Promotional Information

An honest, intelligent reckoning of a life by one of the 20th century's most high profile, yet private, personalities.

About the Author

Born into Hollywood aristocracy in 1937, the daughter of actor Henry Fonda and sister of Peter Fonda, Jane Fonda's childhood was marked with unhappiness and tragedy. Her relationship with her father Henry Fonda was never loving even though she followed his profession, studying acting with Lee Strasberg in New York, then living in Paris. Jane Fonda's award winning films include Barbarella, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Klute and Coming Home for which she won two oscars. Her credits, as film producer, include Nine to Five and On Golden Pond. In the 1980s she revolutionised the fitness industry with a series of workout videos. Her political protests against the Vietnam War caused much controversy in the States, and she continues to be an active advocate on environmental issues, human rights and the empowerment of women.

Reviews

Thanks to Fonda's bravura reading, this eloquent abridgement of her stirring 500-page autobiography is one of the best audiobooks of the season. Her tour de force performance ranges from hilarious (an imitation of Ted Turner trying to say "monogamous") to heartbreaking (her final days with her dying father). This probing and articulate memoir follows Fonda's quest for self-discovery: "To have a good third act you need to understand what the first two have been about. I don't want to die without knowing who I am." With unsparing honesty, she admits to 30 years of bulimia and anorexia, dissects three failed marriages and details her cathartic, four-hour meeting with Vietnam vets in 1988 as a "raw, angry, emotional... exorcism" of the myth of Hanoi Jane. With the exception of Barbarella, Klute and On Golden Pond, the abridgment skims the two-time Oscar-winner's films in favor of her political awakening, budding feminism and emotional and spiritual growth. It's a fascinating, surprising journey, brought vividly to life by Fonda, who chuckles and ad-libs at will. On a side note: kudos to Random's inside packaging for including five photos from the book. Simultaneous release with Random hardcover (reviewed online at www.publishersweekly.com). (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Fonda spills it all, from Barbarella to Ted Turner. With an 11-city tour. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.