Nadine (23dollars) -
This memoir was only about 160 pages, so I read it in two sittings.
In full disclosure, while I am a Natalie Cole fan, I'm a much bigger Nat King Cole fanmy interest in Natalie began by association. :)
Nevertheless, I enjoyed her first memoir, ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER, a few years back and I'm happy to say I also enjoyed LOVE BROUGHT ME BACK....and boy did it ever!
My first thought while reading about her dogged insistence to keep traveling, working, making media appearances while suffering with Hepatitis C and then kidney failure, was that Natalie is nuts! But then I realizedthat's what her life is all about! Show business. Music. Singing for an audience. Performing is her life's blood. And I believe it's what helped her stay alive, her genuine love for her career and for what she does best.
It's nothing short of unbelievable the circumstances Natalie constantly found herself in over these two years: Stay by my ailing sister Cooke's side in California, or go to my goddaughter's graduation in Atlanta? Be there for Cooke, or go get my dialysis? Be there for Cooke, or go get my kidney transplant?
It seems the conflicts were always unbelievably greaton par with the extraordinary lives of extraordinary peopleand you can certainly appreciate how Natalie demonstrates the power of LOVE through all of it.
One aspect of the story that stood out quite a bit for me was how sad it is that Natalie doesn't appear to be very close to her mother or her two younger sisters, Casey and Timolin. They're not really mentioned until later in the book, and are by Natalie's side when she undergoes the kidney transplant, but it's clear she was much closer to her sister Cooke (who was really her biological cousin, but raised as a sister when her own parents passed away) than she is to the others. Yes, her mother is elderly, but despite their tumultuous relationship over the years, you'd think a mom would never leave her child's side at a time like this. Ditto for her younger sisters.
Granted, everyone has their own lives to live, and with the amount of traveling Natalie insists on doing during her illness and treatments, you can't expect everyone to drop their lives and globe-trot with her to keep concert dates and media tours....
But stillshe did nearly die! And it just struck me as very sad that those bonds either never formed, or aren't very strong.
And Natalie lost Cooke, the closest person in her life, after suffering so many other close losses over the years. But she's a true survivor! And kudos to the close friends and family members who helped her see this through.
Kudos to Patty for carrying on the legacy of her dear sister, Jessica. And most of all, kudos to love!
LOVE BROUGHT ME BACK is a touching and inspiring read. Highly recommended!
In full disclosure, while I am a Natalie Cole fan, I'm a much bigger Nat King Cole fanmy interest in Natalie began by association. :)
Nevertheless, I enjoyed her first memoir, ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER, a few years back and I'm happy to say I also enjoyed LOVE BROUGHT ME BACK....and boy did it ever!
My first thought while reading about her dogged insistence to keep traveling, working, making media appearances while suffering with Hepatitis C and then kidney failure, was that Natalie is nuts! But then I realizedthat's what her life is all about! Show business. Music. Singing for an audience. Performing is her life's blood. And I believe it's what helped her stay alive, her genuine love for her career and for what she does best.
It's nothing short of unbelievable the circumstances Natalie constantly found herself in over these two years: Stay by my ailing sister Cooke's side in California, or go to my goddaughter's graduation in Atlanta? Be there for Cooke, or go get my dialysis? Be there for Cooke, or go get my kidney transplant?
It seems the conflicts were always unbelievably greaton par with the extraordinary lives of extraordinary peopleand you can certainly appreciate how Natalie demonstrates the power of LOVE through all of it.
One aspect of the story that stood out quite a bit for me was how sad it is that Natalie doesn't appear to be very close to her mother or her two younger sisters, Casey and Timolin. They're not really mentioned until later in the book, and are by Natalie's side when she undergoes the kidney transplant, but it's clear she was much closer to her sister Cooke (who was really her biological cousin, but raised as a sister when her own parents passed away) than she is to the others. Yes, her mother is elderly, but despite their tumultuous relationship over the years, you'd think a mom would never leave her child's side at a time like this. Ditto for her younger sisters.
Granted, everyone has their own lives to live, and with the amount of traveling Natalie insists on doing during her illness and treatments, you can't expect everyone to drop their lives and globe-trot with her to keep concert dates and media tours....
But stillshe did nearly die! And it just struck me as very sad that those bonds either never formed, or aren't very strong.
And Natalie lost Cooke, the closest person in her life, after suffering so many other close losses over the years. But she's a true survivor! And kudos to the close friends and family members who helped her see this through.
Kudos to Patty for carrying on the legacy of her dear sister, Jessica. And most of all, kudos to love!
LOVE BROUGHT ME BACK is a touching and inspiring read. Highly recommended!
