Unbearable Lightness
A Story of Loss and Gain
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4.4 • 276 Ratings
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
“An unusually fresh and engrossing memoir of both Hollywood and modern womanhood.” —Los Angeles Times
In this searing, unflinchingly honest memoir, actress Portia de Rossi shares the truth of her long battle to overcome anorexia and bulimia while living in the public eye, and details the new happiness and health she has found in recent years—including her coming out and her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres.
In this groundbreaking memoir, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades, from the time she was a twelve-year-old girl working as a model in Australia, through her early rise to fame as a cast member of the hit television show Ally McBeal. All the while terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids, Portia alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and concealing from herself and everyone around her the seriousness of her illness.
She describes the elaborate rituals around food that came to dominate hours of every day and explores the pivotal moments of her childhood that set her on the road to illness. She reveals the heartache and fear that accompany a life lived in the closet, a sense of isolation that was only magnified by her unrelenting desire to be ever thinner, ever more in control of her body and the number of calories she consumed and spent.
From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to a life of health and honesty, falling in love and marrying Ellen DeGeneres and emerging as an outspoken and articulate advocate for gay rights and women’s health issues. In this remarkable, landmark book, she has given the world a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The author, an actor in movies and TV, (including Ally McBeal, Arrested Development, and Better Off Ted), model, and gay rights advocate, writes that "playing the role of heterosexual while fantasizing about being a homosexual had been my reality since I was a child." It's one she played into her 20s, when she was for three years married to a man. Now, she is married to Ellen DeGeneres, whom she met in 2001 after recovering from anorexia and bulimia. De Rossi nicely chronicles the years in between, during which she starved herself to 80 pounds. She artfully draws the reader into the tension of a life lived in secrecy: did anybody notice she lunges rather than walks, the better to burn calories? will anyone guess she is gay? when she nearly fainted, was anyone around? While some details could be viewed as anorexia how-tos, they make it possible to comprehend the twisted logic of de Rossi's frantic daily pursuits, and grasp the enormity of her achievement in overcoming her problems. The path de Rossi took to her happy ending is well worth reading about: her story is a cautionary tale, an inspiration, and a triumph.
Customer Reviews
Amazing❤️
I chose to read this book for my grade 12 English independent study. I am so captivated by the book that I hate to put it down. The struggles she goes through are unimaginable to me. When I look in the mirror I don't see myself as fat unlike how she did. This book has changed my point of view and I'm not even done it yet
Good but very wordy
Well written but I skipped numerous full pages of text. Too many long explanations of the same habits and scenarios. Very glad she continues with recovery.
Inspiring!
Portia diRossi's struggle and victory over eating disorders is truly inspiring and motivating. She hits the nail on the head for what so many people are feeling at one time or another, feelings of unworthiness, to being able to conquer that and accept yourself and love yourself for who you are. So many people struggle with these feelings in one form or another, myself included, and beat ourselves down because we're not the 'ideal' portrayed by widespread mass medias. Thank goodness there's finally over the last few years been some movement for change to accept yourself and love yourself for who you are. Nobody's perfect nor will we ever be, we can only learn from our past! Thank you Portia for not only inspiring us with your open, honest struggle, but also with your acting.