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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

Love her reading

Just wish it had more of her like beyond Emma’s birth and about what happened Tony, where Blake comes in

Wonderful

This was a wonderful read. I just finished it this weekend and was dissappointed that it came to an end (Julie, we want more!). I have always been a fan of her work and enjoyed hearing the about the early stages of her career.

Wonderful!

What did you love best about Home?

Hearing Julie's beautiful voice and British accent as she told the story of her early years.

What other book might you compare Home to and why?

Carol Burnett's autobiography - reading that one now

Which character – as performed by Julie Andrews – was your favorite?

herself

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was deeply touched by her relationship to her Dad, Ted Wells. I admire him so much and was glad for the insight into Julie's feelings about her biological father. My own daughter has politely declined a relationship with her biological father because of the bond she has with her Dad, my incredible husband, who adopted her at the age of six and has been her REAL father ever since.

Any additional comments?

I want more! Is Julie writing about the subsequent years?

Julie Andrews is magical

I may not be the most objective of readers as I adore Julie and love everything she does but I really enjoyed this and felt like I was on a journey together with her. Love it!

Thoroughly Enjoyable Memoir

10/10🌟- This is Julie’s first memoir, covering her childhood right up to her flight to Hollywood pre-Mary Poppins. I expected to hear about some early theatre shenanigans (and they are quite entertaining), but I was surprised at her candor regarding her far-from-perfect childhood, particularly her troubled relationship to her mother and stepfather. However, she narrates everything with such a collectedness, such grace about her---even in relaying some of her cheekier moments. It was also a nice change of pace from reading about some other well known actors who've come from wealthy families or who were already "Hollywood Royalty" from birth. (To be clear, I am not disparaging those people/their family and their stories can be just as interesting. I merely wish to make the point that it is a very different life with different problems and different lessons learned.) I am thoroughly looking forward to reading her follow-up memoir, Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years!

Julie part one

great. looking forward to the thitd book. defi itely miss having new movies of yours.

Wonderful telling of her life story!

Loved the story and her voice reading it. There were a few issues with the audio in spots otherwise I would have given it a perfect rating. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to know how “the other half” lives especially when they come from somewhat ordinary beginnings

Captivating

Something about Julie’s voice is so soothing and warm. Listening to her incredible life I felt comforted and amazed all at the same time. I’ve never finished an audiobook so quickly!

Early years of Julie Andrews...what a joy!

Learning about the differences between two women, my mother and Julie Andrews. Both lived through WWII and their personal struggles in different countries, but strength and determination are shared characteristics for both ladies.

Beautiful!

The perfect autobiography read by Julie Andrews with snippets of her singing! Absolutely adored it.