Love, Pamela
A Memoir
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
The actress, activist, and once infamous Playboy Playmate reclaims the narrative of her life in a memoir that defies expectation in both content and approach, blending searing prose with snippets of original poetry.
In this honest, layered and unforgettable book that alternates between storytelling and her own poetry, Pamela Anderson breaks the mold of the celebrity memoir while taking back the tale that has been crafted about her.
Her blond bombshell image was ubiquitous in the 1990s. Discovered in the stands of a football game, she was immediately rocket launched into fame, becoming Playboy’s favorite cover girl and an emblem of Hollywood glamour and sexuality. But what happens when you lose grip on your own life—and the image the notoriety machine creates for you is not who you really are?
Growing up on Vancouver Island, the daughter of young, wild, and unprepared parents, Pamela Anderson’s childhood was not easy, but it allowed her to create her own world—surrounded by nature and imaginary friends. When she overcame her deep shyness and grew into herself, she fell into a life on the cover of magazines, the beaches of Malibu, the sets of movies and talk shows, the arms of rockstars, the coveted scene at the Playboy Mansion. And as her star rose, she found herself tabloid fodder, at the height of an era when paparazzi tactics were bent on capturing a celebrity’s most intimate, and sometimes weakest moments. This is when Pamela Anderson lost control of her own narrative, hurt by the media and fearful of the public’s perception of who she was…and who she wasn’t.
Fighting back with a sense of grace, fueled by a love of art and literature, and driven by a devotion to her children and the causes she cares about most, Pamela Anderson has now gone back to the island where she grew up, after a memorable run starring as Roxie in Chicago on Broadway, reclaiming her free spirit but also standing firm as a strong, creative, confident woman.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In her searingly honest memoir, Pamela Anderson reshapes our perception of her life, career, and personality. The legendary model and actress charts her path from a strange and chaotic childhood on Vancouver Island to escaping an abusive fiancé to attending her first Playboy shoot, and everything beyond. Despite having endured tumultuous marriages and many traumatic experiences, Anderson has a remarkably balanced perspective, even when she’s describing bonkers encounters with the likes of Jack Nicholson. Her memoir’s full of elegance and vulnerability, too, particularly during its forays into free verse and poetry—revealing Anderson’s genuine passion and love for art and literature. From wild parties to animal rights to dealing with misogynistic talk show hosts, Love, Pamela is an eye-opening read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Model and actor Anderson chronicles her rise to fame in this pensive memoir. Growing up on Vancouver Island, Anderson loved spending time on the beach, though her childhood was also marked by abuse and a rape when she was an early teen. Even so, she writes, her upbringing was "the ultimate gift... I was raised in a way where nobody was telling me what to do or how to be, or how to think, or what to believe, and I'm eternally grateful for that." Her life changed dramatically after she appeared on a Jumbotron at a football game, and before long she was on the cover of Playboy in 1989. Anderson speaks of her career with nostalgia: acting on TV series Baywatch opened the door to films, while Playboy continued to offer new opportunities, though, she writes, "My life took off without me." Now, as a mother of two, Anderson considers being a mother her "priority and greatest source of pride." Though she can contradict herself (modeling is "empty, shallow, and weird," but posing for Playboy was "empowering"), she is frank about her inner turmoil, notably about longing for others to see through her carefully curated persona: "How could I expect anyone to love me enough to see through it all?" This poetic and free-spirited narrative reflects both Anderson's naivete and her wild spirit.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic read!
I love the way this book is written, and enjoyed the poetry inserts. It was wonderful to see in the life of Pamela in her own words. I have a new take on life, her perspective has made me kinder, accepting, and full of hope for the future. As I raise my granddaughter for the last 4 years, I’m reminded to take a pause in life, enjoy the small things and be kind to those close to me. We are all on a journey…
Sleeze
Really makes you want to puke. She is not completely honest and attempts to portray herself as intellectual and caring. Not true!