In Pieces

Author: Sally Field
Genre: Autobiography
Type: Hardcover
Pages: 416
Source: Local Public Library
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
First Published: September 18, 2018
First Line: "There was no proscenium arch, no curtains or lights to create an illusion, no proper stage at all."

Book Description from GoodReads: In this intimate, haunting literary memoir, an American icon tells her story for the first time, and in her own gorgeous words--about a challenging and lonely childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.

One of the most celebrated, beloved, and enduring actors of our time, Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of seventeen. From Gidget's sweet-faced "girl next door" to the dazzling complexity of Sybil to the Academy Award-worthy ferocity and depth of Norma Rae and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences time and time again with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within.

With raw honesty and the fresh, pitch-perfect prose of a natural-born writer, and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind-the-scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships--including her complicated love for her own mother. Powerful and unforgettable, In Pieces is an inspiring and important account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

With In Pieces, Sally Field has written a soul-bearing, engaging and heartfelt memoir as she recounts her tumultuous childhood, quick rise to fame as a teenager, her rocky love life and her struggle to be seen as a serious actor.  She is brutally honest about her childhood as well as her struggle to find her own voice and her complicated relationships as a daughter, wife and mother. Some of these experiences are hard to read and some will, no doubt, shock many of her fans – especially the disparity between her public persona and her often dysfunctional private life. 

Throughout her career, Field wanted to be seen as a serious actor. Readers will see her continually trying to hone her craft as an actress in the male-dominated world of Hollywood that only thought of her as the ‘cutsie’ TV actor due to her early roles as Gidget and The Flying Nun.  While some of her roles in big movies were unfortunately glossed over in the book, she doesn’t skimp on details about her romantic relationships and provides insight into her tumultuous relationship with Burt Reynolds (he may have called her the ‘love of his life’ but she tells a very different story).

This is a brave and heartbreakingly candid memoir about a gifted and resilient woman. Well-written with humour and heart, readers will witness her difficult path to finding self-worth, maturity as a daughter and mother, and fulfillment as a respected, serious actor. Sally Field, we like you, we really, really like you.