in detail, along with everyone she's ever met and what they've done with their life. It didn't really feel like name dropping because most of the people she mentioned I'd never heard of. She got the part of Cissy during her sophomore year at UCLA when she was 20 and she was playing 15.
Scant time is spent on her five years on Family Affair, with short chapters describing her co-stars but with little insight into their time together. I realize that the show was only five years of her life, but let's face it: she wouldn't have gotten a book deal any other way.
Much time is spent talking about Kathy's post-Family Affair life in Hollywood, including her wealth of voicework, most notably to me as Firestar from the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and Friends, which I loved watching as a kid in the early 1980's.
I can't quite figure out Garver's husband, who never seems to be around when he's needed, can never get time off of work for vacation, and in general comes across as a real ass despite Kathy's clear devotion to him. I did feel bad that he had a heart attack, but in general, he does not come off well in this book despite her best efforts.
Another disappointing Hollywood memoir.
I agree with many reviewers who say Surviving Cissy is not really a story of survival in the truest sense. Kathy Garver really had a charmed life until the most recent years. Her time leading up to and including Family Affair was good, at least that's what she tells us.
Told as a way to weave a quilt together with threads from various parts of her life joining together was an interesting way to tell one's life story, but it wasn't handled well. You could tell there wasn't a ghostwriter on this book; it really seemed amateurish.
Garver's early life is documented in detail, along with everyone she's ever met and what they've done with their life. It didn't really feel like name dropping because most of the people she mentioned I'd never heard of. She got the part of Cissy during her sophomore year at UCLA when she was 20 and she was playing 15.
Scant time is spent on her five years on Family Affair, with short chapters describing her co-stars but with little insight into their time together. I realize that the show was only five years of her life, but let's face it: she wouldn't have gotten a book deal any other way.
Much time is spent talking about Kathy's post-Family Affair life in Hollywood, including her wealth of voicework, most notably to me as Firestar from the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and Friends, which I loved watching as a kid in the early 1980's.
I can't quite figure out Garver's husband, who never seems to be around when he's needed, can never get time off of work for vacation, and in general comes across as a real ass despite Kathy's clear devotion to him. I did feel bad that he had a heart attack, but in general, he does not come off well in this book despite her best efforts.
Another disappointing Hollywood memoir.
December 20, 2015
It's nice that Garver wrote about her career, one that I was completely unaware of outside her famous TV series (including a featured child role in The Ten Commandments!). But a few of the other reviewers have picked up on the main problem with this book--the author spends way too much time in minor factual backgrounds of people and shows she worked with. Instead of the book being about Cissy, the book is about Cissy's co-stars and crew members, which makes for a pretty dull read. She somehow thinks that giving factual, IMDB-style information about every minor person she was involved with is something the reader wants to know. And she fills the book with hundreds of names, from childhood friends, neighbors, young co-stars she met on one occasion, etc. This strategy may be made to sell more books to those who are named, but it detracts from what the book should be. The title is misleading--she doesn't really analyze how playing Cissy impacted her life nor how she had to "survive" the role.
After way too much detail about her childhood, going role-by-role through every little project she was involved with despite having no real stories to tell about any of them, she finally gets to Family Affair at about page 100. She does devote a large amount of space to facts about the show and those she worked with, but there are very few actual stories that are entertaining. Everyone on the show was great. Brian Keith was a wonderful family man who withdrew a bit when going through a divorce. Anissa's mom asked Garver to meet with the out-of-control teen literally days before the youngster's drug overdose. "Sabby" Cabot was a teddy bear. While fun to read, there are few revelations here. And there are some factual errors--at one point she claims that when the series ended on CBS in 1971 it was offered to ABC, but that ABC instead was offered another family show that it chose to air instead--The Brady Bunch. Wrong--the Brady Bunch had been on ABC since 1969!
The most interesting part of the book is actually near the end when she marries a guy who is portrayed to be quite the player. He avoids many things she is involved in due to "work," he flies away on business even though she is due to give birth in two weeks (and sure enough her water breaks the next day), he doesn't rush back for the birth but instead stops for breakfast on the way to the hospital, and he doesn't go on a romantic vacation with her (sending his son instead). The guy comes across as a real loser and though she says how great their marriage is, his portrayal raises a lot of questions.
She also likes to sue others--and there are some interesting stories about things that have happened to her. At the same time she claims to be involved in the work of the Lord and is involved in voicing a number of Christian audio books or appearing in family-based films. She never really comes out and states her beliefs (she claims to be Catholic but then strangely doesn't get married in the Catholic church) or her political perspective, but after reading about her wild teen years and some of the very liberal parenting tactics, she appears to be incongruous in melding her rebel side with her family side.
In the end there's enough for a fan to read it, but not enough for a fan to be satisfied. She brags about her stardom, and over-estimates how hard she worked on Family Affair (she was barely even in many episodes). Most disappointing is that she never fully explains how the crazy filming schedule worked, where they'd shoot all of Brian Keith's scenes from multiple episodes at the same time before then shooting the rest of the scenes. There are too many unimportant facts, not enough interesting details or stories.
After way too much detail about her childhood, going role-by-role through every little project she was involved with despite having no real stories to tell about any of them, she finally gets to Family Affair at about page 100. She does devote a large amount of space to facts about the show and those she worked with, but there are very few actual stories that are entertaining. Everyone on the show was great. Brian Keith was a wonderful family man who withdrew a bit when going through a divorce. Anissa's mom asked Garver to meet with the out-of-control teen literally days before the youngster's drug overdose. "Sabby" Cabot was a teddy bear. While fun to read, there are few revelations here. And there are some factual errors--at one point she claims that when the series ended on CBS in 1971 it was offered to ABC, but that ABC instead was offered another family show that it chose to air instead--The Brady Bunch. Wrong--the Brady Bunch had been on ABC since 1969!
The most interesting part of the book is actually near the end when she marries a guy who is portrayed to be quite the player. He avoids many things she is involved in due to "work," he flies away on business even though she is due to give birth in two weeks (and sure enough her water breaks the next day), he doesn't rush back for the birth but instead stops for breakfast on the way to the hospital, and he doesn't go on a romantic vacation with her (sending his son instead). The guy comes across as a real loser and though she says how great their marriage is, his portrayal raises a lot of questions.
She also likes to sue others--and there are some interesting stories about things that have happened to her. At the same time she claims to be involved in the work of the Lord and is involved in voicing a number of Christian audio books or appearing in family-based films. She never really comes out and states her beliefs (she claims to be Catholic but then strangely doesn't get married in the Catholic church) or her political perspective, but after reading about her wild teen years and some of the very liberal parenting tactics, she appears to be incongruous in melding her rebel side with her family side.
In the end there's enough for a fan to read it, but not enough for a fan to be satisfied. She brags about her stardom, and over-estimates how hard she worked on Family Affair (she was barely even in many episodes). Most disappointing is that she never fully explains how the crazy filming schedule worked, where they'd shoot all of Brian Keith's scenes from multiple episodes at the same time before then shooting the rest of the scenes. There are too many unimportant facts, not enough interesting details or stories.
June 6, 2017
The title and cover photo of this book don't quite match the contents of it. It better matches the contents of a short 1994 People article where Kathy Garver is quoted as saying fame made her "reclusive and afraid", and that her life seemed "shallow" by the late 1970s. For there's really no reclusiveness or fear or shallow times in this memoir. Instead, Ms. Garver comes across as confident and busy at all times; the product of a happy home, a successful acting career, and a normal high school life away from Hollywood. Is it the lack of drama and trauma that has gotten this book so many mediocre reviews? No, it's more likely the feeling that this isn't a heartfelt memoir, in my opinion. The author talks about her life more in a factual way; as well as in an analytical way, where she's looking back and commenting on what went right and what went wrong. Mostly things went right.
Yet she didn't get married until she was 35 or have a child until she was in her 40s, even though she claimed both marriage and motherhood were so important to her. Why? She gives vague reasons, which is certainly her right, her right to privacy. Many readers, though, probably wanted and expected more. They didn't want to read information about all the actors she worked with, or shout-outs to those actors and to family members and friends. In addition, there is the so oft repeated observations as to why child actors either make it or don't make it in their adult lives. How many times can you read those observations without reaching the point of no longer caring? But, for those who never tire of reading about child actors, or about television in the 1950s and 1960s, this book is for you. Moreover, it's for Family Affair fans, although there's really little new information about the show or actors that most fans would be truly interested in knowing.
My favorite part of the book was the chapter on Brian Keith. There appears to be no biography out there on him, so all one has are memories of him in books by those who knew him. That's not to say it wasn't at all interesting reading about Kathy Garver's life. It was, and she was quite a shining light on Family Affair, in my opinion. She radiated warmth and happiness. I only wish she had done a better job in this memoir of doing the same thing, as opposed to just talking about those things, because I don't think for a minute she's all talk. I think she is a heartfelt sort of person, but all the talk of such kept the real stuff from shining through in this story of her life. Or maybe the Cissy image limited her talk about negative things, about unhappiness and anger, and that's why this book ultimately feels unfullfilling to many readers. Feels not quite real, but cluttered with facts and details about people and things.
Yet she didn't get married until she was 35 or have a child until she was in her 40s, even though she claimed both marriage and motherhood were so important to her. Why? She gives vague reasons, which is certainly her right, her right to privacy. Many readers, though, probably wanted and expected more. They didn't want to read information about all the actors she worked with, or shout-outs to those actors and to family members and friends. In addition, there is the so oft repeated observations as to why child actors either make it or don't make it in their adult lives. How many times can you read those observations without reaching the point of no longer caring? But, for those who never tire of reading about child actors, or about television in the 1950s and 1960s, this book is for you. Moreover, it's for Family Affair fans, although there's really little new information about the show or actors that most fans would be truly interested in knowing.
My favorite part of the book was the chapter on Brian Keith. There appears to be no biography out there on him, so all one has are memories of him in books by those who knew him. That's not to say it wasn't at all interesting reading about Kathy Garver's life. It was, and she was quite a shining light on Family Affair, in my opinion. She radiated warmth and happiness. I only wish she had done a better job in this memoir of doing the same thing, as opposed to just talking about those things, because I don't think for a minute she's all talk. I think she is a heartfelt sort of person, but all the talk of such kept the real stuff from shining through in this story of her life. Or maybe the Cissy image limited her talk about negative things, about unhappiness and anger, and that's why this book ultimately feels unfullfilling to many readers. Feels not quite real, but cluttered with facts and details about people and things.
December 7, 2015
I would give this a 3.5. I remember watching Family Affair when i was a kid and then on repeats. I was the same age as Anissa Jones. I was curious to read Kathy Garver's memoir. I got to say the title is a bit misleading. I got the impression that "Surviving Cissy" that she had an awful life after Family Affair. This is not the fact. Kathy Garver has had a pretty good life for the most part. In this memoir she shares with the readers her life as a child actor, then of course her years on Family Affair and then the years afterwards. She spends a lot of the book dropping the names of all the famous, and not as famous people she has met or worked with. Ms.Garver strikes me as a nice lady, so this is not a mudslinging tell all. her chapters all have to do with piecing her life together like a quilt. so each chapter mentions things like, thread, materials and all that goes with putting together her life. This is a decent read. I especially liked the parts when she talked about Family Affair. I was surprised of how much work she has done over the years, appearing in tv shows, voice acting for cartoons, and audio acting for books. she has kept herself quite busy.
November 4, 2015
3.5 Stars Surviving Cissy is a great way to remember the wonderful 60s show "Family Affair." Author Kathy Garver, "Cissy" on the show, tells her memories of the show and then provides a good overview of lifelong career as an actress and voiceover actress. I enjoyed all of the memories as well as seeing how her career went after Family Affair.
Read
December 23, 2015I understand why Ms. Garver wanted to the write the book about her Hollywood career, but I don't understand why anyone wanted to publish it. It's super boring and shares little information that anyone not a rabid fan would be intersted in reading. The title is deceiving as Ms. Garver paints her life as near perfect.
Read
July 11, 2016Skimmed through the book and read the parts I was most interested in. A lot of content and I found some of it interesting…some of it not so much. Brought back some memories of when I would watch "Family Affair."
December 18, 2019
I didn't know all the things that Kathy Garver had achieved and continues to achieve. I became a fan because of Family Affair, but did see her in other roles on TV. Glad that she was one of the child stars that kept her life together instead of going through troublesome times.
February 25, 2016
I was disappointed there weren't more behind the scenes stories about Family Affair and its cast of characters. I appreciated the short chapters. Kathy Garver seems like a very nice classy lady.
January 28, 2016
Nice Memoir of Kathy Garver who portrayed Cissy in my all time favorite show Family Affair. I enjoyed the part about Family Affair but the rest is a little pat!!!!!
Read
December 30, 2024I loved watching Family Affair as a child, and was happy to find out about this memoir (eight years after it was published, but it. holds up).
If you were/are a Family Affair fan or aficionado of the 1960's +/- film and television scene, then this book is a must-read. If you're not, then skip it.
Hats off to Garver for not only surviving the lift of a child actor, but continuing to succeed and flourish. When one door closed, another one opened. She has grit and a down to earth practicality that can not be common in her industry. She was and remains a person of faith. Not the smug and condescending type, but one who feels truly blessed and is grateful for the opportunities and experiences in life.
The book is full of interesting stories, anecdotes, and facts about the people she worked with. There is theme of "threads" and indeed she is linked to many projects and stars through her body of work. She seems honest in her recollections but keeps it classy, not delving into the deep dirt of hurt (although there is a part of me that wished she did...).
There's an iron fist inside that velvet glove though - woe be it to those who have done her wrong. She isn't afraid to name names (I'm looking at you, Haim Saban). Garver obviously has an incredible work ethic (it exhausted me just reading about all her projects) and is well-grounded in faith, family and friends in addition to work.
She has a son, Reid, whom she obviously adores. She didn't get as lucky in the husband department. He comes across as a real tool, and I'm sure she held back on his worst a**hole behaviors. But it works for her, so who am I to judge?
If you were/are a Family Affair fan or aficionado of the 1960's +/- film and television scene, then this book is a must-read. If you're not, then skip it.
Hats off to Garver for not only surviving the lift of a child actor, but continuing to succeed and flourish. When one door closed, another one opened. She has grit and a down to earth practicality that can not be common in her industry. She was and remains a person of faith. Not the smug and condescending type, but one who feels truly blessed and is grateful for the opportunities and experiences in life.
The book is full of interesting stories, anecdotes, and facts about the people she worked with. There is theme of "threads" and indeed she is linked to many projects and stars through her body of work. She seems honest in her recollections but keeps it classy, not delving into the deep dirt of hurt (although there is a part of me that wished she did...).
There's an iron fist inside that velvet glove though - woe be it to those who have done her wrong. She isn't afraid to name names (I'm looking at you, Haim Saban). Garver obviously has an incredible work ethic (it exhausted me just reading about all her projects) and is well-grounded in faith, family and friends in addition to work.
She has a son, Reid, whom she obviously adores. She didn't get as lucky in the husband department. He comes across as a real tool, and I'm sure she held back on his worst a**hole behaviors. But it works for her, so who am I to judge?
December 31, 2024
I loved watching Family Affair as a child, and was happy to find out about this memoir (eight years after it was published, but it mostly holds up).
If you are a Family Affair fan or aficionado of the 1960's +/- film and television scene, then this book is a must-read. If you're not, you'll probably want to skip it.
Hats off to Garver for not only surviving the life of a child actor, but continuing to succeed and flourish. When one door closed, she opened another one. She exudes grit and determination with a down to earth practicality that can not be that common in her industry. She was and remains a person of faith. Not the smug and condescending type, but one who feels truly blessed and is grateful for the opportunities and experiences in life.
The book is full of interesting stories, anecdotes, and facts about the people she worked with. There is a theme of "threads" and indeed she is linked to many projects and stars through her extensive body of work. She seems honest in her recollections but keeps it classy, not delving into the deep dirt of hurt (although there is a part of me that wished she did...).
There's an iron fist inside that velvet glove though - woe be it to those who have done her wrong. She isn't afraid to name names (I'm looking at you, Haim Saban, who didn't pay her for a 1970s project). Garver obviously has an incredible work ethic (it exhausted me just reading about all her projects) and is well-grounded in faith, family and friends.
She has a son, Reid, whom she obviously adores. She didn't get as lucky in the husband department. He comes across as a real tool, and I'm sure she held back on his worst a**hole behaviors. But it works for her, so who am I to judge?
If you are a Family Affair fan or aficionado of the 1960's +/- film and television scene, then this book is a must-read. If you're not, you'll probably want to skip it.
Hats off to Garver for not only surviving the life of a child actor, but continuing to succeed and flourish. When one door closed, she opened another one. She exudes grit and determination with a down to earth practicality that can not be that common in her industry. She was and remains a person of faith. Not the smug and condescending type, but one who feels truly blessed and is grateful for the opportunities and experiences in life.
The book is full of interesting stories, anecdotes, and facts about the people she worked with. There is a theme of "threads" and indeed she is linked to many projects and stars through her extensive body of work. She seems honest in her recollections but keeps it classy, not delving into the deep dirt of hurt (although there is a part of me that wished she did...).
There's an iron fist inside that velvet glove though - woe be it to those who have done her wrong. She isn't afraid to name names (I'm looking at you, Haim Saban, who didn't pay her for a 1970s project). Garver obviously has an incredible work ethic (it exhausted me just reading about all her projects) and is well-grounded in faith, family and friends.
She has a son, Reid, whom she obviously adores. She didn't get as lucky in the husband department. He comes across as a real tool, and I'm sure she held back on his worst a**hole behaviors. But it works for her, so who am I to judge?
June 19, 2022
Kathy Garver has a great life story
Kathy Garver has a great life story. I enjoy stories of older Hollywood and I thought her autobiography was wonderful. I thought it inspiring that she was able to carve out a niche for herself after Family Affair. I now want to buy the series on DVD just for the extras. Kathy has a good head on her shoulders and has many talents. Reading her autobiography is a breath of fresh air. I liked where she talked about visiting the Star Trek set. She has all kinds of wonderful stories and it is inspiring how she overcame her obstacles. I confess, I would have liked to have dated Cissy.
Kathy Garver has a great life story. I enjoy stories of older Hollywood and I thought her autobiography was wonderful. I thought it inspiring that she was able to carve out a niche for herself after Family Affair. I now want to buy the series on DVD just for the extras. Kathy has a good head on her shoulders and has many talents. Reading her autobiography is a breath of fresh air. I liked where she talked about visiting the Star Trek set. She has all kinds of wonderful stories and it is inspiring how she overcame her obstacles. I confess, I would have liked to have dated Cissy.
April 8, 2022
Kathy Graver’s book is a biography—mostly of her professional life. The chapters are short and we’ll organized. However, the title is a complete misnomer. It insinuates that something bad happened that she somehow “survived.” No, the book is a history of her life and work and was published in 2015.
October 11, 2023
Absolutely loved this book! Brought back so many childhood memories with other bits of nostalgia. "SURVIVING " Hollywood can be a challenge and it was nice to read about someone who did not have a tragic outcome. Highly recommend!
August 3, 2024
An excellent read. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Too bad my first review was lost. Something went amiss a few days ago when I noticed this particular book (Kindle edition) was missing its cover in my "bookshelf" within Goodreads (August 1 202.) I revised my entry by selecting the hard cover edition.
Too bad my first review was lost. Something went amiss a few days ago when I noticed this particular book (Kindle edition) was missing its cover in my "bookshelf" within Goodreads (August 1 202.) I revised my entry by selecting the hard cover edition.
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