The definitive memoir by legendary actress and performer Debbie Reynolds—an entertaining and moving story of enduring friendships and unbreakable family bonds, of hitting bottom and rising to the top again—that offers a unique and deeply personal perspective on Hollywood and its elite, from the glory days of MGM to the present
Unsinkable
Inthe closing pages of her 1988 autobiography Debbie: My Life, Debbie Reynolds wrote about finding her "brave, loyal, and loving" new husband. After two broken marriages, this third, she believed, was her lucky charm. But within a few years, Debbie discovered that he had betrayed her emotionally and financially, nearly destroying her life.
Today, she writes, "When I read the optimistic ending of my last memoir now, I can't believe how naive I was when I wrote it. In Unsinkable, I look back at the many years since then, and share my memories of a film career that took me from the Miss Burbank Contest of 1948 to the work I did in 2012. . . . To paraphrase Bette Davis: Fasten your seatbelts, I've had a bumpy ride."
Unsinkable shines a spotlight on the resilient woman whose talent and passion for her work have endured for more than six decades. In her engaging, down-to-earth voice, Debbie shares private details about her man and money troubles, including building and losing her Las Vegas dream hotel and her treasured Hollywood memorabilia collection. Yet no matter how difficult the problems, the show always goes on.
Debbie also invites us into the close circle of her family, speaking with deep affection and honesty about her relationships with her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher. She looks back at her life as an actress during Hollywood's Golden Age—"the most magical time you could imagine"—including her lifelong friendship with (and years-long estrangement from) the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. Here, too, are stories that never reached the tabloids about numerous celebrities, such as Ava Gardner, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger, Gene Kelly, and many more. She takes us on a guided tour through her movies with delightful, often hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes about every film in which she was involved, from 1948 to the present.
Frank and forthright, and featuring dozens of previously unseen photos from Debbie's personal collection, Unsinkable is a poignant reminder that there is light in the darkest times. It is a revealing portrait of a woman whose determination is an inspiration.
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In hardcover, Debbie Reynolds' memoir made waves with its jarringly honest description of her disastrous third marriage. Beginning with an account of the nuptials, she goes on to scourge her ex-spouse as a chiseling business partner and a chronic adulterer. With Unsinkable, the veteran actress has not only updated her 1988 Hollywood memoir; by revisiting her early life here, she has enhanced its accounts with the safety and assurance of age. Reynolds' recollections of a movie career that now spans 65 years have always been important to her; indeed her descriptions of her battles to save her incomparable memorabilia collection form an important part of this book. An entertaining read from a peppy, petite star; now in trade paperback and NOOK Book.
NPR on UNSINKABLE
[Reynolds is] indisputably a grand dame of show business.
People on UNSINKABLE
Lively.
New York Journal of Books on UNSINKABLE
Debbie Reynolds knows exactly how to steal the scene, wring tears, and most important, how to leave the audience feeling thoroughly entertained.
New York Post on UNSINKABLE
Nothing could sink this lady.
Leonard Maltin
Anyone who loves Hollywood and movies is bound to enjoy this lively, funny book, filled with candid recollections. Debbie was a movie-struck kid who experienced the last days of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and I love her clear-eyed memories.
Library Journal
After her 1988 autobiography, the actress takes a darker view of things.
Kirkus Reviews
The multitalented Reynolds nostalgically expands on a fruitful career and a chaotic adulthood. The introduction, written by daughter Carrie Fisher, is appreciative and nods toward her mother's impeccable memory and fitting arrival at "a point in her life where she can see farther and better than ever before." The memoir, co-authored by former CBS late-night programming director Hannaway, greatly reflects this sentiment. Reynolds writes with regretless candor, fondly reflecting on a grand life in the Hollywood spotlight yet also recognizing the tarnish of imprudent romantic and financial decisions. Reynolds highlights many of her failures, the result of either sheer naïveté or gullibility, yet she remains continually nonplussed at the deceptiveness of people (particularly when hoodwinked by her second husband, con man Harry Karl). A promising business endeavor to purchase an aging Las Vegas hotel to house her opulent Hollywood costume collection ended up drilling Reynolds ever further down into debt left over from the Karl fiasco. Reynolds bravely admits to poring over dozens of boxes of litigation paperwork just to write comprehensively about that heartbreaking period when she was eventually forced to auction off the hotel and many of her prized memorabilia and costumes, including the unprecedented $5.5-plus million sale of Marilyn Monroe's original subway dress. The memoir's second section brings much needed levity to Reynolds' escapades and details her current life as a prideful octogenarian brimming with vigor. Perhaps the most compelling portions of the book are the pages of candid, insider commentary from each of the famed actress' films. Aptly titled, this bittersweet scrapbook demonstrates the kind of steely fortitude necessary to remain afloat through a lifetime of stormy weather.
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