My thoughts on Vanessa Redgrave’s memoir come from being relatively new to the acting great’s life and career. I am not sure how I came to read Vanessa Redgrave: An Autobiography (1991), but I liked it and learned a lot. Prior to reading it, I only knew “of” Vanessa Redgrave. I had seen a few of her films like Julia and Howard’s End. Her deep, smooth voice narrating TV’s Call the Midwife grabbed me, and I knew she was an activist. Sometimes, the only way to learn of a distinguished career and commitment is to read their own words. If you go by her reputation, she was thought to be opinionated, perhaps difficult or headstrong or “too much.” That makes Redgrave definitely someone worth knowing!

Redgrave balanced the book with with stories and essays mostly acting and her activism. There’s not too much about her famous family. She is candid about all the challenges of being an actor: time, roles, aging and finances. Redgrave is honest in describing the impact her outspokenness has had on her career. My thoughts on Vanessa Redgrave’s memoir are positive and awe-filled. She doesn’t come across as a privileged celebrity. I found the book’s timeline, compassionate tone and stories inspiring and brimming with detail. The conflicts of which she wrote are now 30+ years in the rear view mirror, yet continue to influence world affairs. It’s a 4-star read.