Status
Available
Publication
Dutton (2015), Edition: First, 288 pages
Description
"Award-winning actress Drew Barrymore shares funny, insightful, and profound stories from her past and present told from the place of happiness she's achieved today. Wildflower is a portrait of Drew's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and how laundry may have saved her life), getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross country road trip, saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood, and many more adventures and lessons that have led her to the successful, happy, and healthy place she is today. It is the first book Drew has written about her life since the age of 14. "--
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User reviews
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Drew is a delightful storyteller who conveys a strong sense of self. More importantly she shares stories from her life that show her growth and development from a scarred and scared childhood to adulthood and eventually motherhood. Good for you, Drew. I've always liked your movies and your sense of
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humor. Show Less
LibraryThing member DabOfDarkness
Drew Barrymore takes a look back on her life, sharing the funny, the sad, the intimate, the beautiful with her readers. She talks about the events and people that helped shape her into the positive, healthy person she is today.
I won a copy of this book from Penguin Audio on a faceboook giveaway and
So here are a few of the things I didn’t know about Drew Barrymore before reading this book. She was emancipated at age 14. Yep. On her own and legal at 14. But of course she had been working in TV and movies since she was 5, so this probably wasn’t as big a leap for her as it would have been for me at 14. I didn’t know that she and the other stars of E. T. had done a world tour. Her business, Wildflower, has branched out from movies to cosmetics and wine. That’s just a few things. I am sure each reader will find plenty to enjoy.
Barrymore speaks most eloquently about the relationships that have made her a better person. I especially liked these stories. Her father was a mostly absent man in her life though she did get to know him somewhat when he was passing away from cancer. She made the most of an awkward and strained relationship. She has a chapter to each daughter in which she is talking directly to them about what makes them unique and how they make her more than she could ever be without them. Normally, I shy away from such gushiness, but Barrymore’s motherly love hits home because she grew up with so little in the way of parental love. In some ways, this book is a kind of big thank you to friends and family that had these positive influences on her over the years.
Barrymore also speaks candidly of her wild child days. She reflects on her mind set at the time and other experiences she had (or didn’t have) to compare her behavior to. While many encouraged her exhibitionistic behavior, only a few close friends encouraged her to channel that sexy behavior into a more wholesome outlet. As she has gotten older, she’s added in modesty clauses to movie contracts while also holding onto that sweet girl next door appeal.
Then she talks about her dogs. Honestly, I found these to be the most touching. Her first three pups helped shaped the human she would become as much or more than the people in her life. I was a little surprised that she took the cremated remains of one of her dogs to spread at various locations in India. Still, if I had the wherewithall and inclination, perhaps I would do the same. Overall, this was a thoughtful look into Barrymore’s life. And it’s OK to be short. Plenty of the female population of the world is.
The Narration: Drew Barrymore did a really good job narrating her own book. She never sounded bored or hesitant in reading her own work. She imbued many scenes with a touch of emotion, whether it be pleasure, sadness, happiness, sorrow, etc. Her volume does vary a bit – not greatly – but if you are listening on ear buds there are some scenes (such as the parachuting scene) where she is screaming. Sometimes she screams cuss words (which I find amusing, but perhaps not everyone would in certain locations).
I won a copy of this book from Penguin Audio on a faceboook giveaway and
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decided to give it a listen. I have seen several of Barrymore’s movies over the years but have not followed her private life at all. So there was plenty here for me to learn. The book is not laid out chronologically, but jumps around. I didn’t find this to be a problem as this is a book comprised of anecdotes from a person’s life.So here are a few of the things I didn’t know about Drew Barrymore before reading this book. She was emancipated at age 14. Yep. On her own and legal at 14. But of course she had been working in TV and movies since she was 5, so this probably wasn’t as big a leap for her as it would have been for me at 14. I didn’t know that she and the other stars of E. T. had done a world tour. Her business, Wildflower, has branched out from movies to cosmetics and wine. That’s just a few things. I am sure each reader will find plenty to enjoy.
Barrymore speaks most eloquently about the relationships that have made her a better person. I especially liked these stories. Her father was a mostly absent man in her life though she did get to know him somewhat when he was passing away from cancer. She made the most of an awkward and strained relationship. She has a chapter to each daughter in which she is talking directly to them about what makes them unique and how they make her more than she could ever be without them. Normally, I shy away from such gushiness, but Barrymore’s motherly love hits home because she grew up with so little in the way of parental love. In some ways, this book is a kind of big thank you to friends and family that had these positive influences on her over the years.
Barrymore also speaks candidly of her wild child days. She reflects on her mind set at the time and other experiences she had (or didn’t have) to compare her behavior to. While many encouraged her exhibitionistic behavior, only a few close friends encouraged her to channel that sexy behavior into a more wholesome outlet. As she has gotten older, she’s added in modesty clauses to movie contracts while also holding onto that sweet girl next door appeal.
Then she talks about her dogs. Honestly, I found these to be the most touching. Her first three pups helped shaped the human she would become as much or more than the people in her life. I was a little surprised that she took the cremated remains of one of her dogs to spread at various locations in India. Still, if I had the wherewithall and inclination, perhaps I would do the same. Overall, this was a thoughtful look into Barrymore’s life. And it’s OK to be short. Plenty of the female population of the world is.
The Narration: Drew Barrymore did a really good job narrating her own book. She never sounded bored or hesitant in reading her own work. She imbued many scenes with a touch of emotion, whether it be pleasure, sadness, happiness, sorrow, etc. Her volume does vary a bit – not greatly – but if you are listening on ear buds there are some scenes (such as the parachuting scene) where she is screaming. Sometimes she screams cuss words (which I find amusing, but perhaps not everyone would in certain locations).
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LibraryThing member voracious
Drew Barrymore describes some of her deepest learning experiences in her new memoir, "Wildflower". Spanning from her early childhood living with her single mother to the recent birth of her two girls, Drew talks about the people in her life that have taught her to trust, love, and become
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resourceful. I really enjoyed hearing of her memories working on the set of ET, becoming emancipated as a young teen, and launching her adult career as a movie producer and entrepreneur. An enjoyable read for anyone who has admired Drew and her lifelong career in the public eye. Show Less
LibraryThing member nevans1972
I was given this book as a gift for my birthday on audio and was able to finish it pretty quickly. Drew is not really a writer and she will state that in the beginning of the book, so I was not expecting a masterpiece of literary genius, but it was a fun book to listen to and very fast pace. I just
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love Drew's sense of humor when it comes to her family and I love she can laugh at her past and move on from all the bad that happened in her life at a very young age. Show Less
LibraryThing member lyndsay
Cute easy read. Lots of exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!
LibraryThing member untitled841
Loved hearing Drew tell her story. loads of passion and energy. Authentic story telling, although a bit light this was a good read.
LibraryThing member gmoore8911
I'm always hesitant with reading memoirs, especially celebrities memoirs. However, I have always liked Drew Barrymore so I figured that I would give her book a go. I was not disappointed at all. This book made me love her even more. The book jumps around a little bit as it touches on different
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topics. Obviously she goes into how hard her life as a child actress was and it gave an insight to how money is only coming in to actor's lives when they are filming movies. She also talked about her starting a production, wine, and cosmetic companies. Show Less
LibraryThing member jhullie
What an enjoyable read. Very bouncy and fluffy and everyone has a happy ending but I did find it uplifting and inspirational.
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
Here's a thing I'm going to attempt to not do again: buy an audio book written and read by an author who is not a humorist or comedian. This is not a slam on Ms. Barrymore's writing skills; it’s just that I think that this wasn't in a format that was conducive to really getting a lot out of this
I appreciate that Ms. Barrymore didn't spend a lot of time in the book focused on the aspects of her childhood that those of us who remember it would consider 'salacious.' She mentions in passing the reason her mother sent her away, and expressed profound understanding of her mother's strengths and weaknesses in raising her, and she speaks of her years as a child actor, but that isn’t the primary focus of the book.
In fact, nothing in the book was really bad and nothing was really good. At times the audio version felt a bit like listening to a novel or a radio play, and that wasn't always a good thing. Some of the stories were very cute, and I get the sense that Ms. Barrymore is very self-aware. Yes, she does come across as a bit of a hippie, and there's a whole lot of sincerity, but there's also a bit more ... wit (that seems mean)? Sarcasm? I'm not sure. But more of whatever that is than I was expecting. It's not just loads of flower language and talk of the healing power of crystals.
I genuinely feel that I would have enjoyed the book much more if I had read it and not listened to it. Reading it would allow me to absorb each essay and hopefully get more out of it than the audio version. Yes, it was at times funny to hear the voices (and screams) punctuating some of her stories, but it didn't have enough to really keep me engaged. So, audio book: 2 stars. But I'm betting that the visual version would get at least three.
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totally fine selection of memoir-esque essays.I appreciate that Ms. Barrymore didn't spend a lot of time in the book focused on the aspects of her childhood that those of us who remember it would consider 'salacious.' She mentions in passing the reason her mother sent her away, and expressed profound understanding of her mother's strengths and weaknesses in raising her, and she speaks of her years as a child actor, but that isn’t the primary focus of the book.
In fact, nothing in the book was really bad and nothing was really good. At times the audio version felt a bit like listening to a novel or a radio play, and that wasn't always a good thing. Some of the stories were very cute, and I get the sense that Ms. Barrymore is very self-aware. Yes, she does come across as a bit of a hippie, and there's a whole lot of sincerity, but there's also a bit more ... wit (that seems mean)? Sarcasm? I'm not sure. But more of whatever that is than I was expecting. It's not just loads of flower language and talk of the healing power of crystals.
I genuinely feel that I would have enjoyed the book much more if I had read it and not listened to it. Reading it would allow me to absorb each essay and hopefully get more out of it than the audio version. Yes, it was at times funny to hear the voices (and screams) punctuating some of her stories, but it didn't have enough to really keep me engaged. So, audio book: 2 stars. But I'm betting that the visual version would get at least three.
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LibraryThing member over.the.edge
I just love this book! This gives you the feeling that you personally know Drew. It is so authentic and real and down to earth....growing up and starting school in West Hollywood; her close relationship with Steven Spielberg, who was a father figure to Drew; the birth and joys of her Olive and
I love Drew Barrymore, and this book is a very fun worthwhile peek into her life.
Highly Recommended
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Frankie, her two children. It is personal but she is so open about her life and her feelings, you feel as if your talking with a personal friend. She enjoys gardening and cooking and making mix tapes and her love of dogs.I love Drew Barrymore, and this book is a very fun worthwhile peek into her life.
Highly Recommended
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LibraryThing member trayceetee
This was a nice collection of stories about Drew Barrymore's life. I wouldn't call it a typical memoir, simply because it doesn't seem to flow from beginning of life to current state, like most memoirs I've read do. This jumps around all over the place. However, it's light and cheery, and it's very
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easy to follow. If you're a fan of Barrymore's at all, you'll appreciate this book. It's the quintessential Drew! Show Less
LibraryThing member MHanover10
I've always liked Drew Barrymore and thought she was a quirky person. I'm glad I got to listen to this book with Drew reading it. I learned so much about her and the struggles she went through as a child actor, becoming an emancipated adult at the age of 14 and not knowing how to do anything
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including laundry and now as a Mom. She is a beautiful soul and I like her even more knowing what kind of person she is, is the person I thought she might be. I think she would be a lot of fun to hang out with and swap stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member Shahnareads
Now, I didn't realize she had written a book a long time ago, so when I read this I thought things were going to be mentioned that weren't. I was kind of disappointed, but oh well.
It was a nice book, some funny chapters some boring. The part I liked the most was about her charity work in Africa.
Overall, it's alright.
It was a nice book, some funny chapters some boring. The part I liked the most was about her charity work in Africa.
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I wish there was more about that. Overall, it's alright.
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LibraryThing member Whitecat82
I read this a couple years ago, not a lot of in depth revelations about her famous family, but enjoyed reading about this woman's childhood, how she survived, thrived, and learned to keep positive and sane while growing up in Hollywood and how she has reinvented her life along the way.
LibraryThing member anniesdreaming
Audiobook, and I think it made all the difference. I loved listening to Ms. Barrymore's stories
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015
Physical description
288 p.; 6.25 inches
ISBN
1101983795 / 9781101983799