Actress Drew Barrymore’s memoir, Little Girl Lost, co-authored with journalist Todd Gold and published in 1990 when she was just 15, garnered attention with its provocative pull quote on the back cover: “I had my first drink at age nine, began smoking marijuana at 10, and at 12 took up cocaine.” As a woman approaching 40, I vividly recall my teenage self huddled on the floor of a mall bookstore, captivated by the book’s shocking revelations. Little Girl Lost revealed a darker side to Barrymore’s life, hidden behind her innocent facade as the darling child star of Spielberg’s ET.
Growing up with a mother who set few boundaries and relied on her as a breadwinner from a young age, and an absent, troubled father from the infamous Barrymore acting clan, the odds seemed stacked against Barrymore. Many of us felt deeply invested in her well-being, as if the health of the nation was somehow intertwined with her own. A couple of years after reading the memoir, I stumbled across a magazine spread featuring a bare-breasted and smoking Barrymore. Despite my own teenage rebelliousness, the image alarmed me. I questioned whether she was aware of the risks she was taking and if anyone was looking out for her. Would she be okay?
You are viewing: Little Girl Lost: Drew Barrymore’s Inspiring Journey from Darkness to Success
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Fast forward 25 years, and Barrymore has become a successful actor, movie producer, beauty company co-founder, and even an entrepreneur with her own boutique wine label. She has also embraced the roles of wife and mother. However, this newfound stability poses a challenge for her latest memoir, Wildflower. It lacks the rawness and compelling narratives that drew us into her tumultuous past in Little Girl Lost.
It is disappointing because Barrymore undoubtedly has a captivating story to tell in this follow-up book. Even for those less interested in the minutiae of her Hollywood love affairs, there is much to explore. How did the parentless child of the late 80s become the stable and prosperous mogul of the 2010s?
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To be fair, Barrymore states from the start that she’s not interested in a comprehensive memoir. Instead, she aims for something lighter, a book that can be dipped into and read at one’s leisure. Wildflower is structured non-chronologically, jumping between moments from her childhood and adulthood. Each story concludes with a lesson she has learned, often emphasized with a liberal use of exclamation marks.
While there is an element of bootstrappy self-help in the book, with Barrymore extolling the virtues of an insane work ethic and strict self-discipline, these sections lack depth. The book also touches upon her friendships and relationships, but they offer little insight. There are endearing letters addressed to her young daughters, but it remains unclear why they should be shared in a book rather than given to them personally.
Don’t get me wrong; I am genuinely happy for Barrymore. She has overcome a traumatic childhood and exhibits a commendable determination to break free from the patterns that plagued her early life. However, writing a memoir should involve taking risks and revealing one’s true self. Regrettably, this book, in its desperate attempt to project a safe and sunny image, provides only glimpses into Barrymore’s true essence and the transformative journey she embarked on.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: Blog
