PositiveThe Times (UK)Those expecting a Hollywood memoir filled with famous faces dropping witty bon mots will be disappointed. Instead, they will find a not unintriguing record of an extraordinary woman’s version of an ordinary life ... these anecdotes are a little too pleasant ... Those who want to read about Mary Poppins or Maria von Trapp will put this down unsatisfied. There are bits and pieces, but what we have here is Julie Andrews as her actual self, with barely a spoonful of sugar along the way ... Andrews’s tone is measured but realistic. The book is filled with that most distinctive of all of her qualities: her voice. For many, hearing the struggles with domestic despair will be like finding a tender hand in the dark. Her honesty is not self-indulgent. There’s a sense that she wants to give comfort to those whose domestic lives are also filled with struggle. As such, Mary Poppins may appear only briefly here, but her spirit is alive and well.
