Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19787 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Judy Garland said of Lorna Luft: "I've got an 11-year-old daughter who's got the best voice of us all, and she isn't even out of the gate yet! Lorna has more talent than the rest of us put together..." High praise indeed when you look at who "the rest of us" are with Judy herself a tortured icon, father Sid Luft doing a damn fine job as a producer, and half-sister Liza Minelli on her own rocky road to superstardom.

But living a life inside a Hollywood royal family with almost every detail of her life under scrutiny left Luft with some very visible scars, most of which have been discussed and speculated about until it seems there can be little more to say. However, in this affecting autobiography of a woman who has been more famous by association to her family of showbiz greats than for her own particular talent, Lorna Luft not only sets the record straight about her childhood and her family's particular patterns of addiction, but also proves that she has come to terms with her past and has taken great strides towards carving out a career for herself without having to wave the family banner to get her foot in the door. Me and My Shadows is a family history which simply tells the story of one woman learning to embrace her own life and use it to build on her own inner strength and self-acceptance-- it's a moving, funny, inspiring and enjoyable account of an extraordinary life. --Susan Harrison

Synopsis
Adapted for a two-part mini-series, nominated for 13 Emmy Awards, this is the memoir of Lorna Luft - a remarkable woman and talented performer - her half-sister Liza Minnelli and baby brother Joe, as they desperately try to hang on to their legendary mother, Judy Garland. With wit and candid detail, this is an account of survival in a world of dizzying contradiction. By learning to embrace her past, Lorna Luft has managed to emerge out of the shadows.

Customer Reviews

Coping with life as the daughter of a legend
Lorna Luft is, as she has often been called, "Judy Garland's other daughter", born from her marriage to Sid Luft, the younger stepsister to Liza Minelli. Of her three children, Lorna probably spent the most time with Garland. Towards the end of Garland's life, she becomes more of a nurse and a caretaker, than a child, even though she is only a young teenager. Of course it is sad to read how such a young child copes with life as the daughter of a legend, and a heavily addicted parent who can at the end no longer function as such. It is, however, also quite moving to read how much love Garland received from her children, no matter how sick she was. Even when Garland was too affected by drugs to see things in the proper perspective anymore, her children continued to love her and Lorna especially stresses she was sure her mother loved her children too. After Garland's death, Lorna found she had to live with the "shadow" of her mother everywhere. Garland still has her fans all over the world. Moreover, Lorna found there was a pattern of addiction, marrying the wrong people, etc. that was carried on to the next generation. But Lorna overcame her difficulties and can only look back on her past with a lot of love and compassion for her mother. The book is very convincing, and I am sure a lot of people can relate to it. In the end, whether one is famous or not, addiction will always affect all members of the family. The book shows how love, courage and determination can get you far. Lorna Luft has coped, and has been able to built a happy life for herself; she sees her mother now more as a guardian angel, than a shadow... A must for Garland fans.

Well written
I was pleasantly surprised by this memoir. Lorna manages to look back at her past and family with a critical but loving eye. It is not overly emotional and retains humour in disasterous situations. She is not afraid to portray her views in a straitforward and truthful manner. You do get the impression names are being 'dropped' superflously on occasion though.

Absolutely amazingly candid insight into judy Garland
What an amazing book, such a candid approach to a story that has been told so many times by people not her family, After having met the author whilst on tour it was inevitable that she would release a book about the one subject very close to her heart - her mother, this book is warts and all a very good read, so good i could not put it down one of those books that just draw you in and you will find it impossible to feel anything but sorry for the author and her family