First published 2011
Candice Bergen opens her life to readers with sharp wit and unflinching honesty. The actress and daughter of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen examines her privileged yet peculiar childhood in Beverly Hills, where she grew up alongside her father's famous dummy Charlie McCarthy. Bergen chronicles her journey from reluctant debutante to photojournalist to reluctant actress, revealing the insecurities behind her glamorous facade. She writes about her relationships, career struggles, and the pressure of living up to public expectations. Bergen's self-aware humor cuts through Hollywood pretense as she admits her failures and celebrates her victories. The memoir captures a woman learning to define herself beyond others' expectations, finding strength in vulnerability and authenticity in a world built on artifice.
Genres: autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: intimate, self-aware, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, self-discovery
Setting: Beverly Hills
Period: 20th-century
321 pages · Kindle Edition · Simon & Schuster