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Simon Spotlight Entertainment
June 2009
On Sale: June 9, 2009
384 pages ISBN: 1416599142 EAN: 9781416599142 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction Memoir
A fascinatiating, heartbreaking, and ultimately
uplifting tale of self-discovery from the beloved actress
who earned a permanent place in the hearts of millions when
she was just a child.
To fans of the hugely successful
television series Little House on the Prairie,
Melissa Gilbert grew up in a fantasy world with a
larger-than-life father, friends and family she could count
on, and plenty of animals to play with. Children across the
country dreamed of the Ingalls' idyllic life -- and so did
Melissa. She was a natural on camera, but behind the
scenes, life was more complicated. Adopted as a baby into a
legendary show business family, Melissa wrestled with
questions about her identity and struggled to maintain an
image of perfection her mother created and enforced. Only
after years of substance abuse, dysfunctional relationships,
and made-for-television movies did she begin to figure out
who she really was. With candor and humor, the
cherished actress traces her complicated journey from
buck-toothed Laura "Half-pint" Ingalls to Hollywood starlet,
wife, and mother. She partied with the Brat Pack, dated
heartthrobs like Rob Lowe and bad boys like Billy Idol, and
began a self-destructive pattern of addiction and
codependence. Left in debt after her first marriage, and
struggling to create some sense of stability, she eventually
realized that her career on television had earned her
popularity, admiration, and love from everyone but
herself. Through hard work, tenacity, sobriety, and
the blessings of a solid marriage, Melissa has accepted her
many different identities and learned to laugh, cry, and
forgive in new ways. Women everywhere may have idolized her
charming life on Little House on the Prairie, but
Melissa's own unexpectedly honest, imperfect, and
down-to-earth story is an inspiration.
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