In Pieces (Paperback)
September 2018 Indie Next List
“I have watched Sally Field ever since her early days as the Flying Nun. I thought I knew Sally Field, but her memoir, In Pieces, reveals a Sally Field I didn’t know. She writes bravely and eloquently about her struggles growing up and making her way in Hollywood. Field holds nothing back, and that only elevates her, in my opinion. This isn’t just another celebrity memoir; it’s a clear-eyed look at an industry and a life beset by challenges. Field emerges as likeable, strong, and inspiring—an altogether remarkable woman.”
— Stephanie Hochschild, The Book Stall, Winnetka, IL
Description
In this intimate, haunting literary memoir and New York Times Notable Book of the year, an American icon tells her own story for the first time -- 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.
About the Author
Praise For…
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER—-
"I adored Sally Field's recent memoir, In Pieces. Although it deals with really heavy subject matter - sexual violence, childhood trauma - which made me step away for a break at times, her writing is so captivating. It brings you right into the moment, even moments that took place decades ago, and brings you along on her journey of admitting truths to herself about all of the trauma she has experienced. Her descriptions of acting - as her emotional release, her true love, her craft - were beautiful, especially interwoven with what was occurring in her personal life. What a remarkable woman. (PS: This book made me call my mom and thank her for being my mom.)"—Buzzfeed
"A memoir as soulful, wryly witty, and lyrical as it is candid and courageous... Eye-opening and deeply affecting... Arresting in its dark disclosures, vitality, humour, and grace, Field's deeply felt and beautifully written memoir illuminates the experiences and emotions on which she draws as an exceptionally charismatic, empathic, and powerful artist."—Booklist
"A complex cri de coeur [and] shockingly frank...A rarity in the world of celebrity memoirs."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}USA Today
"'In Pieces' is the opposite of a self-aggrandizing, celebrity biography meant to cement one's place in history. Rather, it's a vulnerable, frank, almost voyeuristic view inside Field's mind and her efforts to "piece" together her life's most crucial moments into a coherent understanding of who she is as a human being."—Atlantic Journal-Constitution
"Talented and versatile Academy and Emmy Award-winning actor Field's credits range from Gidget and Sybil to Norma Rae and Places in the Heart, among many others. Now she reveals the personal side of her story, along with her rise to fame. Reverberating throughout these pages is the impact of sexual abuse by her stepfather and her struggles to work through her relationship with her beloved mother. Field addresses these issues frankly, as she does the complex facets of her marriages and other associations (including her much-publicized relationship with actor Burt Reynolds), as well as various episodes in her behind-the-scenes professional life. Her discussion of building a vibrantly enduring acting career in the midst of turbulence is especially fascinating. There are vivid anecdotes from on and off the set, well-drawn accounts of priceless tutelage by famed Lee Strasberg, and powerful depictions of how Field crafted major dramatic roles from deep within her emotional reservoir. It is all here and in Field's inimitable words, enhanced by thoughtfully chosen photographs.
"Field lays it all on the line...In Pieces is an indelible portrait of a woman we all thought we knew."—Auburn Citizen