
Home Work by Julie Andrews is a memoir written by herself and her daughter Emma that reviews her Hollywood years. It is a follow up to her first memoir Home. In Home Work Andrews starts with her arrival to Hollywood and how she rose quickly to stardom with such films as Mary Poppins and the Sound of Music. She describes all of the incredible highs and lows throughout her career both personally and professionally. She also gives an eye opening view of balancing relationships, motherhood, and career as an actress and a woman.
Before reading this book I didn't really know much about Julie Andrews Hollywood career except for her starring in Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and the Princess Diaries (this was much later in life and she doesn't mention those films in this book). I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about her. My first impression is how well she writes. I didn't realize she was a writer and has published many books of her own. Her writing started during her Hollywood years and is described throughout the book.
My second impression is how busy she was during those years! I don't know how she lived through her Hollywood years honestly. She always seemed to be moving many times, flying from L.A. to England, to Gstaad, to New York. All the while having a daughter to raise and then eventually 2 step children and two adopted children. She seemed to take it all in stride (at least that came through in her writing) and take each situation as it came. It was surprising to learn how much drama there was in her family during this time. Divorce, addiction, and family issues were some, and she wrote openly about all of it.
I enjoyed this book because Julie Andrews wrote in a captivating way. It didn't leave me with any ground breaking insight, but as a fan of hers I liked learning more about her.
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