In this New York Times bestselling follow-up to her critically acclaimed memoir, Home, Julie Andrews reflects on her astonishing career, including such classics as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria. In Home, the number one New York Times international bestseller, Julie Andrews recounted her difficult childhood and her emergence as an acclaimed singer and performer on the … difficult childhood and her emergence as an acclaimed singer and performer on the stage.
With this second memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Andrews picks up the story with her arrival in Hollywood and her phenomenal rise to fame in her earliest films — Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Andrews describes her years in the film industry — from the incredible highs to the challenging lows. Not only does she discuss her work in now-classic films and her collaborations with giants of cinema and television, she also unveils her personal story of adjusting to a new and often daunting world, dealing with the demands of unimaginable success, being a new mother, the end of her first marriage, embracing two stepchildren, adopting two more children, and falling in love with the brilliant and mercurial Blake Edwards. The pair worked together in numerous films, including Victor/Victoria, the gender-bending comedy that garnered multiple Oscar nominations.
Cowritten with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, and told with Andrews’s trademark charm and candor, Home Work takes us on a rare and intimate journey into an extraordinary life that is funny, heartrending, and inspiring.more
Julie Andrews’s second memoir is fascinating. Not only she goes into great detail about her experience in Hollywood and the movies for which she is most widely know, but she speaks frankly of her relationship with her family and her struggles as a wife and a mother. We tend to idolize actors and actresses forgetting that, at the end of the day, they are just people. And while they might live extraordinary lives, they are not exempted from the struggles of daily life.
Who would have thought that behind a confident Mary Poppins and an opinionated Maria there was a person who always struggled with her own insecurities? She also shares interesting facts and anecdotes about her husband, director Blake Edwards, and the movies he wrote and/or directed while they were married.
While she goes into very detailed explanations of who was where and when, especially when it came to movies’ cast and crew, some retelling of personal events felt brushed off and vague. Was it done on purpose or is it really a treat of her personality?
In any case, what made Home Work more special was listening to the audiobook, which Julie Andrew narrated herself. It certainly boosted the first-person storytelling, giving it something extra that I would have missed if I had only read the book.
It’s a jolly holiday with Julie!
There is so much to know about Julie Andrews. Honestly, I had no idea what kind of life she’s lived or if she had kids. Why? I just knew her from her movies and never bothered to check out her backstory. I saw this book on a list of must-read stories for 2020, so I knew I wanted to read it. I’m glad I did.
This book reads like talking to a friend. Just a nice conversation about life between friends. It flows well and I was drawn right in. There are notes about her movies and preparations for those movies, but also about her private life–getting married, having a daughter, having relationship issues, divorce and finding love again. She’s a relatable person and it shows on each page.
I loved the silly story about the lilacs the most. You’ll have to read the book to learn more. I’m not giving away the secrets, but it’s funny.
If you’re looking for a good memoir book that will keep you reading and wanting to know more, then this is the one you should check out!
3.5 stars, rounded up
I have long admired Julie Andrews while simultaneously knowing nothing about her. Ha! As a child, I dreamed of having a voice like Julie’s and being able to sing as beautifully as she does. Of course, I know now that there is a certain amount of natural aptitude that will always play a part in one’s ability to learn a skill or to perform, but there is still much to learn about Julie.
I loved hearing elements of her character that made her human—the swearing, telling people off, anxieties, depression, struggles and triumphs, fears and successes. But I especially loved hearing how important her family was to her. Knowing that she views her family as most important in her life and that nothing else would ever trump their importance to her made me love her all the more.
I also adore her acknowledgements. Sometimes I skip author acknowledgments, but hers were delightful. It is clear she loves her children and grandchildren very much!
It is a good memoir of her experiences, if a bit long.
Note: some mild swearing and mention of nudity, passionate kissing, and love making in films
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Read by Julie Andrews: Of course one can’t help but love it if Julie is reading it!
Quotes I loved:
“Home is a feeling as much as it is a place. It is as much about loving what I do as being where I am.”
“Blake asked me what I felt made great singing so moving to listen to. ‘I think when siting, one exposes ones soul.’ I said. ‘How so?’ I struggled to explain. ‘Dancers can look in a mirror, a writer can look at a page, and painter can look at a canvas and see their work reflected back at them. But singers can only hear and feel what they are doing. After all the training, technique, use of breath and placement of sound, it boils down to an emotional response to music and lyrics, and the way they touch ones heart and soul.’”
“I am often asked how I feel about the success I have enjoyed. Am I proud of my work? What informed my choices? Did I know I would be a success? But what is success? Is it the pleasure in doing the work? Or the way it’s received afterward? The latter is ephemeral. The doing is everything.”
“Today, when asked what advise I have for aspiring performers, my answer is always this: learn your craft, do your homework. Opportunity will come along when you least expect it, as it did for me. You may not even recognize it at the time. Your job is to be as ready as possible when that good fortune comes your way.”