Unsinkable: A Memoir

by Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway Narrated by Debbie Reynolds

Overview

Unsinkable is the definitive memoir by film legend and Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds.

In Unsinkable, the late great actress, comedienne, singer, and dancer Debbie Reynolds shares the highs and lows of her life as an actress during Hollywood's Golden Age, anecdotes about her lifelong friendship with Elizabeth Taylor,*her experiences as the foremost collector of Hollywood memorabilia, and intimate details of her marriages and family life with her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher.

A story of heartbreak, hope, and survival, “America's Sweetheart” Debbie Reynolds picks up where she left off in her first memoir, Debbie: My Life, and is*illustrated with previously unpublished photos from Reynolds's personal collection.

Debbie Reynolds died on December 28, 2016, at the age of 84, just one day after the death of her daughter, actress and author Carrie Fisher.

Editorial Reviews

APRIL 2013 - AudioFile

Although her book has too much detail on her most recent divorce, actress Debbie Reynolds’s newest memoir provides a deeply moving insider’s look at entertainment history. Her narration style is charming, playful, and sincere—even though all of her 80 years of life are audible in her somewhat halting pace and in the obvious multiple takes, occasionally within the same sentence. In addition to entertaining listeners with brief and informal remembrances from each of her film experiences, she includes a fascinating account of her exhaustive efforts to create a Hollywood museum for her collection of props and wardrobe pieces from MGM, RKO Radio, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and other studios. The inside story of the fiasco of buying and securing the gaming license for the Las Vegas Paddlewheel Hotel & Casino also takes center stage. This is fascinating material for fans of all things entertainment. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

New York Post on UNSINKABLE

Nothing could sink this lady.

New York Journal of Books on UNSINKABLE

Debbie Reynolds knows exactly how to steal the scene, wring tears, and most important, how to leave the audience feeling thoroughly entertained.

People on UNSINKABLE

Lively.

NPR on UNSINKABLE

[Reynolds is] indisputably a grand dame of show business.

Leonard Maltin

Anyone who loves Hollywood and movies is bound to enjoy this lively, funny book, filled with candid recollections. Debbie was a movie-struck kid who experienced the last days of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and I love her clear-eyed memories.

Library Journal

After her 1988 autobiography, the actress takes a darker view of things.

APRIL 2013 - AudioFile

Although her book has too much detail on her most recent divorce, actress Debbie Reynolds’s newest memoir provides a deeply moving insider’s look at entertainment history. Her narration style is charming, playful, and sincere—even though all of her 80 years of life are audible in her somewhat halting pace and in the obvious multiple takes, occasionally within the same sentence. In addition to entertaining listeners with brief and informal remembrances from each of her film experiences, she includes a fascinating account of her exhaustive efforts to create a Hollywood museum for her collection of props and wardrobe pieces from MGM, RKO Radio, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and other studios. The inside story of the fiasco of buying and securing the gaming license for the Las Vegas Paddlewheel Hotel & Casino also takes center stage. This is fascinating material for fans of all things entertainment. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

The multitalented Reynolds nostalgically expands on a fruitful career and a chaotic adulthood. The introduction, written by daughter Carrie Fisher, is appreciative and nods toward her mother's impeccable memory and fitting arrival at "a point in her life where she can see farther and better than ever before." The memoir, co-authored by former CBS late-night programming director Hannaway, greatly reflects this sentiment. Reynolds writes with regretless candor, fondly reflecting on a grand life in the Hollywood spotlight yet also recognizing the tarnish of imprudent romantic and financial decisions. Reynolds highlights many of her failures, the result of either sheer naïveté or gullibility, yet she remains continually nonplussed at the deceptiveness of people (particularly when hoodwinked by her second husband, con man Harry Karl). A promising business endeavor to purchase an aging Las Vegas hotel to house her opulent Hollywood costume collection ended up drilling Reynolds ever further down into debt left over from the Karl fiasco. Reynolds bravely admits to poring over dozens of boxes of litigation paperwork just to write comprehensively about that heartbreaking period when she was eventually forced to auction off the hotel and many of her prized memorabilia and costumes, including the unprecedented $5.5-plus million sale of Marilyn Monroe's original subway dress. The memoir's second section brings much needed levity to Reynolds' escapades and details her current life as a prideful octogenarian brimming with vigor. Perhaps the most compelling portions of the book are the pages of candid, insider commentary from each of the famed actress' films. Aptly titled, this bittersweet scrapbook demonstrates the kind of steely fortitude necessary to remain afloat through a lifetime of stormy weather.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173700223
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/02/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged

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