First published 2011
Television actress Meredith Baxter opens her life to readers in this candid memoir. Best known for playing Elyse Keaton on Family Ties, Baxter built her career while concealing personal turmoil. She grew up in Hollywood as the daughter of actress Whitney Blake, creator of One Day at a Time. After embracing 1960s counterculture, divorce at 22 left her a single mother needing work. She found it in films like Ben and All the President's Men, then television success in Bridget Loves Bernie. There she met David Birney, beginning a volatile 15-year marriage that damaged her self-worth even as her career soared. Family Ties brought fame, but Baxter turned to alcohol for relief. After divorcing Birney in a bitter custody fight, she stopped drinking in 1990. Another failed marriage to screenwriter Michael Blodgett followed. Eventually Baxter found stability and love with Nancy Locke. She now speaks openly about this relationship and the journey that brought her peace.
Genres: family-life, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, lgbt, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-growth
Setting: Hollywood
Period: 1960s, 1990s
304 pages · Hardcover · Crown Archetype
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse, domestic-violence