I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny

by Vivian Cash, Ann Sharpsteen

I Walked the Line is a chronicle of first love, long-kept secrets, betrayal, forgiveness, and the truth--told at last by Johnny Cash's first wife, the mother of his four daughters.

It is a book that had the full support of Johnny Cash, who insisted it was time for their story to be told, despite any painful revelations that might come to light as a result.

Many myths and contradictions regarding the life of Johnny and his family have been perpetuated for decades in film and literature. Vivian exposes previously untold stories involving Johnny's drug addiction, his fraught family life, and their divorce in 1968, as well as the truth behind the writing of two of Johnny's most famous songs, "I Walk the Line" and "Ring of Fire."

Supplemented by a never-before-published archive of love letters and family photos, I Walked the Line offers a deeper look at one of the most significant artists in music history. Here, fans and readers can experience the extraordinary account of love and heartbreak between Johnny and Vivian, and come to understand Vivian's dignified silence over the years. Through this elegant, revealing, and powerful memoir, Vivian Cash's voice is finally heard.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, History

341 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I would like to say that I had barely even known who Johnny Cash was or even heard any of his songs until the movie came out. With that being said, I was able to read this book from an unbiased view point since I have no pre-established loyalty or emotional ties to Johnny Cash or June Carter as individuals and/or their music. Furthermore, the only information I had upon starting this book was from the movie and I do not take Hollywood adaptations of "True Stories" very seriously (especially when they are produced by the main character's son who obviously wanted to glorify his mother's image). This is a story of love, devotion, hope, dreams, and devastation. I wish that Vivian was still alive so I could thank her for her courage and humility...both of which she had in abundance to share her life long secrets, painful memories, private love letters, and constant love and devotion to a man that wronged her in every way possible. At first I was a bit mystified (and sometimes bored) with all the love letters in the first three quarters of the book. However, after reading part two I now see the importance of the letters as they showed the growth and development of Johnny and Vivian's relationship, how they communicated, the promises they made (and broke) and the endearing devotion they shared to God and each other. Some reviewers dismiss the love letters because of the young age of the couple at the time, but I think people forget that this was a different time and place in American culture, and most young men and women got married right out of high school and started careers and families. The maturity levels of 18 year old's in the 1950's was well beyond that of an 18 year old today. Johnny even writes about the majority of his friends in service are already married. That was the cultural norm for that generation and they were way more prepared to step into adult roles than kids are today. Therefore, I don't think Johnny and Vivian's love letters are any less valid than mature adults dating/emailing/texting today. Furthermore, one could argue that Johnny and Vivian's courtship was much more mature, thought out, and grounded, than the extra-marital, drug induced affair that started the relationship between Johnny and June Carter. I would also like to argue that Vivian's pain was still very fresh and unhealed (even after 30+ years) because she was never able to remove herself completely from the constant reminder of her marriage that was stolen from her. Her children had to grow up without their father in their daily lives, Johnny and June were always in the media, and friends and family would tells her stories or updates throughout the years. Vivian received years of affirmations from Johnny that he would always be true to her and their love, be a good husband and father, and take care of her forever. This is the foundation upon which they built their marriage. One should also take into consideration that she was raised in a devout Catholic home, and marriage is a sacred Sacrament...it never entered her mind that Johnny would not only break his vow to her, but to God as well. Those who choose to defend June Carter are sadly delusional. You don't have to read Vivian's story to know that June had 2 children from 2 ex-husbands and was working on her 3rd husband who was MARRIED! Even by today's more lax social standards, June's track record is extremely promiscuous and would probably qualify for a reality TV show on MTV! I do not blame Vivian for never fully forgiving June...it would be very hard for any wife to forgive the mistress who stole your husband, took credit for raising your kids, and publicly re-wrote your husbands history with you to benefit herself. I respect Vivian for her decision to keep her story private until the time was right for her, Johnny, and her daughters. Even in the end she was still concerned about others feelings before she committed to writing her story. I am still at an utter loss as to why the music industry chose to portray June Carter as the pure/innocent, God fearing, country girl who was just swept off her feet by Johnny Cash...the truth is always more interesting! BRAVO Vivian! And thank you for sharing your story!

[Mfreeman72 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very little of this book is actually Vivian's story, that element of the book could be compressed into a well-edited pamphlet. Instead, it's mostly comprised of 240+ pages of his love letters from Germany, which I forced myself to read mostly to indulge my masochistic side. And let me assure you, there's NOTHING more painful to read than mooning love letters from a twenty year old male. Petrarca, he ain't.

Let me save you the time of reading this book. In a nutshell:
1. He was sanctimonious ass as a young man.
2. They broke up because of the drugs and June Carter.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow... this book really impacted me. I really enjoy Johnny Cash's music. It makes me feel like when I was a kid and there are no worries. I absolutely loved the movie "Walk The Line" with Reese Witherspoon & Joaquin Phoenix. I had mixed emotions about how I felt about his first wife Vivian. The movie portrayed her in an uncaring, selfish wife type roll. After reading her book which had the blessing of Johnny & their 4 daughters, I have changed my perspective of her. What a strong woman to have gone through all she had and was able to get over the anger of a woman obsessed with her husband and eventually loosing him to her and drugs. That must have been extremely difficult while raising their 4 daughters. It has also changed my opinion of June. Things that she did, said and described in interviews were reprehensible. According to Vivian, June had told her flat out that she was taking Johnny from her. Now as a mother of two children, if any woman told me she was going to take my husband from me, there would be some major problems. In the book it also mentions that June would give interviews and make a point to say she is so tired because she is raising 7 kids. According to Vivian, they lived with her most of the time and visited Johnny & June in Nashville. I would be so peeved if some woman was saying she was raising my kids and it was a flat out lie. I really have a soft place in my heart for Vivian, for what Johnny & June both did to her and the four daughters. I have a new opinion of June - homewrecker is definitely on the top. She is in the Angelina Jolie catagory according to me.

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a die hard Johnny Cash fan, it was a little difficult for me to read this and hear Vivians side to their story. I think Johnnys letters were cute but a little overpowering sometimes. If someone were to write me those kinds of letters I'd be scared rather than in awe. The kind of love he had for Vivian and June were very different and I don't believe for a second as Vivian says, that they would be together still after all those years had certain things not played a role in their lives. One thing that bothered me about this book was how she published it as Vivian Cash when it should have either been Vivian Liberto or Vivian Distin. That is probably just me being jealous, I don't know and I don't care. She blames a lot on June and when I've read Johnnys books and Junes books and they don't match up. Of course they can't tell Vivians side either but she can't speak for others like she does somewhat in her Part 2. It also seemed like she wanted to make sure people knew where credit went for certain things (mostly to her) and that they knew for important things in Johnnys life it was her by his side. I do feel sorry for her that things played out the way they did in her life but it doesn't change the way I feel about Johnny or June for that matter.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything about this book just seemed wrong. For a start, her name is NOT Vivian Cash - she was married to someone else for 30-odd years. Then, when I flicked to the photos in the middle, the same photo appeared twice. Only about 60 pages of the book were actually written by her, the remaining 250 being love letters written by Johnny. And I am of the opinion that love letters should only be read by their intended recipient.



I don't think that I'm speaking from the viewpoint of a disillusioned fan either. Johnny Cash was very upfront about his screw-ups.



Despite her claim that she never stopped loving him, it all just seems to me to be the bitterest type of revenge.

[Bre · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt like this book was nothing more than Vivan trying to say "Look world, he loved me and June is evil". I definitely felt bad for her, being in love with and married to an addict like that isn't easy but I felt the book was overdone and exaggerated. And the countless letters just got redundant, we get it, he loved you too! I just felt the story was entirely too one-sided, nothing more than a childlike rant.

[Jamie Johnson Leach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many love letters and too much bitterness...even though she claimed not to be bitter. I get it because I am divorced, but you can't wait to write a book until all the key players are dead and then claim that you are right and they are wrong...

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was super interested in this book, written by Johnny Cash's first wife. They corresponded for three years while he was overseas in the air force. There are always two sides to every story, and this is Vivian's chance to tell her side of their life together and their divorce.

This book is 80% Johnny's letters, which are intimate and fun to read at first. After a while they become repetitive and almost boring. They reflect a childish sort of infatuation that young lovers experience, and the desperation of being separated. To add to the frustration, none of her letters to him are posted, so one wonders why the intimacy is so one sided.

This is a classic case of two kids getting married young and struggling. If Johnny went into a normal career they likely would have stayed together. But he becomes a star, she's stuck at home with the babies. He gets on drugs and meets June. According to Vivian June outright "steals" Johnny. Well, I can see this happening, but in a way it was inevitable. The author blames it on the drugs, which I am sure contributed, but it was a larger issue than that - they were in two different worlds. Being on tour and being a performer, June was in Johnny's world. It isn't surprising they fell in love.

Vivian comes across as bitter, which, well, I can't blame her. I got a gut feeling she wanted to reproduce Johnny's letters to prove that she really was loved by him. She expresses frustration that June discusses her children in the press as her own. I have read June's book and Roseann's book and both seem to paint a good relationship between the kids and June.

I wish the book was more her recollections of her life with Johnny instead of just his letters and then complaining about how she was wronged. Yes, she was wronged, but what happened when they were together that didn't involve June? There is so much missing from the story. There are some great photos in this book.

Unless you are a die hard Cash fan, I'd pass on this one.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't read the letters part, which is actually probably worth it. (Though you have to ask yourself - how seriously can you take love letters from an 18 to 20-year old?)

As for the rest of it, I totally understand how Vivian feels betrayed and angry - it comes across loud and clear. OVER and OVER. I get that she wants her point of view out there - there's just not much of a point of view, except that June was evil, slight clarity on his addictions, and what it was like for her to be married to him. It's hard to reconcile her version of events after reading the CASH autobiography. It just doesn't feel like there's a point to reading this.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking at this book for quite a while. I decided to read some of the reviews and read the one from her daughter Kathy. That review made me decide to read this book.

I have to admit that all the letters from Johnny Cash were getting to sound the same. I passed them by and started reading to book. Boy what an eye opener. I felt so sorry for Vivian. From the books she seemed like such a nice and trusting person. I can't beleive all the stuff she put up with from Johnny and June. It is amazing that she was still in love with him even after all he put her throw.

I will go back to read the letters when I get over the ones I did read already. But that may take some time to happen.

I have the movie "Walk the line" that came out a few years ago. They painted a pretty picture on how Johnny and June were such nice people and Vivian was a witch. That just goes to show you that you can't always believe what you see in the movies.

This was a great book. It really tugged at your heart. The pain Vivan went through was a lot. I did not feel so sorry for Johnny because the drugs and drinking what his choice. How things could have been different if he did not start that stuff.

[Chris O'grady · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book OK. Got bored plowing thru all Johnny's letters but where the hell, yes, the hell were hers? Didn't she write any? Pure propaganda in my opinion. Sorry Viv but this is a miserable book. Big shame you're not still around to read my comment. Two sides to every story but this gave only one.

[Wyked · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised by the resentment and bitterness Vivian Cash had toward June Carter Cash, even when she died...
It wasn't a bad read, I guess both sides of the story needed to be heard....

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seriously just didn't get the point. The first 200+ pages are letters from Johnny Cash to Vivian while he was in Germany. Then she writes about 100 pages at the end. She is really nasty to June Carter, not that that is shocking. But it was this weird thing where everyone else is to blame but her. It was just an odd premise for a book. It would have never been published if she weren't who she was. Regretable read.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm finally finished, hallelujah, thank ya Jesus. Honestly, the beginning & the end were just fine, informative & believable. But the letters....oh, golly the letters...they dragged on forever & ever. It was just lovesick mooning & it made me a little uncomfortable as they wore on & Johnny began to describe with more clarity what he had in mind for Vivian & her undergarments. It was a little sickening.
I agree with another reviewer on here that brought to my attention the handwriting changed from the beginning photos to the ones in the end. Additionally, the dates of the letters show that there was no way their correspondence traveled that fast. In the beginning, Johnny wrote a later, & just FOUR DAYS later is responding to Vivian's answer from the previous. It's simply not feasible, as towards the end, it takes SIX DAYS for a letter to get from Germany to New Mexico. I would like to have read at least a few responses from Vivian, just to see if she encouraged his behavior. But on the whole, the letters could have been condensed drastically. Like, a fourth of them would have been plenty.
I do believe Vivian's side. But as with every story, there are at least three versions. Yours, theirs, & the truth. Vivian must have not been the perfect wife that she let on to be. No one is. But as we mature, we change. And Johnny's ideal of the perfect wife must have evolved from housewife to musician & traveling partner. I'm sure his home life bored him after the glamour of being a star.
I am left with many questions. Obviously, the girls had some sort of relationship with June or they wouldn't have been so distraught over her death...but to hear Vivian tell it, they spent little to no time with her & didn't care for her & weren't close to Johnny. And did she publish under Vivian CASH at the persuasion of her editor/ publisher? Because she hasn't been a Cash in a long, long, time. Additionally, she married as soon as the ink on her divorce papers were final. She said this was because she was afraid no one would want a divorcee with four little kids. I smell a SHRED of truth....but maybe their friendship wasn't quite so innocent as she lets on.
If you want a different version of what you've read of Johnny Cash's life, this is a mediocre read. I would recommend the first passages, pick no more than ten letters to read at random, then read the last. That will save you a lot of time & energy. ALSO, I paid ten good American dollars for this book ($3.99 shipping). It's simply not worth it to me. Try to get it for $3 or less. Wish I had.

[Elaine Mullane || Elaine and the Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you ever wonder about Johnny's first wife? I love the story of Johnny and June but I was always curious about Vivian's experience.

I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny Cash is a prequel to his life as "The Man in Black" when, to Vivian, he was just "Johnny". It moves from Vivian meeting Johnny as a teenager in the summer of 1951, as he was headed overseas with the army, to their move to Memphis, where Johnny worked as a door-to-door salesman and sang with The Tennessee Two. It describes how Vivian, pregnant year after year, travelled with Johnny around the country as his music career took off, sewing his stage outfits and scribbling the lyrics for "I Walked the Line" as he drove. It also covers, in surprising detail, Johnny's relationship with alcohol and pills, and how June's addition to Johnny's tour affected their marriage. The book was published with the full support of Johnny, who felt it was time for he and Vivian's story to be told.

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not know much about Johnny Cash's first wife. It's been a while since I've seen "Walk the Line", so I don't think I was influenced by the Hollywood version of events.

Yet I felt VERY uncomfortable reading this book. The first 2/3 or so of the book are letters. I felt fairly uncomfortable about reading such intimate and personal letters, and actually got kinda bored after a while. When the book switches to prose, I felt REALLY uncomfortable at bitterness Vivian Cash still felt at the dissolution of her marriage. Although she has the right to her side of the story, it just seemed insulting to read such anger and inability to let go. Apparently she wrote this with the help of another writer, and quite frankly it needed more editing. It seemed she found some measure of happiness and peace in later life, but the transition was rather awkward and out of place.

I got this at a bargain price--I recommend potential readers do the same or just borrow it from the library.

[Kathy Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing the story of Johnny and Vivian Cash's love and marriage, but could really have done without EVERY love letter that they exchanged for 3 years! It was the same thing over and over and finally I skimmed through them.

The actual telling of their life was very interesting and a bit sad when June Carter came into the picture. You really feel sad for Vivian, who was trying to hold her marriage together and got shut out due to another woman and drugs. Vivian believes that if the drugs were not involved, she would have been able to keep Johnny, but I wonder if that would have been true. June Carter was a force to be reckoned with and Johnny was attracted to her - drugs or not.

I felt sad for Vivian that she had such a hard time moving on from him, even though she remarried right away.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very confusing. On one hand, I want to believe Vivian's story of how things happened but maybe she was a little bitter? Then again, June had been married several times before marrying John so it makes it difficult to believe either story completely. I also think the media played a huge role in defining June and Johnny's relationship to make it a love story they could sell to the public.

Either way, my opinion of Johnny Cash is forever changed.

[Kahlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I was working on a scene from Walk the Line for my acting class, and boy am I glad I did! What a different perspective it gave me. The movie Walk the Line is a great story, but not necessarily a true one. This book opened up my eyes to a very complex man in black, and the things that all too often come with the price of fame. I wish the movie would’ve told Vivian’s story more accurately, but I’m glad she got to say her peace and make her peace with this book.

[Kristina Hoerner · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book which is the only time you get to hear Johnny Cash's first wife talk about her view on what happened in their marriage (she died in 2005). What a let down the book was. 3/4 of the story was the entire collection of love letters he wrote her while he was overseas in the Air Force before they married. Incredibly boring! The last tiny part of the book was an angry rant on why June Carter Cash was a wicked, drug-addicted woman who intentionally set out to steal away her weak husband. To the end, she had forgiven Johnny for being weak but had never forgiven June for what she did to her or her children.

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this because I wanted to learn more about the life of Johnny Cash and I thought this would be a good read.

I was disappointed.

The main story line was letters between Johnny and Vivian while he was in Germany. While nice to read, I didn't really see any genuineness in them. The rest of the story was bashing June Carter Cash. This is really a story of a woman scorned and not a real life story. Way too many gaps in the story line.

[Bonni Sweet · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was soooooooooooooooooo not impressed with this book. First of all only about 65 pages were actually written by Vivian, the rest of it were so called letters from Johnny. But were they? You could tell from some of the photos that she had kept some of their original letters from him but I find it hard to believe that she kept so many of these so called letters, especially since so many other books written about them talk about the messy divorce that they had. Secondly anyone could have typed up these so called letters to say what they wanted the to say. I'm not saying that she did but it does make you wonder why she only published a few of them on their actual paper, why not all of them to show that they were the actual letters. There isn't much information really about what went on during the marriage except an occasional mention of this or that. There isn't much said about their children, how she felt when he cheated, when he took drugs, or what how she wished her life might have turned out differently. You can tell there is a lot of resentment between her and June Carter Cash and I guess that is to be expected since Johnny left her for June but I just felt like her book really wasn't worth taking the time to read. To be honest, I was really disappointed. I really thought with it written by her that it would have a lot of information that had not been published before, instead it really didn't offer much of anything at all.

[Andrea Wondra · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I was excited to read about another layer of Johnny Cash via his first wife, but eventually decided it was a bad idea to choose this particular book. Almost more than half of the book contain letters Johnny wrote to Vivian while he was in Europe for years serving in the military. I'm sure lot's of boys wrote the exact same letters to their girlfriends back home, and I quickly felt icky reading private thoughts and words of Johnny as a boy. Honestly, I stopped reading them and perused the ones that were copied in Johnny's handwriting. Even then I felt uncomfortable. The last teeny part of the book is Vivian talking smack about June Carter, even after all of those years, and Vivian herself had been remarried for 30 years. All of the players are gone now, and Vivian even states in the beginning of the book that she only felt "comfortable telling the 'truth'" after June died. Whatever. Skip it, not worth the lost time you can't get back. The "never before seen photo's" aren't that great either.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this since I'm a fan of Johnny Cash and his story has always intrigued me. This book was difficult for me. I wanted more of the story about their life not pages upon pages of letters and woman trying to convince the world she was once loved by him. Poorly written and a bit pathetic if you ask me. Interesting to hear her side, but would not recommend to anyone.

[Jessie Gussman · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two side to every story, I suppose. There was an underlying tone of bitterness here (rightfully so), but it made it just a little hard to believe. Especially anything she said about June Carter. Totally understandable. I'm guessing, like most things, the truth lies somewhere between the two sides.

I admit to skimming some of the old love letters.

[Carolina Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bitter wife plays the victim while her deeply traumatised husband searchs comfort in the arms of a kindhearted country singer and ilicit drugs.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a rollercoaster from start to finish. I’m not even sure how I feel about June Carter Cash anymore. I used to think the world of her and the love between Johnny and June, but my heart truly broke for Vivian while reading this book. Hollywood portrays a very different love story as Johnny, a man wild in love, chased after June, but Vivian paints a painfully different picture of a drug-addicted June that slowly worked her way into their marriage. Vivian speaks of multiple confrontations where she begged June to give them space to work on their marriage and long nights of praying that God would release Johnny from June’s grasp.. but at the end of it all, she lost Johnny and continued to survive in a world that created this picturesque love story between Johnny and June - painting Vivian out of the storyline completely. I can’t fathom that kind of heartache after a marriage and four children shared together.

I do wish Vivian had been a little more linear in her story telling. Her dates are all over the place and I had a hard time creating the correct timeline as I read along.

The most annoying part of the book, by far, were pages 21-268 of a 339 page book that consisted of nothing but Johnny’s love letters to Vivian while he was serving overseas. Initially, I thought that would be the greatest part of the book - but it felt like I read the same letter a million times over. I did find his innocence to be charming and his clear “red flags” of struggling with an addictive personality were loud and clear.

Johnny did have a poetic way of writing and I found myself underlining bits of his love letters as inspiration for my own written pieces.

“Pardon these crooked lines, darling. The old sea doesn’t know I’m trying to write you.”

“My Vivian, does the moon still shine in Texas? I always miss you, the moon, and Texas.”

I’m glad I read the book, but I’m also a hardcore Johnny Cash fan. I don’t see myself keeping the book or reading it again - but reading another side of the great story that twists and turns into the personal life of Johnny Cash was time well spent.

[fer_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had been on my "to be read" list for the longest time and I'm glad that I finally got to it. I first read a small sample of it and wanted to read more about Vivian Cash and her life before, during, and after her relationship with the infamous Johnny Cash. I was hoping to get to know her, not only as Johnny Cash's first wife, or the woman he left for June Carter Cash, but as Vivian Liberto, a woman with her own story to tell. And I feel like she attempted to do just that.

The majority of her book is made up of letters written to her by Johnny while he was stationed in Germany while serving in the U.S. Air Force. The letters start off sweet and innocent, but then started getting very repetitive and, at times, too personal (meant to be and stay private). Vivian could have shared about a third of them and it wouldn't have made a huge difference to her story. She also made the terrible decision of only sharing his letters to her, and not hers to him, making it seem like sometimes the love was only one sided. However, they do eventually marry when he gets home after three years of being apart.

After the many, many letters of young love, Vivian recounts the ups and downs of married life with Johnny Cash as he, quite quickly, rises to stardom. This part of the book, where Vivian has a voice and shares HER personal story, is what I was looking forward to reading. Although it sometimes felt rushed, her account of events made me sympathise with her. I truly did feel for her pain but I, also, couldn't help but feel like she was still bitter towards June (and Johnny, but mostly June) for her failed marriage with Johnny. But, I guess I can't blame her for feeling some sort of resentment or hurt.

Overall, I'm not disappointed in having read this book/memoir because Vivian wanted to share her story with the world and she got a chance to do it after many years of being silent and private about her life with Johnny Cash.

[Ashley M Nolan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may have been the worst book I’ve read In my entire life. The only parts I found interesting were that June had a drug addiction according to Vivien, Viv and John had a monkey, they also had a parrot who said “SHIT-COME IN” when someone knocked on the door. Extremely disappointing book. Do not waste your time reading the letters John wrote overseas. They are very repetitive, irrelevant and boring. Not to mention the handwriting is impossible to make out.

[Dee Rea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan

I didn't really know what I expected but this book was a let down. I wish it could have been less bitter and jealous I. nature.