Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

Aug 04, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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In 1967 I was 15 years old and I fell in love with Julie Andrews. However, due to the facts that there was an almost 17 year age difference and Ms. Andrews was unaware of the situation my love remained unrequited. Eventually I did recover from my broken heart and had to admit to myself that I was quite likely not the first 15 year old to fall in love with someone from (what was then called) the "Silver Screen" (though to be honest in the years since I suspect it has become more common for 15 yea...more In 1967 I was 15 years old and I fell in love with Julie Andrews. However, due to the facts that there was an almost 17 year age difference and Ms. Andrews was unaware of the situation my love remained unrequited. Eventually I did recover from my broken heart and had to admit to myself that I was quite likely not the first 15 year old to fall in love with someone from (what was then called) the "Silver Screen" (though to be honest in the years since I suspect it has become more common for 15 year olds to be "overcome by lust" than to fall in love...just a flash thought).

Time has past and I no longer feel my heart palpitate (much) when I see or hear Ms. Andrews perform, but I have remained a fan of most of her work. I got the audio of this book mainly because it's read by the author herself and I thought the experience of hearing reminisce about her life not only in her own words but in her her own voice would be a rewarding experience.

I found it so.

I would say that anyone who would like to read (or hear) about the era in question (Ms. Andrews Edwards was born in Oct. 1935 and begins her story when she was very young) as well as those of us who are simply fans of the author might find this a rewarding book.

The book begins (as noted above) in the writer's youth and carries us through her young adulthood. It ends around 1963 just as she is beginning to work on Mary Poppins having already (just) been on Broadway in 3 hits, one monster hit, My Fair Lady and a second also huge hit Camelot (her first foray on Broadway was The Boy Friend, it was also her American stage debut, and a hit in it's own right). While I have always chaffed at the fact that she wasn't asked to play Eliza in the movie version of My Fair Lady, Ms. Andrews Edwards herself here is never anything but gracious about this...or for that matter anything. Giving us a clear portrait of her life both pleasant and unpleasant parts she reminds us (without really trying) that it is possible to be civil and of a generous spirit without being false. I find the conclusion inescapable that society in general has become meaner and more petty.

Ms. Edwards relates so much of her own life and her inner thoughts here that those who are her fans will probably enjoy the book simply for that. She met so many people who are now (and actually were then in some cases) legends, Moss Hart, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Walt Disney and that's only a few. She also met and became fast friends with Carol Burnett, the two of them performing together over the years the relationship based in that friendship.

So, interested in the person or the period, you might like this one.

I enjoyed this book and give it a correspondingly high rating. One of the abiding disappointments in my life is that I never got to see Ms. Andrews as Guinevere in Camelot. I have always had trouble sympathizing with the character and the way Vanessa Redgrave played her in the movie only made it harder. I know that in the stage play the character's struggle is more apparent. But, as is the case with so many (read most)of the great stage plays of the past...it's gone, no record remains. Thus the insight here to this period of time, that play and all the others is wonderful and I'm glad it's here that the story not be lost. I truly hope Ms. Andrews Edwards decides to go on with her memoir and look forward to it if she chooses to do so. (less)

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Mar 20, 2009 Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009, favorites

I'm not sure what I expected from this memoir. Ok, actually, I do. I expected to hear about how Miss Andrews emerged from a well-to-do family well-mannered and with expensive training to become the success that she has been. Why did I think this? Because when I was young, Julie Andrews was one of the two people who epitomized "class" in my mind. And I suppose quite naturally, I thought that came from a very good upbringing and high social status.

I've been proven wrong. I was surprised to find ou...more I'm not sure what I expected from this memoir. Ok, actually, I do. I expected to hear about how Miss Andrews emerged from a well-to-do family well-mannered and with expensive training to become the success that she has been. Why did I think this? Because when I was young, Julie Andrews was one of the two people who epitomized "class" in my mind. And I suppose quite naturally, I thought that came from a very good upbringing and high social status.

I've been proven wrong. I was surprised to find out that this was far from the case. As a matter of fact, Julie Andrews Edwards had to overcome a very challenging home situation and many obstacles along the way.

I found her memoir to be of historical significance as she discussed what it was like to live through the German bombing of England in WWII. And I found her insights on broadway and the "art" of theatre most eye-opening. Most of what was written in this memoir of her early years occurred before I knew who Julie Andrews was. That awareness came when, as very young girl, my parents took me to see the movie "Mary Poppins". The memoir ends at the point when work on this film is just beginning.

While Julie Andrews Edwards writes about the good and bad aspects of her early life, she treats most everyone with a large dose of grace. She describes her feelings and how the actions of others made an impact on her, whether for good or otherwise. Yet she stops short of becoming accusatory and ill-tempered in her descriptions of those who harmed her.

I am hoping that another volume of memoirs will be forthcoming because I would so love to read about her life during the times I can remember. But it surely was wonderful to read about the years that shaped this outstanding actress and singer including her training and early stage performances.

And by the way - the other person who epitomized "class" in my younger years was Sidney Poitier. I was surprised when I read his book "The Measure of a Man" that he did not come from privileged circumstances either. Very far from it! "Class" is a wonderful quality that I now understand has nothing to do with social status. It is perhaps grown best by strong, consistent, deeply hopeful people who never give up - and conquer all obstacles without giving in to bitterness and despair. (less)

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Jun 05, 2008 Tracy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book from the library because I thought it would be fun to learn more about Julie Andrews. I wondered how she got started, etc. And her persona is so graceful, calm and assured - I wanted to see behind it a bit.

The problem is...you don't really. There was just no emotion in it and I just don't feel like a got a lot of insight into her. She did share quite a bit about her difficult childhood. But she shared it with exactly the same tone and pacing and matter-of-factness that she used w...more

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Sonia Reppe "Dad would tuck me into bed and read me a poem or a story, in his precise, beautifully modulated voice. I would lie there, watching as he leaned towar...more
Sep 24, 2008 09:43pm

Tracy You're right, I misspoke - there is emotion. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that she speaks a lot about her past feelings. It may very well...more
updated Sep 25, 2008 07:37am

Apr 08, 2008 Adela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like Julie Andrews, or autobiographies in general.

Recommended to Adela by: No one

Julie Andrews' Home is a remembrance of her childhood and the early years of her career, up to the time she arrives in California to shoot Mary Poppins.

Most people tend to have a preconceived idea as to what Julie Andrews' life must have been like...she always seems so polite and proper, and of course she is so talented, that you assume her life was practically perfect in every way. Reading the first chapters of Home, you realize that this simply is not the case.

She tells of her unorthodox famil...more

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Apr 27, 2008 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Andrews fans, autobio fans

Reading this reminded me of talking to a family member about stories of the past. She shares lots of fascinating stories from the early years, but fans of Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, and any other later work will be disappointed, because there is very little mention of those years. However, she warns you in the title that it is a memoir of the early years. The only thing missing is a bit more of her internal emotion, and though there were a few times where I felt like I was getting to know her...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, music-related-non-fiction

I'm not sure this is a four-star book but because I'm a life-long fan of Julie Andrews, yes I "really liked" reading through the details of her early life.

Andrews' tawdry upbringing (or rather, her being raised by an oft-tawdry couple, her "Mum" and step-dad Ted Andrews) is given just enough description to paint a picture but it stops short of drowning the reader in goo. And one cannot help but think that perhaps Andrews developed that slightly reserved, wholesome, and modest persona -- the one...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Vanessa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A spoonful of Julie helps the medicine go down! An entertaining and interesting read.

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Jul 13, 2008 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An avid admirer of the best voice on Broadway (and in movie musicals), I couldn't wait to crack open this book after being on the wait list for weeks. However, after reading this pleasant memoir, I closed the book with many more questions about what makes Julie Andrews tick than I had before I finished the first chapter. The strength in this easy read are the few times that Andrews delivers wonderful "Broadway in the making" tales of working opposite such greats as Rex Harrison and Richard Burto...more

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Jun 14, 2008 Chad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a lifelong devotee of Julie Andrews and having read many of her children's books, I knew fairly well what to expect in this, her first volume of autobiography.
She's charming and polite and as forthcoming as she can be, which is to say, not very forthcoming. There's crisp British distance between the events of her childhood and young adulthood, none of which was terribly storybook. The product of a one-night stand (which she didn't know until much later), Andrews dearly loved the man she thoug...more

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Jul 11, 2008 Jeanette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, 2008

I really knew nothing about Julie Andrews before reading this book. I'd seen her musicals and a few of her movies and that was about it.
In this memoir Andrews tells the story of her early life going from a young vaudeville star in England to a Broadway celebrity.
For the most part, I thought it was an interesting book. While the book was written with the grace and dignity that Andrews has come to be known for I found it interesting to learn that she might not be as squeaky clean as the image she...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Rosary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies

Julie Andrews' memoir of her early years is an amazing story of determination and a growing love of art. Ms. Andrews has a wonderful writing style--simple and clear--and her voice comes through quite clearly. While many memoirs gloss over the trials of life to focus on the triumphs, Ms Andrews pays attention to both the hardships of her World War 2 and Post World War 2 life as well as the joys and the triumphs. She also reveals the troubled nature of her home life. In other words, she doesn't sp...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Adam Shields rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Short review: This was a near perfect audiobook. The narration by Julie Andrews could not have been better. The restrained but useful additions of some of her music as transition was very good (something I don't normally like.)

But overall it was just a very charming story of a humble and gracious woman. It only goes through the birth of her first child (just before filming of Mary Poppins) so there is a lot of story left to fill in.

I am really surprised how much I enjoyed this book.

Fully review...more

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Jun 24, 2008 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction-read

I would recommend this book to Julie Andrews' fans or anyone interested in theater and performing. Some sections about the work involved in starting up and keeping up a musical were rather long. Other sections seemed like they had been included just to name drop and show that she personally knows lots of famous people. Overall, I just couldn't get into her life story. I don't know if it is her writing style or something else. I didn't enjoy the book as much as others seemed to have done. Perhaps...more

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since her first appearance on screen in Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews has played a series of memorable roles that have endeared her to generations. But she has never told the story of her life before fame. Until now.

In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie takes her readers on a warm, moving, and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America. Her memoir begins in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian moth

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Since her first appearance on screen in Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews has played a series of memorable roles that have endeared her to generations. But she has never told the story of her life before fame. Until now.

In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie takes her readers on a warm, moving, and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America. Her memoir begins in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother and a teacher father, and takes readers to 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway and cast her as the world's most famous nanny.

Along the way, she weathered the London Blitz of World War II; her parents' painful divorce; her mother's turbulent second marriage to Canadian tenor Ted Andrews, and a childhood spent on radio, in music halls, and giving concert performances all over England. Julie's professional career began at the age of twelve, and in 1948 she became the youngest solo performer ever to participate in a Royal Command Performance before the Queen. When only eighteen, she left home for the United States to make her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend, and thus began her meteoric rise to stardom.

Home is filled with numerous anecdotes, including stories of performing in My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison on Broadway and in the West End, and in Camelot with Richard Burton on Broadway; her first marriage to famed set and costume designer Tony Walton, culminating with the birth of their daughter, Emma; and the call from Hollywood and what lay beyond.

Julie Andrews' career has flourished over seven decades. From her legendary Broadway performances, to her roles in such iconic films as The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hawaii, 10, and The Princess Diaries, to her award-winning television appearances, multiple album releases, concert tours, international humanitarian work, best-selling children's books, and championship of literacy, Julie's influence spans generations. Today, she lives with her husband of thirty-eight years, the acclaimed writer/director Blake Edwards; they have five children and seven grandchildren.

Featuring over fifty personal photos, many never before seen, this is the personal memoir Julie Andrews' audiences have been waiting for.

Amazon.com Review

Syphilis, alcoholism, infidelity, and indeterminate parentage may seem improbable touchstones in the back story of one who didn't so much portray as embody the blithe Maria in The Sound of Music. But as this memoir of her formative years makes clear, there is more gravitas to Andrews than meets the eye. From her childhood in rural England and initial forays into British theater, to her first massive successes on Broadway and in the West End--notably as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady--Home puts her celebrated career in context. While arguably offering more detail about the Andrews family than necessary, it nevertheless dishes wonderful anecdotes about legends and Andrews contemporaries like Noël Coward, Rex Harrison, Robert Goulet, Richard Burton, and Rodgers and Hammerstein, in prose as crisp and immaculate as the author herself. It also offers a revealing look into the intricate, exhaustive craft of performing--skills often taken for granted in tabloid times. Since the book ends just as Andrews is about to launch into the celluloid stratosphere, can Volume II be far behind? After Home, it would be most welcome. --Kim Hughes

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Andrews, who has written several children's books (The Great American Mousical; Mandy), both solo and with her daughter, now dances in a different direction with this delightful remembrance of her own childhood and engrossing prelude to her cinematic career. Spanning events from her 1935 birth to the early 1960s, she covers her rise to fame and ends with Walt Disney casting her in Mary Poppins (1963). Setting the stage with a family tree backdrop, she balances the sad struggles of relatives and hard drinkers with mirthful family tales and youthful vocal lessons amid rationing and the London Blitz: My mother pulled back the blackout curtains and gasped—for there, snuggly settled in the concrete square of the courtyard, was the incendiary bomb. A BBC show led to a London musical at age 12: My song literally stopped the show. People rose to their feet and would not stop clapping. Her mother's revelation of her true father left her reeling when she was 15, but she continued touring, did weekly BBC broadcasts and was Broadway-bound by 1954 to do The Boyfriend. The heart of her book documents the rehearsals, tryouts and smash 1956 opening of My Fair Lady. Readers will rejoice, since Andrews is an accomplished writer who holds back nothing while adding a patina of poetry to the antics and anecdotes throughout this memoir of bittersweet backstage encounters and theatrical triumphs. (Apr. 1)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Apr 03, 2013 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book parade of Hollywood stars of the '50s-'70s continues, driven by my daughters' endless watching of The Sound of Music! The story behind how Julia Wells became Julie Andrews is remarkable, from her early life touring with her mom and stepdad (she joined the act at the age of 10), supporting her family as a young teen (she was the owner of the family's house), to her big breaks on stage in London and NY (My Fair Lady and Camelot). Great anecdotes about other stars of the era, notably Rex H...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-or-memoir, kindle, nonfiction

I quite enjoyed this and would love to see her continue the story in another memoir, as this one, being the "early years" stops in 1963. I'm picky about memoirs, because I want the writer to be honest but I hate when they're unkind. In this book I felt like I got a reasonably accurate view of the events that occurred, but she was generous toward the people involved. When someone took an action that seemed hurtful or thoughtless, she suggested possible motives based on hard things going on in tha...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Gayle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: auto-biography

I have been a Julie Andrews fan since I was a young girl, not just because I loved her movies, but because I saw a picture of her and found out she had a face full of freckles!!! I felt I had hope for the future - that I, too, could be pretty!!!

Julie Andrews' childhood is something I NEVER could have guessed! Who knew someone so refined and gracious could come from the dysfunctional, excuse me - D-Y-S-F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-L family situation into which she was born! It was very interesting to read...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Lucinda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A magical memoir of an iconic figure who will never be forgotten…showbiz and glamour at its best.

Julie Andrews memoir ‘home’ is one of those books that you just loose yourself within, following the life story of one of the most magical and iconic individuals. Full of the glitz and glamour of the showbiz scene and the highs and lows of acting, Andrew’s story is one that takes you from the horrific Blitz to dazzling Broadway all in a snapshot. Since appearing on our screens in the wonderful Mary...more A magical memoir of an iconic figure who will never be forgotten…showbiz and glamour at its best.

Julie Andrews memoir ‘home’ is one of those books that you just loose yourself within, following the life story of one of the most magical and iconic individuals. Full of the glitz and glamour of the showbiz scene and the highs and lows of acting, Andrew’s story is one that takes you from the horrific Blitz to dazzling Broadway all in a snapshot. Since appearing on our screens in the wonderful Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews has nestled into the hearts of many from all across the globe including those in America and the United Kingdom who just adore her. This is the story of her life before fame that begins at the very beginning, before she became a legend and a noteworthy person. Warm, humorous and full of whit as well as moving and emotional, you are taken on a real rollercoaster of a ride exploring the ups and downs including the hard, difficult moments too. From her dark and difficult upbringing with her parent’s painful divorce to being at the peak of international stardom in America, one is shown all aspects and angles of Julie’s life. Along the journey Andrew’s encounters the horrors of World War two, spending time on the radio and in music halls during her childhood as well as the performances that she did with such renowned actors. Her performance in My Fair Lady with the legendary Rex Harrison is certainly one of those moments in this book that takes your breath away, alongside playing in Camelot with Richard Burton on Broadway. She has had an astonishing life, with her marriage to costume designer Tony Walton at its peak.

The frank honesty with which this account is written is so touching, and that gives it such a rare quality that many readers can connect with; hence I felt as if Andrew’s herself was addressing me making it feel so personal and special. Delicate and sensitively written, much thought has gone into this book that is often quite truth-drawing and poignant. Painfully perceptive and candid Julie is also extremely brave by bearing all to the reader, showing us her inmost soul that is revealed for all to see, being the main reason why I loved it so much. You can tell that Andrew’s is an accomplished writer, whose skill is evident within these pages, which speak to you on an entirely new level, being both professional and well written. She paints a vivid portrait of her early years that is fascinating, interesting and honest and which many people will be able to connect and empathize with as was I able to. Full of stunning and distinctive photographs this is a book to treasure, which takes you on the most intriguing journey right from the very beginning, with such exciting encounters along the way. Performances in such iconic films like the sound of music, Mary Poppins, thoroughly modern Millie and the princess diaries are but a few that really stand out alongside numerous television appearances and album releases. Julie Andrew’s influence spans generations from her bestselling children’s books and championship of literacy, to international humanitarian work that is so impacting and important. Her family of five children and seven grandchildren is very much akin to that of the Van Trap family in the sound of music, with the main character being both caring and kind.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir about an extraordinary individual whose road to stardom is fascinating. I love the last line of her book that sums it all up really, about what is dearest to Julie Andrew’s heart. “As it turned out…I was going home.”
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Oct 10, 2012 Burke Hodgson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recently-read

I quite enjoyed this book. I well remember seeing Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady shortly after it opened. A grassy-green new college graduate, I had just started my first job. Julie is only 6 months younger than I am, and I remember thinking here SHE is twenty years old and starring in the biggest Broadway musical of the decade and here I am and I don't know diddly-squat. My dad got the tickets to My Fair Lady through his stock broker. They were horribly expensive. They were prime orchestra seats...more

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Jun 20, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We just finished this one today —I've been reading it out loud on long drives where I am a passenger, so this took several trips. It's really engaging and well written, and it was so fun to read all the famous names that popped up now and then. There were bits of drama and humor, and the whole thing read as though everything happened recently or as though it were a novel, there was such an amazing amount of detail you wouldn't imagine would be in an autobiography simply because our memories are...more We just finished this one today — I've been reading it out loud on long drives where I am a passenger, so this took several trips. It's really engaging and well written, and it was so fun to read all the famous names that popped up now and then. There were bits of drama and humor, and the whole thing read as though everything happened recently or as though it were a novel, there was such an amazing amount of detail you wouldn't imagine would be in an autobiography simply because our memories are usually not that great.

But apparently, Julie Andrews kept diaries throughout her life, and not only that but she conducted a lot of interviews among her family and friends just so she could get certain details right, and it was all to the good. She even researched certain subjects so that she could paint the background well and with texture — the vaudeville life, for instance, where she started her career. I loved seeing how her professional life began, where her path went.

The only disappointments I had were that 1) the book ended too soon and 2) the Kindle edition did not have any photos.

1) We were looking forward to reading about how her career really started taking off from Mary Poppins on, not realizing because of our inattention to the title that this book details only her early life; it actually stopped at Mary Poppins and didn't even go into it at all. It was very disappointing, especially as I had been watching my progress on the status bar as I read and saw that there was more to go before I reached the end of the book. It was a blow to realize that much of the end matter was the index — it was somewhere around 1/6 or 1/4 of the book, and it wasn't even necessary or helpful in the Kindle edition because a simple search using the reader's device would have served as well if not better, and because the page numbers weren't even accurate or appropriate for the digital version of the book.

2) The acknowledgements mentioned photos, but there weren't any in my Kindle edition of the book. I felt cheated as a result. Had they dumped the index and put the photos back in, I would have been happier with the book.(less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Angela Risner rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You know, I love me some Julie Andrews. If you pressed me into naming only one favorite movie of all time (as I really have at least one in each genre), it would probably be The Sound of Music. Why? Because it's a great movie for both kids and adult. When you're little, you like the first half of the story. When you're older, you enjoy the love story and the second half of the movie.

So, I was really excited to read her memoir. But since I read it right after Carol Burnett's latest book, it fell...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Talia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is quite possibly the best memoir/autobiography I’ve read on someone in the entertainment business. Definitely right up there with Katharine Hepburn’s “Me.”

Rather than simply rehash her Hollywood career, Julie Andrews has taken the time and nurtured a book that lovingly details the history of English vaudeville, England itself during World War II and its monarchy and the heydays of Broadway and the West End. Rather than focus solely on herself, she writes about many of the great authors, th...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ahhhhh, Julie Andrews. My earliest memory of her was being dazzled....no, totally immersed in her portrayal of Maria in "Sound of Music" almost fifty years ago.

Such a treat to get a peek into her life; albeit her family life growing up was so sad. But even as a child, her voice was recognized as phenomenal. In spite of the fact that agents and producers sought her out, she never considered she was good enough to make it into Broadway or Hollywood. But make it she did, and her grace, eloquence an...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Schmacko rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To many people, Julie Andrews is a voice of class and distinction. So it’s fun to learn that she was the product of her mom’s first, bad and short marriage. She also moved around a lot, shuttled about by World War II and her mother’s second and third marriages, including the affair in between. Andrews made her bedroom in a storage room below a street, and she fended off a slightly creepy alcoholic who became her stepfather. She lost touch with siblings. Artists often come from ugly, painful back...more To many people, Julie Andrews is a voice of class and distinction. So it’s fun to learn that she was the product of her mom’s first, bad and short marriage. She also moved around a lot, shuttled about by World War II and her mother’s second and third marriages, including the affair in between. Andrews made her bedroom in a storage room below a street, and she fended off a slightly creepy alcoholic who became her stepfather. She lost touch with siblings. Artists often come from ugly, painful backgrounds.

Home is about that sort of background, up until the point that Disney started filming the actress in Mary Poppins, the role that gained her a special Oscar.

In that same messy life, her piano-playing mum and her singing stepdad honed her talent, taking her on what was left of the Vaudeville circuit. A hardworking father (who could whistle well, Mary Poppins aficionados should note) and a dour aunt who taught dance also gave encouragement. In short, with all of the drama and pain, little Julie also had the perfect situation in which to train to become the Julie Andrews we know today.

Imagine if she had foundered in the Midlands? Imagine if no one would’ve recognized and told the girl she could sing?

That being said, Home does let us know that Andrews’ affectation of crustiness is also learned. Yes, she did have to study cockney to play Eliza Dolittle in Broadway’s My Fair Lady, because she didn’t have the accent. She had the experience. The dirt on Mary Poppins’ face tells us as much about Julie Andrews as the famous way Mary cleaned herself up. Both Mary and Julie understood the gritty life and the cleanup required. The game showiness of Victor/Victoria is brought forth in her early world of trunks and cars, zipping from gig to gig in Vaudeville, London’s West End, Broadway and Los Angeles. She shockingly bared her breasts in SOB, but after reading Home, it’s less amazing.

My issue with Home is that this transformation into the upscale Julie we know today lies somewhere in between the sentences. How and why did she become this epitome of style and reserve? Andrews doesn’t much talk about the emotions that motivated her, whether shame, determination, pleasure or a combination of feelings brought about her will. She does talk briefly about the joy of theatre, of when it goes well. She also overuses worlds like “splendid,” “treasure,” and “horrifying” – thoroughly crusty words.

That being said, I love the stories of Rex Harrison’s irascible personality and lower bowels. And Richard Burton is the piggish, drunken lothario we all took him for. Also, Carol Burnett is the perfect American foil for her friend Julie; it’s obvious. I won’t spoil the stories, because they’re fascinating. And perhaps it is her rising above this background she describes that makes Julie Andrews into the indomitable figure of elegance we know today.
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Sep 09, 2010 Immen added it · review of another edition

My snobbery gets in the way of reading memoirs by non-writers, but I liked bits. Andrews talks about being a nervous teenager, terribly aware that the only thing she knows how to do is sing, already worried about losing her top notes. Later, doing shows 6 nights a week plus matinees, repeatedly losing her singing voice, speak-singing through her climactic songs, knowing she can't make it through the second act, but the show must go on. It gives me chills, the idea of pinning your vocation to a p...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: musical theatre lovers

Shelves: non-fiction, read-in-2010

I knew very little about Julie Andrews' personal life prior to this. I have been a big fan since I was a little girl and learning about her early years was fascinating to me. The discipline she applied to her vocal training from a very early age is a testament to every voice/piano/dance teacher who needs a good role model for their "practice makes perfect" lectures.

She speaks with candor and grace about her difficult childhood which took me completely by surprise. She speaks very matter-of-fact...more

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Jul 01, 2009 Elisabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I too was really surprised by Ms. Andrews memoir--I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. I guess I had an image of Julie Andrews being this very proper English lady who plays queens and nuns, and had no idea of her background. (Of course, she also played the role of a cross-dresser...) Learning about her childhood and adolescence, and the struggles she dealt with was very eye-opening. I enjoyed the honesty, candor, and humor with which she told the story of h...more

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Oct 10, 2012 CB rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A very quick read that details the events of Andrews's life from the story of her grandparents to the cusp of film stardom. The book ends as she, her first husband Tony Walton, and their baby daughter Emma, get on the plane to Los Angeles where Andrews will film "Mary Poppins."

Andrews's prose is charming and flows crisply. She has a flair for the interesting anecdote and for making the reader feel as if they are backstage with her, rehearsing for "My Fair Lady" or despairing over "Camelot." (I...more

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Aug 17, 2009 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Julie Andrews is one of my strongest idols. I feel I can relate to her in many ways; we both dealt with difficult childhoods, being let down by our parents. I like her am a soprano and in my dreams I am just as successful as she is in the field of musical theatre. That being said though, I wasn't terribly impressed with this book for a number of reasons.

I couldn't help but feel like Julie had had perhaps too much luck, not enough actual work for the success she achieved. It was her luck that her...more Julie Andrews is one of my strongest idols. I feel I can relate to her in many ways; we both dealt with difficult childhoods, being let down by our parents. I like her am a soprano and in my dreams I am just as successful as she is in the field of musical theatre. That being said though, I wasn't terribly impressed with this book for a number of reasons.

I couldn't help but feel like Julie had had perhaps too much luck, not enough actual work for the success she achieved. It was her luck that her mother and step father had already somewhat broken into the field, and that caused her success to seem to fly by. Suddenly out of nowhere she was singing for and meeting the Queen, being offered roles in prestigious pantomimes, and finally, best of all, being offered a lead role in a new Broadway show, The Boy Friend. It all seemed to come to her all too easily, and what's more, I didn't detect in her memoir that she quite realized what an amazing life she has lived. It was hard for a struggling actor like myself to connect to someone who was given so many chances by such extraordinary people.

This isn't to say that her struggles in her childhood weren't difficult or painful, and my heart went out to her at many moments where she detailed her stepfather's actions. But she never seems to truly let the reader in on her true emotions when she details these hardships. Julie writes in a tone that is at best consistantly optimistic, and at worst forced and lacking emotional connection to the reader. It is as though Julie is trying conciously to promote her Mary Poppins-esque persona, hiding some of her true feelings in the process. For example, there is a point in the book where a down-on-her-luck fellow performer purposely trys to make Julie miss her cue during a run of My Fair Lady. While many would respond to this sort of sabotage in an angry, or at least partially unhappy way, Julie responds immediately with pity; "I can only think that the envy or the sadness in her must have been all-consuming. Who knows what she was thinking or feeling that day". As the reader, my reaction was more along the lines of "b-tch please get out of Queen Julie's way!" It's hard to believe Julie never felt that way too.

I also felt that the story ended much too abruptly. I hope she's planning on releasing a second part, because the book definitely succeeded in making me want for more.

There were many good points in the book, though, now that the bad is out of the way. Julie told of many moments in her career that were fairly amusing (but not as funny for the reader as it most likely was for her). Also, the opening section of Chapter 40 made my hair stand on end.

At the end of the day the book was only so-so, and I feel like I need the second half of the story in order to truly appreciate this one. Better get to work Julie!(less)

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May 25, 2011 V. Briceland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I confess that in the early pages of Julie Andrews Edwards' memoirs I began to fear I might be overwhelmed in trying to keep straight the names of all her aunts, dogs, and cousins. There seem, in my weary memory, to have been about a dozen of each. More electrifying, however, is the story that unfolds of the three men vying to be the star's father—her mother's first husband, whom she thought of as her dad, the alcoholic artist of a second husband whom Julie supplanted as a headliner on his own t...more

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title link	preview: Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6062901-home?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348243738l/6062901.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6062901-home?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews[/url]

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