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A Memoir of My Early Years

By: Julie Andrews

Narrated by: Julie Andrews

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Since her first appearance on screen in Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews has played a series of memorable roles that have endeared her to generations. But she has never told the story of her life before fame. Until now.

In Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, Julie takes her listeners on a warm, moving, and often humorous journey from a difficult upbringing in war-torn Britain to the brink of international stardom in America. Her memoir begins in 1935, when Julie was born to an aspiring vaudevillian mother and a teacher father, and takes listeners to 1962, when Walt Disney himself saw her on Broadway and cast her as the world's most famous nanny.

Along the way, she weathered the London Blitz of World War II; her parents' painful divorce; her mother's turbulent second marriage to Canadian tenor Ted Andrews; and a childhood spent on radio, in music halls, and giving concert performances all over England.

Julie's professional career began at the age of 12, and in 1948 she became the youngest solo performer ever to participate in a Royal Command Performance before the queen. When only 18, she left home for the United States to make her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend, and thus began her meteoric rise to stardom.

Home is filled with numerous anecdotes, including stories of performing in My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison on Broadway and in the West End, and in Camelot with Richard Burton on Broadway; her first marriage to famed set and costume designer Tony Walton, culminating with the birth of their daughter, Emma; and the call from Hollywood and what lay beyond.

Julie Andrews' career has flourished over seven decades, and her influence spans generations. Today, she lives with her husband of 38 years, the acclaimed writer/director Blake Edwards; they have five children and seven grandchildren.

©2008 Greengage Productions, Inc. (P)2008 Hyperion

Who can't listen to Julie Andrews?

This is an audiobook narrated by Julie Andrews herself and I think its making all the difference. I could listen to her read the phone book - her voice is so melodious and appealing!

It’s an autobiography of her early years, which is interesting, but I have to hope that she writes a followup of her later years because I don’t want to start from scratch again to hear the rest.

My only complaint is the haphazard musical interludes between chapters – it’s so sporadic! What’s up with that?

Inspiring and educational

Can't wait for more! Narration by Julie perfect. Julie's description of her highs and lows, challenges and successes are wonderfully balanced. She manages to give us insight into the darker parts of her life without dragging the reader down. Fascinating details of life on the road, West End, Broadway and live TV. Her descriptions of the fabulous people she worked with give great insight into some of real people behind the images. Review by Kathy.

Delightfully narrated tale of Julie's stage intro

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would highly recommend this audiobook to a friend, if that friend likes Julie Andrews. I learned a lot about her life that I wasn't familiar with before, like her Broadway starring role in My Fair Lady.

What did you like best about this story?

I love the way Julie Andrews' voice sounds and her genuine revelations, like she's sitting in the room and telling you her memories.

SO Endearing

Delightfully filled with personal stories of her life as a child in England.
Then growing as a performer on Broadway with all the many stars.
Her narration is so uplifting that I felt good just listening to her lilting voice.

Beautiful!

I thought I loved Julie before, but her lovely, intimate, thoughtful way of storytelling made me love her even more!

Loverly

The reading of this by Julie Andrews makes this very special as she has a beautiful voice and her story is quite interesting

love Julie Andrews

I loved learning of her beginnings. I find her diction to be very soothing. looking forward to the next.

A must read! Prepare your heart to feel it all!

This book is a treasure. It is honest, transparent, real and entirely amazing. I will never be the same after experiencing this story and it wouldn’t be the same if Julie had not read it herself. I was enchanted, amazed, wowed, tickled, heartbroken, inspired, touched, educated, and deeply moved. Thank you Julie Andrews and Emma Walton-Hamilton for sharing this essential biography. I am changed forever.

Thoroughly enjoyable

What's not to like about Julie Andrews. This is her wonderfully written and well-read memoir of her life - from childhood, with some back family history, to just after the birth of her first child, Emma, whom she had with her first husband.

Fantastic

Absolutely loved it. What an amazing storyteller she is and such piercing memories. Couldn’t unplug because her voice is so soothing.