Restless Souls

The Sharon Tate Family's Account of Stardom, the Manson Murders, and a Crusade for Justice

By: Alisa Statman, Brie Tate

Narrated by: Eliza Foss, Gabra Zackman, Therese Plummer

Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

The gruesome murders of the beautiful and talented actress Sharon Tate, her unborn child, and four others that same night at the hands of the notorious “Manson family” rocked the nation. As one of the most horrific crimes in modern history, these atrocities, the trial, and the subsequent conviction of Charles Manson and his followers caused a media sensation, spawning movies, documentaries, and best-selling books, including the classic Helter Skelter. A defining moment in an era otherwise associated with radical peace, love, and understanding, this incident is one that still resonates with millions today.

Yet while this crime left an indelible mark on society’s consciousness, it was, first and foremost, a shattering personal tragedy for those closest to Sharon—the loving family left to cope with the emotional devastation of her loss. Now, after nearly 40 years, their story is finally revealed.

Compiled by close family friend Alisa Statman and Sharon’s niece, Brie Tate, Restless Souls draws on a wealth of material, including interviews with the Tates, personal letters, tape recordings, home movies, public interviews, private journals, and official documents to provide a powerful, poignant, and affecting four-decade, three-generation memoir of crime and punishment, anguish and hope, rage and love, that is both a chronicle of death and a celebration of life.

Extending beyond all previous accounts, Restless Souls is the most revealing, riveting, and emotionally raw account not just of these heinous murders, the hunt and capture of the killers, and the behind-the-scenes drama of their trials, but of the torment victims families' endure for years in the wake of such senseless violence.

Tate family members here set the record straight, correcting media misinformation and delving well beyond the official storyline to provide information, much of it available for the first time. Intimate, honest, and heartfelt, Restless Souls reveals remarkable details, including:

• The dramatic role Sharon’s father, P.J., a retired Army intelligence officer, played in finding his daughter’s murderers
• The reaction P.J. had when he came face to face—alone—with Sharon’s convicted killer in a holding room during a parole hearing
• The threats and menace that extended beyond prison walls, haunting the victim’s family for generations later
• The fight Sharon’s mother, Doris, mounted to insure the rights of victims’ loved ones, particularly the right to make an "impact statement" at parole hearings—a legacy that has helped keep dangerous criminals behind bars
• The battles Sharon’s sister, Patti, waged with the entertainment industry as she tirelessly worked to prevent artists from glorifying her sister’s killers in music, art, and films

Told from the Tate’s extraordinary perspective Restless Souls offers a rare glimpse at the post-trauma survival of a family and their journey to find justice and, ultimately, peace—a glimpse that couldn’t be more timely as Charles Manson comes up for parole again in 2012.

©2012 Alisa Statman and Brie Tate (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

This is eye opening.

If you enjoyed Healter Skelter (in my opinion the best true crime book ever written), then you must listen to this book. It tells the story of the victims. It is the rest of the story.

Beautifully written

Wonderfully poignant book. Such a tragedy :/ Highly recommend . Tugs at the heartstrings. Excellent ! Kudos to Brie

A story of love and passion

What did you love best about Restless Souls?

The way the story was written and read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Restless Souls?

When the Tate family was able to see justice done and the fact that they continued to
seek justice until they passed away. and their family is still continuing to seek it to this day

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Colonel Tate

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The title fits perfectly

Any additional comments?

This may be the best audio book I have read yet. The story is well told and the narrators
are outstanding,

Moving and frustrating

Would you listen to Restless Souls again? Why?

I remember the headlines about the Tate-LaBianca murders yet a listen to this book shows me how much I've forgotten or never knew. To read how this crime devastated the family is sad and moving; to read of the way their lives must revolve around the endless probation process is frustrating.

Very insightful

Would you listen to Restless Souls again? Why?

I've become obsessed with the entire Manson nightmare, I've listened to other books on the murders and I feel this one gives it more of a human side to the them...

If anyone is at all interested in the insane nightmares that took place in August of 69
this is a MUST read !!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Patty, I liked hearing how she became stronger and stronger throughout her life to once and for all face the animals that took her sisters life

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Have not heard others

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

It made me happy that this family is making sure the monsters that committed these crimes are staying right where they belong,.. In Prison suffering for the rest of their worthless lives

Any additional comments?

Very good book !!

Really interesting.

It was a really good thing to hear from the Tate family in this book. I was aware of Doris Tate and her advocacy but it was so good to know more about her husband and the sisters. Also, that bit about Tex Watson was priceless. He should never ever get out. I can't believe they let him reproduce.

2nd time listening to it.

cried more than once, listening to what this poor family went through. it's maddening. Love the music, where can I get a copy of the studio music?

PICK THIS ONE

This is pretty much the most amazing book I’ve ever listened to. It captivated me right from the start, clear through the end. It is read in 4 different voices, Doris, Patti, PJ (Sharron’s Father) and Brea (Patti’s daughter).

If you have ever dug deep into things that Mason’s supporters say events surrounding the murders with the Mamma’s and Pappa’s, drugs and who was responsible for the murders this book gives you the complete context of those stories in detail making them easy to research on your own.

Plus the readers do a phenomenal job. While quoting the killers, Doris, PJ or Patti they readers voices sound so much like the real people it will give you chills. During my second and third listen, I stopped many times to cross reference the voices between videos of actual interviews posted on YouTube and the context made my blood run cold.

These authors do a fantastic job of showing what happened without being gruesome (even includes readings from Vince Bugliosi's book with opinions about it too) . They lay out the Tate’s journey of advocacy without taking credit for changes made to the justice system solely on their own, often times being very humble in not taking credit for things we know for sure they did to help good people.

Same goes for Cornel Tate’s investigation of the crime, though he did find out things and share them with the police, the authors where honest in the depiction of how the case was solved. The details of his parallel “investigation” were riveting.

The last chapter had me in tears as Brea describes feelings about Leslie Van Houten, her mother and the current stage of her pregnancy that brought Sharron, Patti, Doris and PJ back to life in a way I’ve never experienced in all movies, books, podcasts and interviews I’ve ever seen.

This book was honest and grounded, showing the depth of the real humans we’ve been reading about, their lives, loves and heartbreak. Giving such a candid look into their lives brought all involved back to life in a very honest way. If you could only pick one… pick this one.

I was captivated

Although I knew the story it was so interesting to hear from the family. I was swept up in the emotions and memories. It brought it back and broke my heart for those that lived through it.

Just So-SO

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Sure, but people should know sister Debra Tate denounces this book. A fact I did not know until after I purchased, and some of the chapters do seem pretty contrived.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The struggle the Tate family had to endure forever to keep the monsters in prison. The strength of Doris to keep fighting.

Any additional comments?

Narration is OK, but name mispronunciation is very annoying. The anger this book insights against the monsters is real. The nerve of those evil-doers has no end. They all need to rot in prison, and to think some are out.