Jen Chaney
In this refreshingly down-to-earth and often beautifully written book, Spacek…reminds us why she's been a cinematic fixture for nearly four decades. She remains a disciplined actress with an unwavering passion for the artistic process.
—The Washington Post
From the Publisher
"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is the book version of Sissy: warm, heartfelt, and very real. Perhaps most remarkable is that Sissy's life-from the ordinary experiences of growing up in and raising a close-knit family to the extraordinary thrills of starring in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood-unfolds as gracefully on the page as it does on the big screen and, as all of her readers will soon learn, in everyday life."—Kathryn Stockett, New York Times bestselling author of The Help
"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life describes a remarkable woman's journey from a baton-twirling East Texas gal to an Academy-Award winning star. Sissy Spacek tells her story with warmth and grace, never straying far from the small-town roots that shaped her."—Jeannette Walls, bestselling author of The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses
"[A] warm narrative. Like a folk song, Spacek's storytelling is tender and unhurried."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"I took this book to heart, for in the end, there is no more devoted friend, no more faithful friend than Memory, a friend who commands you to interrogate and lay bare the sweetness and its opposite, of your everyday existence, the unexpected turns of it, the mystery of your origins. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is not only a splendid example of that, but it reminds us of Sissy Spacek's true voice, a voice that we first come to know in a uniquely American way, through a character in a movie. But the soul of this dear book is not a fiction, it is shaped and infused with truth and love."—Jamaica Kincaid, award-winning author
"Sissy Spacek writes with the same bright animation and verve as she has lived her, indeed, extraordinary life."—Sally Mann, artist and writer
Sally Mann
"Sissy Spacek writes with the same bright animation and verve as she has lived her, indeed, extraordinary life."
Jamaica Kincaid
"I took this book to heart, for in the end, there is no more devoted friend, no more faithful friend than Memory, a friend who commands you to interrogate and lay bare the sweetness and its opposite, of your everyday existence, the unexpected turns of it, the mystery of your origins. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is not only a splendid example of that, but it reminds us of Sissy Spacek's true voice, a voice that we first come to know in a uniquely American way, through a character in a movie. But the soul of this dear book is not a fiction, it is shaped and infused with truth and love."
Jeannette Walls
"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life describes a remarkable woman's journey from a baton-twirling East Texas gal to an Academy-Award winning star. Sissy Spacek tells her story with warmth and grace, never straying far from the small-town roots that shaped her."
Kathryn Stockett
"My Extraordinary Ordinary Life is the book version of Sissy: warm, heartfelt, and very real. Perhaps most remarkable is that Sissy's life-from the ordinary experiences of growing up in and raising a close-knit family to the extraordinary thrills of starring in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood-unfolds as gracefully on the page as it does on the big screen and, as all of her readers will soon learn, in everyday life."
Library Journal - Audio
Spacek, who reads her autobiography, has had a long and illustrious acting career, which includes Carrie, Coal Miner's Daughter, (for which she won an Academy Award), and, more recently, Big Love. In hearing her life story—both personal and professional—the listener has the very real sense that Spacek's early upbringing in Quitman, TX, instilled the fine qualities that helped her sustain a lengthy career and marriage while remaining accessible and "ordinary." Her reading is charming, and the details of her life reveal warmth and wit. VERDICT Spacek's fans will greatly enjoy this audiobook. ["Much of Spacek's book centers on her growing-up years and her farm, illustrating her 'ordinary life.' In between, she writes about her movies but does not provide much Hollywood dish for celebrity watchers," read the review of the Hyperion hc, LJ Xpress Reviews, 4/6/12.—Ed.]—Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama Lib., Florence
JUNE 2012 - AudioFile
Sissy Spacek demonstrates the right way to narrate one’s own memoir: with a touch of self-deprecating humor, a few subtle impersonations of familiar celebrities, and an abundance of grace. Throughout this quietly entertaining autobiography, Spacek counts her blessings as a nurtured daughter in a loving Texas family and weaves her down-to-earth sense of integrity through the events of her life. A wide-eyed teenager, Spacek arrived in New York City with a cheap suitcase and guitar and her credentials as a small-town homecoming queen and star baton twirler. Decades later, she reflects on the delightful life journey that includes award-winning roles in movies such as CARRIE and COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER and the sanctuary of her husband and children. Spacek’s quiet charm is, indeed, both extraordinary and ordinary. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
An average memoir from the renowned actress. Beginning with her childhood in Quitman, Texas, Spacek then chronicles her move to New York City after high school to pursue a singing career. During her time in the city, she subsisted on part-time work and help from her parents. She played the guitar and sang at a local bar and took classes at the Lee Strasberg Actors' Studio. After filming her first movie, Prime Cut (1972), Spacek moved to Los Angeles. She was then cast in Terrence Malick's classic Badlands (1973), where she met her future husband Jack Fisk, who was the art director of the movie. The memoir then recalls Spacek's life during and after her big break as the lead actress in Brian de Palma's Carrie (1976). After winning an Oscar for the role of country singer Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Spacek took a self-imposed hiatus and moved to the country to enjoy nature, horses and a calm family life. Even though she made family life her priority, she continued to act in movies while raising her daughters; Spacek almost always brought her entire family on set. She returned to acting in the '90s and won an Oscar nomination for her role in Todd Fields' In the Bedroom (2001). Much of this overly detailed book lacks a narrative arc, but the author comes off as truly down-to-earth, a value she preaches throughout the book. As the title states, the book is "ordinary" and does not have enough drama to engage readers not directly interested in Spacek and her work. For die-hard movie buffs and Spacek fans only.
