Enjoyable read, and it was fascinating to observe how she responded to and was influenced by circumstances at different stages of her life. Given how widely quoted she is and the esteem she seems to be held in, I had assumed before reading this book that she had led a charmed life sheltered from the trials and tribulations faced by us mere mortals. Finding out that this was not the case was a pleasant surprise which made her all the more human and easy to relate to.

There were some things I would have liked her to talk more about, and I found myself googling certain events or people that she mentions only in passing (or not at all, but I had read elsewhere) to fill in the blanks. On the one hand, I can respect that when writing one's autobiography it is up to the author to decide what they feel comfortable disclosing for their own and other people's sake. On the other hand, I cannot help but think that it is somewhat underhanded to omit certain facts which leave holes in the narrative and short change readers - surely if you have committed to writing an autobiography, some element of bravery is required? I am still ambivalent on this point though....ultimately you have a right to tell your story as you see fit I suppose!