In Pieces
In Pieces book cover

In Pieces

Hardcover – Illustrated, September 18, 2018

by
Price
$11.45
Format
Hardcover
Pages
416
Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1538763025
Dimensions
6.85 x 1.55 x 9.3 inches
Weight
1.5 pounds

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"A classic in the making - the kind that will land on the bestseller list...and stay on shelves for years to come."― Boris Kachka, New York Magazine "Field fuels this aching, lyrical memoir with frankness about her emotional childhood, her conflicted relationship with the late Burt Reynolds, and how acting helped her interpret life in all its pain and beauty."― Entertainment Weekly "I adored Sally Field's recent memoir, In Pieces . Although it deals with really heavy subject matter - sexual violence, childhood trauma - which made me step away for a break at times, her writing is so captivating. It brings you right into the moment, even moments that took place decades ago, and brings you along on her journey of admitting truths to herself about all of the trauma she has experienced. Her descriptions of acting - as her emotional release, her true love, her craft - were beautiful, especially interwoven with what was occurring in her personal life. What a remarkable woman. (PS: This book made me call my mom and thank her for being my mom.)"― Buzzfeed "A memoir as soulful, wryly witty, and lyrical as it is candid and courageous ... Eye-opening and deeply affecting... Arresting in its dark disclosures, vitality, humour, and grace, Field's deeply felt and beautifully written memoir illuminates the experiences and emotions on which she draws as an exceptionally charismatic, empathic, and powerful artist."― Booklist "Field holds nothing back...This powerful, timely narrative resonates with pain and triumph."― Library Journal, Best Books of 2018 "A complex cri de coeur [and] shockingly frank...A rarity in the world of celebrity memoirs."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}USA Today "Clarity and Grace Shine Through the Darkness in Sally Field's Memoir... If you come to "In Pieces," expecting to meet a plucky Sally Field desperate to be liked, you will not find her. Written by the actor over seven years, without the aid of a ghostwriter, this somber, intimate and at times wrenching self-portrait feels like an act of personal investigation - the private act of a woman, now 71, seeking to understand how she became herself, and striving to cement together the shards of her psyche that have been chipped and shattered over the course of her life..."In Pieces" serves as a kind of tribute to women - her mother in particular - and others who would guide and protect Field throughout her turbulent childhood and an adulthood fraught by personal and professional upheaval."― New York Times Book Review "Award-winning actress Sally Field could have written a typically dishy Hollywood memoir. But her book, In Pieces, is an intensely personal, vulnerable accounting of her life and career. Field's meditations on memory, fear and love will leave you shattered. Her lyrical prose and sly humor will glue you back together again."― NPR, Best Books of 2018 "Raw and revealing...In her book, seven years in the writing, [Field] examines the complex relationship with her "perfectly imperfect" mother, Margaret. That is the thread that holds her story together: the woman who often held her together....[Sally Field] is not a woman who will keep quiet any longer. And that's a good thing. She still has a lot to say."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #323333}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}AARP "Beyond the headlines...there's a smart woman's reckoning with her complicated past."― People "Fantastic."― Chicago Tribune "Field tells her story with such affecting literary depth...with IN PIECES, she comes to them beautifully."― Entertainment Weekly "'In Pieces' is the opposite of a self-aggrandizing, celebrity biography meant to cement one's place in history. Rather, it's a vulnerable, frank, almost voyeuristic view inside Field's mind and her efforts to "piece" together her life's most crucial moments into a coherent understanding of who she is as a human being."― Atlantic Journal-Constitution "Do you ever put off reading a book because it will come to an end? "In Pieces" hung around my bedroom for a week. Not surprisingly, it is as delightful as Field is."― The Florida Times-Union "In Pieces is extraordinary....raw, brutally honest, introspective."― Pajiba "Talented and versatile Academy and Emmy Award-winning actor Field's credits range from Gidget and Sybil to Norma Rae and Places in the Heart, among many others. Now she reveals the personal side of her story, along with her rise to fame. Reverberating throughout these pages is the impact of sexual abuse by her stepfather and her struggles to work through her relationship with her beloved mother. Field addresses these issues frankly, as she does the complex facets of her marriages and other associations (including her much-publicized relationship with actor Burt Reynolds), as well as various episodes in her behind-the-scenes professional life. Her discussion of building a vibrantly enduring acting career in the midst of turbulence is especially fascinating. There are vivid anecdotes from on and off the set, well-drawn accounts of priceless tutelage by famed Lee Strasberg, and powerful depictions of how Field crafted major dramatic roles from deep within her emotional reservoir. It is all here and in Field's inimitable words, enhanced by thoughtfully chosen photographs. VERDICT Especially relevant in light of the growing awareness of rape and sexual assault, this engrossing, well-written work will appeal to fans and those previously unfamiliar with Field's work."― Library Journal "A reminder that telling your truth can help you heal."― Chicago Tribune "Sally Field who, at 71, has ripped herself open and written one of the most exposing memoirs I have ever read. A memoir so honest and authentic it could not be more right for now if it had been produced by a trend forecaster algorithm. But, in fact, the timing is pure coincidence..With a career like hers behind her, she could have put her feet up and lived off the proceeds, keeping her girl/granny next door image intact, could have signed off on a production-line celebrity biography and people would have read it. Instead, she...fully exposed herself in her memoir... and, in so doing, put herself front and centre of the very urgent conversation we're having right now about gender."― The Pool "Field lays it all on the line... In Pieces is an indelible portrait of a woman we all thought we knew."― Auburn Citizen Sally Field is a two-time Academy Award and three-time Emmy Award winning actor who has portrayed dozens of iconic roles on both the large and small screens. In 2012, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2015 she was honored by President Obama with the National Medal of Arts. She has served on the Board of Directors of Vital Voices since 2002 and also served on the Board of The Sundance Institute from 1994 to 2010. She has three sons and five grandchildren.

Features & Highlights

  • In this intimate, haunting literary memoir and
  • New York Times
  • Notable Book of the year, an American icon tells her own story for the first time -- about a challenging and lonely childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.
  • One of the most celebrated, beloved, and enduring actors of our time, Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of seventeen. From
  • Gidget
  • 's sweet-faced "girl next door" to the dazzling complexity of
  • Sybil
  • to the Academy Award-worthy ferocity and depth of
  • Norma Rae
  • and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences time and time again with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within. With raw honesty and the fresh, pitch-perfect prose of a natural-born writer, and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind-the-scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships--including her complicated love for her own mother. Powerful and unforgettable,
  • In Pieces
  • is an inspiring and important account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(4K)
★★★★
25%
(3.3K)
★★★
15%
(2K)
★★
7%
(929)
★
23%
(3.1K)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Burt Reynolds had It RIGHT: Hold stomach, 2 fingers down throat

In this 400 page book there are only about 20 pages that mention Burt Reynolds, but what stands out most to me is his reaction to “downer” remarks from the past Sally Field tried to get out to him: He’d grab his stomach and then take two fingers and act like he was about to puke. Unfortunately, this is the reaction I had to this entire whiny book.

The whole 400 pages sound like they were taped as Fields laid on a couch and confessed her lowest moments – many imagined and false – to a very patient therapist. I did not have that kind of patience whatsoever, but read this book on Christmas day straight through. If Sally Field had been handy, I would have given her a sound spanking….

She shows zero appreciation for her major influences in her life and those who gave her sound advice and help. Most notably is her step-father Jacques O’Mahoney who was a college-educated Marine veteran who was quite successful after the war and into the early 60’s doubling for famous Hollywood leads, doing movie stunts the “old way” and starring in various Westerns and twice as Tarzan. Even though he gives Field some of her best advice and guidance (he knew everyone in Hollywood as Field made her way into auditions and short-lived TV series) she continues to deride him through the entire book and makes accusations that simply don’t stick to the wall 50 years later.

Her long-suffering mother (who did some acting as well) was there for Field every step of the way and packed her bags and flew to her at moment’s notice when the trauma of the various movie problems over-whelmed Fields. But all Field seems to say of her mother are negative things…

I bought this book to hear about the relationship of the recently deceased Burt Reynolds and Field as I care little for Field’s roles. How disappointed I was to learn she barely mentions the fact that she was dating Hollywood’s number one highest grossing actor, instead griping about his every aspect and how he didn’t want to attend every loopy awards show or back her sometimes loopy choices of TV shows and movies. Then Reynolds, like O’Mahoney, just disappear from the book. That rings false to me. The highlight of Field's life was being with Reynolds, but all she could do is complain about feeding him some dinners and walking his dog. You gotta be kidding me....

Here’s an example: Field gets Reynolds to go with her to a big screening of one of the TV series she did and she sits between Reynolds and Paul Newman and STILL complains the whole night about her imaged beefs from her past…. Really?

Those are the least of crimes this spoiled self-centered actress perpetrated during her decades of spotty work in Hollywood. She abandoned her children to her mother, her sister, housekeepers as she ran off after man after man and movie after movie. Was it worth it?

The book seems as though Field can’t get past her fragmented early childhood despite the love of her mother, her brother and sister and O’Mahoney. It gets old…

The entire book has a false ring to it. How could someone with a loving family and all the attention she had be so miserable? I don’t get it…
151 people found this helpful
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Don't bother.....

I have always liked Sally Field but this book was simply awful.... too many details about 'personal daemons' ... much of which seems fabricated.. how can one remember all those tiny little details from your childhood. I skipped a lot of it and finally just quit reading it. I was interested in her experiences with the people she worked with in movies, which if you are looking for that... forget it. It was a very depressing book.
49 people found this helpful
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Thoughtful and introspective

What was amazing was just how good of an actress Sally Field was, because I don't think anyone would have guessed of all the turbulence in her life. Like so many women she was exploited, both in her professional and personal life. Acting gave her a fable she could step into, since her family life was fairly nuts. It is kind of a sad book, but I think it's a good bio for younger women to read since I think there's a lot to learn here. Just reading about the birth of her first child was startling in how she was treated. It is a courageous memoir.
49 people found this helpful
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Don't waste your time or money

This was so depressing - this is the story of Sally's Mother- not Sally. Growing up feeling so unloved and unwanted and now that explains her silly outburst at the Academy Awards shouting "You like me- you really like me".....well yes Sally, but definitely not this book. Very disappointed - struggled to finish it.
41 people found this helpful
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I have lost respect for her. She used to be my favorite actress

Who knew or even needs to know about some of the nasty things she writes about. Poorly written. Boring and tells of things totally not worth hearing
41 people found this helpful
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Forget it

Don't bother… Ungrateful and lacked any evidence of emotional, spiritual growth or desire to grow.
Less than one star would be more accurate
40 people found this helpful
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Sally is an actress and a very good one.

I knew her step-father personally and never ,in my wildest imaginations ,would I ever believe he sexually assaulted her. He loved his family above all, and was the kindest most generous man I ever knew. He saved countless lives as well. You should read his bio. The Life of a Hollywood Stuntman. She states that when she was little, and shows a picture of him holding her, on a bridge, with water and rocks below. She states he held me tight, like that was a bad thing. Who wouldn't hold their child tight? I would not recommend this book as a truthful account of their lives. And I doubt he could have thrown her 30 feet across the backyard, probably picked her up and tossed her in the pool all in fun. He must have done something right for all of his children to turn out as successfully as they have. Her mother I adored too, what a soft spoken sweet lady she was. This book might be good reading if it was fiction, but I do not believe much that she says. Sorry Sally, I never thought you'd throw your family under the bus like this, especially since none of them are alive to defend themselves. Why wait 60 yrs to tell this story? And how can you remember what you did at 3 and 4 yrs old? Must have a great memory or imagination huh?
40 people found this helpful
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Depressing, slow, boring. Sorry I wasted my time and money.

This book arrived a couple of days ago and I started reading right away. I've always liked Sally Field and was looking forward to reading the book. I got about 100 pages read and gave up and started skipping thru. It's really like a therapy session. No humor, no wit, all gloom and doom. She had no friends or playmates when she way young, even tho there were plenty of kids around. She seemed to have a lot of personality problems but as she got older, and could have gotten help, she made no effort to get help. The parts about her and her stepfather were sad, but instead of telling an adult, she let it go on for years. At least he never raped her.
But frankly, for the most part, the book did not hold my interest. I expected more about her movies, and her relationships with her co-stars, especially Burt Reynolds, but even those parts, which didn't come till the last part of the book, were not told in an interesting way. It was boring. If it had been written in a more interesting way I might have stayed with it. She should have used a co-writer and maybe someone else could have directed her dialogue towards other people instead of focusing on her misery. No happiness, no humor, all sadness and introspection. Looking back on her Academy Award speech, where she proclaimed "You like me. You really like me" I can see that it was a cry that reached all the way back to her childhood. But sadly, she never did anything to help herself. She always fell in with what other people wanted her to do. At least, that's what I got from the book. I'm sorry she had such a sad life, but I didn't want to read about every little slight and incident.
38 people found this helpful
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A mixed bag of memories

I bought this book feeling it would be a little on Sally growing up and more on later years:. She spends a great deal of time on her formative early years, many heartaches and secrets and also some happy moments. If are looking for more movie/ tv talk, it might not be as enjoyable. She gives a lot of time to The Flying Nun and Sybil but not much info on other projects. If you want Burt info, it starts around page 300 but not very deep and more on his illnesses and dysfunction. Sally was always courteous to him in later years but is more honest now. I always saw his pain more than hers even when he smiled. If you look up hits memoir on amazon and search Sally’s name, he speaks of her and his side more fully. She also gave more in depth interviews years ago.
I really wished she talked about Murphy’s Romance and Mr Garner (one line) as I loved that movie and I might have missed it but Forest Gump wasn’t mentioned as a later supporting actress film. There were so many that were just a line or two.
I guess I enjoyed learning more about a favorite actress but felt at times like I was in her therapy sessions and wanted a little more light.
37 people found this helpful
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Dreadful!

Awful....She should stick to acting.. Depressing as hell!
31 people found this helpful

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