I cannot find the words to describe how rich and full of heart and love and beauty this book was. Drew is upfront from the start, this is a collection of stories, anecdotes and memories that you can pick up or put down any time you want to. This is just dipping in and out of different phases and moments in her life and I love that. She is such a wonderful storyteller, using her own insights and charming way to describe her adventures. Like how her beloved dog Flossy taught her how to love and look after someone, a gift that now lives on through her daughters. Or her friendships and special moments with longtime friends, how she taught herself to do things we take for granted, wild things that she did decades ago that still embarrass her every single day, her total love for and sisterhood with other women, her tremendous drive to be a better and worthy human. I wish I could thank her for giving us so much, this was a rad little book that I wish was 5 times as big because I devoured it in 1 day and didn't want it to end. ( )

i LIKED IT BUT i wanted something i tad more comprehensive in how it was told. it was ordered the way i liked. but good. ( )

i LIKED IT BUT i wanted something i tad more comprehensive in how it was told. it was ordered the way i liked. but good. ( )

I love that Drew jumps through time while telling her story. I tend to do the same thing when telling a story and I am pretty sure I got this habit from my dad. I love that Drew focuses on the positive aspects of her story instead of dwelling on the negative. Drew could have easily told the emancipation story a different way by focusing on the negatives of having to learn how to do everything herself. ( )

Drew Barrymore was born in Culver City, California, on 22 Feb 1975. She didn't get married and start having kids until she was about 35 years old. She is married to Will Kopelman and they have two girls, Olive and Frankie.

Drew's biography was not well thought out. It flip-flops from early years to later years and oddly, what she is currently doing in life, working on a makeup line (as of the publishing of this book in 2015), Wildflower, sold at Walmart, stuck in the middle of the book. My daughter also read this book, and we both feel like maybe she wasn't really all that honest in her book, keeping everything light, lovely, beautiful and perfect. In some chapters, she seems to ramble on and on in a philosophical way without really saying anything about her life, just expressing her feelings.

Her mother nor her father was there for her growing up. Her mother was a free-bird trying somewhat to make her mark in Hollywood, but mostly partying. Her father was out of the picture completely until later in life when he was dying. She took care of him until his death. Very commendable!

Drew doesn't really tell the nitty gritty of what she actually did to cause her mother to commit her to a psych home, but she did, at around age 12. She was in there for a year and a half. At age 14, she went to court to be removed from her mothers care and to become an adult under hardship, and to be able to do things as any 18 year old would be able to do. She was granted her rights and moved out on her own.

In the book, you don't get the feel that she went through any struggles at all living out on her own in Hollywood. Only that age 14 she still didn't know how to wash her own clothes and couldn't tell the difference between a washer and a dryer. She poured bleach directly onto her first load of clothes.

Now, her grandfather was the famous Hollywood actor, John Barrymore (1882-1942). So maybe she was a trustfund baby. She also could of had plenty of money coming in from the movie "E.T." filmed at age 6. Who knows? She didn't really let us in on that part of her life.

But, I still love Drew Barrymore, and I especially love Drew Barrymore in movies with Adam Sandler. Obviously, America also loves them together. About every ten years they get together and produce a blockbuster hit...my favorite? "50 First Dates", which was suppose to be a serious movie filmed in Seattle. But, once Adam Sandler and Drew got their hands on it (they each run their own small production companies), they literally turned it into an awesome playful movie filmed in Hawaii. I've watched the movie several times over the years. I even took note of the book she is always reading in the cafe in the movie and put it on my To Be Read list. On page 98 of her biography ( or memoir), she mentions why she chose the book "Still Life with Woodpecker" by Tom Robbins to read everyday in the movie. It is because that book does ask the question 'How do you make love stay?' (whether you have memory loss or not) then brings you on a wild ride just like the film.

It's interesting to note Drews circle of friends. She has strong lifelong friendship ties with Adam Sandler and Cameron Diaz. Also, Stephen Spielburg played a big part in her life. He took her under his wing when she was about 6 years old and was basically her godfather. She claimed he was the father she never had. He was funny and always had the kids laughing.

She developed a deep affinity to helping impoverished children in Africa after visiting, so much that when she returned to the states, still single, she did the research, made the plans and somehow provided the funds to build another schoolhouse for them, which they named after her. Very admirable! I truly believe she really has such a tender heart in real life.

Currently, in 2021, she's trying out hosting her first morning talk show called "Drew". I tried watching it a couple of times, but I can't stand it. She's over-the-top acting out, tryig to give the show energy, and it just comes off completely FAKE. ( )