Courageous, profound, and tender, these memoirs describe the lives of three very different celebrities.
Untied by Meredith Baxter
Best known as the hippy wife from the 80s hit Family Ties, Meredith Baxter played America’s favorite left-wing mom as she parented junior Republican Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox), Jennifer (Tina Yothers) and Malory (Justine Bateman). But the woman behind the scenes of Family Ties hid a life-changing secret: tv’s favorite mom was gay. Meredith Baxter’s memoir Untied follows her journey to self-acceptance. From a troubled childhood to fame and fortune in Hollywood, Baxter relays her experiences as an emotionally and verbally abused wife, her struggles with alcoholism, and eventually her self-acceptance as a lesbian.
Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
Model and actress Portia de Rossi struggles with self-acceptance and a life-threatening eating disorder as she achieves fame and fortune in Hollywood in Unbearable Lightness. One of the best things about de Rossi’s book is the relationship she draws between her eating disorders and her repression of her sexuality. Eventually, de Rossi undergoes treatment for her anorexia (at one point, the 5’7 actor was an almost fatal 82 pounds) and finds love and strength as she heals, comes out as a lesbian, and eventually meets and marries Ellen Degeneres. De Rossi’s voice is brave, strong, and interesting; her memoir is important, eye-opening, and it should be on the shelf of anyone who has ever struggled with eating disorders.
Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man by Chaz Bono
Bono’s memoir, Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man about his transition from female to male bodied, is brave and extraordinary. Everyone knew Chaz as Chasity Bono, the adorable daughter of superstars Sonny and Cher, then as an out 90s lesbian, and now as a transgender activist and writer. Chaz’s honesty, clarity, and sweetness shine through the pages of this one-of-a-kind tale of self-acceptance, courage, and gender identity.
