Letter to Louise: A Loving Memoir to the Daughter I Gave Up for Adoption More Than Twenty-Five Years Ago

by Pauline Collins

The award-winning actress offers a memoir of the year in which she became pregnant, gave birth, and then subsequently gave the child up for adoption, including an account of her reunion with her daughter twenty-two years later. $25,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adoption, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography

206 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1992

Reviews

[Pamela Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would have got 5 stars if it was in chronological order. I hate books that jump about from past to present. I would have liked more about her life and work after Louise was born, especially meeting and marrying John Alderton, and fame with Upstairs Downstairs and Shirley Valentine.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the most lovely books ever written

[Kay E Eadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written and told in two dimensions. Pauline’s childhood and adolescence reminisces. The second aspect from her time as a young woman in a touring rep company and through to her hiding her pregnancy and to the birth and beyond.

[wendy milledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Very touching,truism heart warming. Ma d me cry which is a tremendous reliefThank you Pauline, a heart warming true tale.

[Judith Nicholls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pauline’s voice came so clearly through this heartbreaking story. It made me cry so much

[jennifer laughton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book but I was disappointed. It shows Pauline in a completely different light to who I thought she is. I thought it was sad that she gave up her baby because she wanted to pursue her career. Me personally I couldn’t do it.

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pauline Collins is probably best known to American audiences for her portrayal of Sarah in the classic television series "Upstairs, Downstairs" or perhaps for her lead role in "Shirley Valentine." Here in the UK, she's quite well known for her stage, television and film work, and she's someone I admire for her range and her humor.

In 1964, when she was just getting her feet under her as a working actress, she discovered she was pregnant. Letter to Louise is the story of her discovery of that pregnancy, and her difficult decisions in how to proceed. Being unmarried with a baby on the way was no small thing, especially when one's parents are a Catholic headmaster and the mistress of morals and discipline in a Catholic school.

Pauline hides her condition from all but a few of her very closest friends, and chooses adoption for her beloved daughter, Louise. It is clearly painful for her, and a heartache she's lived with for every intervening day. With the support of her husband, John Alderton, and the consent of Louise and Louise's adoptive parents, she wrote her story in 1992.

I would never deny anyone their feelings, but I do wish that Pauline didn't have the desire to engage in self-flagellation over something that was, at its core, a loving act. She didn't have the maturity or the means to care for her new baby properly, and in sending her to a family who have clearly adored her, she gave her a beautiful life. She more than once refers to her choice as "horrible" and "arrogant." I respectfully disagree and, I suspect, so would Louise.

Letter to Louise missed out on being a five-star read because of unnecessary flashbacks into Pauline's childhood. They have no relevance to the reason for the book, and feel as if they've been placed simply to pad out the pages. This is unfortunate, because in the pages we spend away from her 1964 story, it loses its punch. I was also disappointed that Pauline doesn't share with us how it went when she told her other family members about Louise and about her experiences.

[maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book, first read years ago. I have a special interest in the book as Pauline Collins taught me for a short while in 1964 at her father's primary school. I was especially interested in the parts of the book when she tells of her family life growing up and it was fascinating to see the relationship with her father as he played a large part in my life too during my formative years as a child. He was an exceptional headmaster and she too was a great teacher, very unlike the teachers we were used to. Her story is both sad but uplifting, the story of the very hard decision to part with Louise, who she obviously loved very much. I was so pleased she finally had a reunion and could see that Louise had a wonderful adoption. Some parts I was not so interested in, the parts where she tours as an aspiring actress but all in all well worth a read.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Pauline Collins from Shirley Valentine and Upstairs Downstairs. I truly hate to be critical of her, but I think she is a much better actress than writer. I was glad to read her story and connected deeply, as I am an adoptive mother. However, her story seemed to take forever to get anywhere. There seemed to be extensive details that weren't really necessary for the reader. Even so, it was nice to gain some insight on this wonderful actress.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really sorry, but this took me an age to read and I was left thinking I really wished she HAD only written a letter to Louise, rather than an entire autobiography. Because the latter part was very moving, but all the cute, folksy stuff of her growing up, and, surprisingly, most of the jobbing actor bit, was really rather dull and unnecessary.

[Mary Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively, amusing at times,never dull and a real tear jerker when Pauline has to hand over her baby for adoption . Truth is stranger ( and sadder ) than fiction.I felt deprived though at not knowing more about Pauline's parents and how they felt, and reacted, when they found out about their daughter's deceit and the fact they had been denighed their first grand child.

[RJC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true story, confusing at the start with all the Irish names. Poignant and personal subject matter.