As a reader, I feel a special connection to the author of a memoir, especially one written by a celebrity who is as down to earth as Sissy Spacek.

I still recall her first movies and how she seemingly inhabited her roles. Almost as if they were made for her.

In "My Extraordinary Ordinary Life," I discover why this is true. Reading about how she grew up in a small town in Texas in the 1950s, I could totally feel connected to her life. Even though I grew up in a small California town, the similarities existed. Small town life comes to define its inhabitants, and for all those who have lived in them, the connections are like strong twine that forms between all of us.

We see Sissy's life growing up, and follow her from Texas to New York to California. And then, as she begins to become that star with the ability to inhabit the lives of the characters she played, the special story unfolds. As references were made to each of her films, I found myself grabbing my own DVDs from my shelves: Coal Miner's Daughter, Crimes of the Heart, In the Bedroom, and The Help.

Finally Sissy and her husband Jack found their true home on a farm in Virginia, and her descriptions of that home and how various family members have joined them there filled me with nostalgia. Nostalgia for an ordinary life that is so filled with the treasure trove of people we love that it truly becomes extraordinary.

For all those who enjoy a memoir that spotlights both ordinary and extraordinary moments, I recommend this book. Five stars.