Miss D and Me

Life with the Invincible Bette Davis

De: Kathryn Sermak, Danelle Morton

Narrado por: Danelle Morton

For ten years Kathryn Sermak was at Bette Davis's side--first as an employee, and then as her closest friend--and in Miss D and Me she tells the story of the great star's harrowing but inspiring final years, a story fans have been waiting decades to hear.

Miss D and Me is a story of two powerful women, one at the end of her life and the other at the beginning. As Bette Davis aged she was looking for an assistant, but she found something more than that in Kathryn: a loyal and loving buddy, a co-conspirator in her jokes and schemes, and a competent assistant whom she trained never to miss a detail. But Miss D had strict rules for Kathryn about everything from how to eat a salad to how to wear her hair...even the spelling of Kathryn's name was changed (adding the "y") per Miss D's request. Throughout their time together, the two grew incredibly close, and Kathryn had a front-row seat to the larger-than-life Davis's career renaissance in her later years, as well as to the humiliating public betrayal that nearly killed Miss D.

The frame of this story is a four-day road trip Kathryn and Davis took from Biarritz to Paris, during which they disentangled their ferocious dependency. Miss D and Me is a window into the world of the unique and formidable Bette Davis, told by the person who perhaps knew her best of all.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"America loved Bette Davis for the great star she was. I had the privilege of being her friend. She lived by good old-fashioned Yankee standards; she expected much and gave much; she was forthright, honest, and had a great sense of humor. Kathryn Sermak's book is a beautifully insightful look at the real Bette Davis."—George Hamilton

"We should all hope that we have a Kathryn Sermak in our lives whose love and devotion overcame any odds she might have encountered in her remarkable journey with Miss D. This book is homage to both ladies and a wonderful read."—Stefanie Powers

"None of us knew or loved Bette Davis during her later years more than Kathryn Sermak. This is a wonderful book about one of the greatest women I ever knew--and one of the greatest actresses who gave us all so very, very much. You'll enjoy this read and realize what a truly great woman Bette Davis was--and an inspiration to women of all ages."—Robert Wagner

"What a great insight into the last chapters of an Extraordinary woman's life. Kathryn Sermak tells it like it was: with candor and style--certainly the Bette Davis I was fortunate enough to know!"—Greg Gorman,celebrity photographer

"Miss D & Me is a fascinating look at the life of this indomitable star and her young assistant, Kathryn, during the last ten years of Miss Davis's life. It is their inspirational journey, which begins with Miss D as mentor-instructing Kathryn in every detail of work as well as the social graces-and ultimately leads to a devoted friendship. I highly recommend it."—Ann-Margret

"Kathryn Sermak has given us a well-written and vivid account of her long association with one of the most remarkable women of the past century: Bette Davis. I read it and was enthralled."—Olivia de Havilland

"Delightful . . . Miss D & Me details the sweet and deepening bond between the much-feared actress and a timid, young Kathryn Sermak--a pairing set against a steady drumbeat of menace."—New York Daily News

"Endearing . . . Inspired by a fateful road trip the two women embarked upon through France in 1985, the book - based on Sermak's extensive archive of datebooks, photographs and audio cassettes - offers an intimate glimpse into the last 10 years of the screen icon's life, until her passing in 1989 with Sermak by her side."—The Hollywood Reporter

"Deeply personal, strangely enthralling."—New York Times Book Review

Love the book just not the reading of it.

I have been waiting for this book since I heard Kathryn Sermak was writing it. She did a good job writing it but I have to say her reading the book was a mistake. She comes off sounding like a robot and it can get on one's nerves after a while. However, I did enjoy the book very much and wanted to learn all I could of the last years of Miss. D's life.

The book is about a friendship between two women that in many ways need one and other and the book is also about how we can help and influence people around us without knowing it and or sometimes wanting too.

If you are a fan of Ms. Davis or maybe someone who has had a stroke or cancer, this book is a must-read. I know after taking care of my mother who had cancer, that there are many things in this book that hit home and also comforted me.

Even though Kathryn Sermak's reading of the book is not the best, when she reads about the night Bette died, you can hear Kathryn holding back tears and that really was very moving for me.

The only thing I would have cut from the book was all the map reading when she and Bette were on the road. That was, as Bette would say "Just toooooo much!" boring information. I also hope Kathryn will write a follow-up to this book to keep us posted on how her life goes. I find her a fascinating woman/person and want to see where life takes her.

I am also glad Kathryn cleared up so many rumors about Bette's nasty spoiled daughter BD. She turns out to be as rotten as I had heard and I am glad Bette was not the person BD has said/wrote she is. Let this be a lesson to all, never spoil your kids, they will turn on you. What I was really glad to learn was that Bette did not spend her last years sitting at home crying for BD to come back to her.

So, all in all, I loved the book and though I think a different person should have read the book, it's a good one and I am very happy Kathryn Sermak wrote it for us Fans. Kathryn Sermak is someone we would all be lucky to have as a friend and on our side in bad times and in good ones.

What a sweet and special story.

This was a sweet and simple story about the authors time with Bette Davis. I did shed a tear or two.

The vivid portrayal of Bette Davis’s nasty daughter, B. A

Loved the vivid portrayal of Bette’s nasty daughter, B. D. Hymen. Would like to have heard an epilogue

I Believe This Book

I don't know why, but I feel like this book is more truthful than others. It's not always flattering, but it seems like it the truth. "Miss D." is hard, sometimes difficult, always wry, but human, and sometimes difficult but she's also a powerful woman. No one would expect her to be anything else.

The Best

Absolutely loved this. You got the whole thing. The good the bad the dear the fun. I will listen again ❤️