by Barbara Eden
First published 2011
Barbara Eden opens her life to readers in this candid autobiography. The actress traces her path from a contract player at 20th Century Fox to the star of I Dream of Jeannie, the NBC series that captivated audiences for decades. Eden describes her early struggles as a chorus girl at Ciro's Sunset Strip and her work alongside Johnny Carson on live television. She shares encounters with Hollywood legends including Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, and Warren Beatty, plus her complex relationship with co-star Larry Hagman and a memorable meeting with Marilyn Monroe. Beyond the glamour, Eden confronts painful personal losses: a stillborn child with first husband Michael Ansara, an abusive second marriage marked by addiction, her mother's death, and the heroin overdose that killed her adult son shortly before his planned wedding. Eden reflects on maintaining hope and humor through decades of triumph and heartbreak in Hollywood.
Genres: autobiography, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: candid, emotional, intimate
Tropes: celebrity, memoir, personal-journey
Setting: Ciro's Sunset Strip, Hollywood
Period: 20th Century
288 pages · Hardcover · Crown Archetype
Content warnings: addiction, child-death, mental-illness