Home : a memoir of my early years

I don't read a lot of show business biographies but when Julie Andrews' memoirs showed up at the library, I had to take it home. Julie Andrews never struck me as typical Hollywood or typical Broadway. As a child, I was sure she was somehow related to royalty. She had that air about her. As an adult, I could take the book home and find out. What a revelation!

If pressed for an answer, I would now have to say that Julie Andrews most reminds me of my grandmother - not in a warm grandmotherly way, or even because they were of the same generation, because they weren't - but because both of them were survivors of very difficult home situations, and both tell their stories with virtually no self-pity or blame.

Julie Andrews' memoir does not come across as a cold re-telling of the past, but it is very matter-of-fact. She writes about her growing up years and early stage career with clarity and detail, but without destroying other people's reputations. The classy persona that you see in public and on stage must be an integral part of her character because it comes through in her writing.

A quick overview might classify this as a typical rags-to-riches story but it doesn't read that way because you get the impression that Julie Andrews doesn't see herself as a star. She certainly recognizes that she has worked with stellar people and performed for big names but she portrays herself as a struggling girl/young woman with an oddly talented voice. It's as if the voice is its own entity and the rest of her life is just there to support it.

The early parts of the book are a little disjointed as we jump from one memory to another. We all know that our earliest memories are flashes and brief episodes, usually unconnected to an over-riding storyline. That's how these come across, but the story becomes more fluid as we move into later years.

I wouldn't put this in my current top 10 list, but I did enjoy reading it and I'll probably read its sequel when it comes out.

Home : a memoir of my early years by Julie Andrews. Published in 2008 by Hyperion. ISBN: 978-0-7868-6565-9.