Synopses & Reviews
Mariel was the third daughter born to Jack Hemingway, Ernest's son, and Byra Whittlesey. Her oldest sister Muffet suffered for years from instability. Her middle sister Margaux was a celebrated model and actress, but caught up in the fast lane, she eventually died from epilepsy complications brought on by her past wild life. Her parents were not much more stable her mother was moody, distant, ill, and made no secret of her lack of affection for her husband, and Mariel's father was, at best, an indifferent parent. Even before she was a teenager, Mariel found herself the stable center of the family, a daunting job made even more difficult when she was cast as Margaux's sister in the film
Lipstick, and then in a starring role in Woody Allen's
Manhattan. Suddenly, Mariel was a movie star.
Always an athletic person, Mariel turned to Yoga in an effort to maintain her center while around her much of her life threatened to spin out of control. In Finding My Balance, Mariel uses her Yoga training as a starting point with each chapter, carefully describing a particular position, then letting her mind wander into thoughts of her past and her rocky life.
Living the life now of wife and mother while still pursuing her film and directing career, Mariel Hemingway seems to have weathered the worst storms life can bring. Much of her childhood and adult life has been directed toward finding and maintaining her balance in situations that have been heartbreakingly unsettling and emotionally disorienting. Finding My Balance is a deeply moving memoir in which for the first time, Mariel shares the story of that journey.
Review
"What makes her book so endearing is her ability to evaluate the actions she's taken over the course of her life-including her decision to have breast implants, her bizarre eating habits and her obsessive need to be in complete control of her life and still find stability and peacefulness. Her simple writing lets the funny, honest woman shine through." Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Using yoga as a starting point with each chapter, Mariel Hemingway carefully describes a particular position, then lets her mind wander into thoughts of her past and her rocky life. This fascinating, inspiring, and deeply moving memoir is by the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway as she "finds her balance" in life. 40 photos. Illustrations throughout.
About the Author
Mariel Hemingway lives in Southern California and Idaho, where she owns and runs a yoga studio, occasionally instructing classes herself. She appears frequently in films and on television, and works as well as a film director. She is currently in the process of putting together a film based on her grandfather's book A Moveable Feast.