In Pieces by Sally Field

In Pieces by Sally Field
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As I read In Pieces, I first thought it was an enjoyable three-star read. By the final third, I'd shifted gears to thinking of it as a four-star read. When I turned the final page, brushing away tears, I had to give it five.

Which not only means I enjoyed the book, but that Goodreads thinking is firmly implanted in my brain!

Sally Field has been a small part of the pop culture background noise throughout my life, having already become famous before I was born. I haven't seen all of her work, but I always enjoyed what I saw.

She managed to be unflinchingly honest in this book, while at the same time not going into a lot of what I'm choosing to think of as "side details." 

For instance, she gives a clear picture of her relationship with Burt Reynolds, detailing what sounds like total doormat behavior in herself and controlling, emotionally abusive behavior in Burt. It made me wonder if that dynamic carried over into the bedroom — well, she didn't tell, and I don't blame her. We didn't need to know that to gain an understanding of the relationship, and how it played out in her life.

Field bravely shared so much, often things that are hard to talk about or that didn't paint her in the best light, and she did it in a clear, uncluttered way. And at the same time, she didn't feel the need to tell every detail about everything in her life. I admired the way she found a balance in telling this story of a long and very eventful life.

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