Synopses & Reviews
In her first memoir, the Academy Awardand#8211;winning actress Sophia Loren tells her incredible life story from the struggles of her childhood in war-torn Naples to her life as a screen legend, icon of elegance, and devoted mother.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In her acting career spanning more than six decades, Sophia Loren became known for her striking beauty and dramatic roles with famed costars Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon, and Paul Newman. The luminous Italian movie star was the first artist to win an Oscar for a foreign language performance, after which she continued a vibrant and varied career that took her from Hollywood to Paris to Italyand#8212;and back to Hollywood. In andlt;Iandgt;Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrowandlt;/Iandgt;, Loren shares vivid memories of work, love, and family with winning candor.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Born in 1934 and growing up in World War II Italy, Lorenand#8217;s life of glamour and success was preceded by years of poverty and hardship, when she lived in her grandparentsand#8217; house with her single mother and sister, and endured near starvation. She shares how she blossomed from a toothpick-thin girl into a beautiful woman seemingly overnight, getting her start by winning a beauty pageant; and how her first Hollywood film, andlt;Iandgt;The Pride and the Passionandlt;/Iandgt;, ignited a high-profile romance with Cary Grant, who would vie with her mentor, friend, frequent producer, and lover Carlo Ponti to become her husband. Loren also reveals her long-held desire to become a mother, the disappointments she suffered, the ultimate joy of having two sons, and her happiness as a mother and grandmother.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;From trying times to triumphant ones, this scintillating autobiography paints a multi-dimensional portrait of the woman behind the celebrity, beginning each chapter with a letter, photograph, or object that prompts her memories. In Lorenand#8217;s own words, this is a collection of and#8220;unpublished memories, curious anecdotes, tiny secrets told, all of which spring from a box found by chance, a precious treasure trove filled with emotions, experiences, adventures.and#8221; Her wise and candid voice speaks from the pages with riveting detail and sharp humor. andlt;Iandgt;Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow andlt;/Iandgt;is as elegant, entrancing, and memorable as Sophia Loren herself.
Review
and#8220;Endearing theatricalityand#8230;. Lorenand#8217;s stories are unfailingly sweet, modest, patientand#8230;. The memoirist is in a magnanimously reflective mood. She is gracious about her own success and protective about her family. She is also tender about the other men who affected her life, both personally as well as professionallyand#8212;never more so than about Cary Grantand#8230; This is a story that rewards nice readers who are contented to give lovers some privacy, even if they happen to be movie stars.and#8221;
Synopsis
Sophia Loren tells her incredible life story with great emotion and honesty, revealing her personal journey from the hardship of her childhood in Naples to her life as a screen legend, sharing stories of work, love, and family.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow andlt;/Iandgt;is Sophia Lorenand#8217;s definitive autobiography, told with emotional honesty and revealing stories that she has never shared before, creating a multi-dimensional portrait of a woman who is an icon of cinema. Loren vividly recounts her difficult childhood in Naples during World War II, remembers her parents and their tempestuous relationship, and reveals the pain of growing up in her grandparentsand#8217; house with her single, unmarried mother and younger sister. Loren remembers the near starvation they endured during the war and the pain of being neglected by her father. She tells how she got her start by winning a beauty pageant (and#8220;La regina del mareand#8221;) and how her ambition drove her success in cinema. She reveals the influence of the producer Carlo Ponti, who cast her in her early roles and later became her husband; she takes us behind the scenes of the movies, her early stardom and move to Hollywood, and her high-profile romance with and engagement to Cary Grant. She recalls the difficulties that the Italian government and the Church made for her and Ponti, including bringing bigamy charges against him. She also tells intimate stories of her famed costars: Brando, Newman, Burton, Peck, Heston, and many more... Loren also reveals her long desire to become a mother and the disappointments she suffered on that path, the ultimate joy she felt at having her two sons, and scenes from her life as a mother and grandmother.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Each chapter begins with a letter, a document, a photograph, or object that prompts her reminiscences. In her own words, these memoirs originated as, and#8220;Unpublished memories, curious anecdotes, tiny secrets told, all of which spring from a box found by chance, a precious treasure trove filled with emotions, experiences, adventures.and#8221;
About the Author
Sophia Loren (born Sofia Villani Scicolone on September 20th, 1934) is an international film star and Italyand#8217;s most renowned and honored actress. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in andlt;iandgt;Two Women, andlt;/iandgt;making her the first artist to win an Oscar for a foreign-language performance. She holds the record for having earned six David di Donatello Awards for Best Actress: andlt;iandgt;Two Womenandlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Marriage Italian-Styleandlt;/iandgt; (for which she was nominated for a second Oscar); andlt;iandgt;Sunflower; The Voyageandlt;/iandgt;; and andlt;iandgt;A Special Dayandlt;/iandgt;. After starting her family in the early 1970s, Loren chose to make only occasional film appearances. As well as an Academy Award, Loren earned a Grammy Award, five special Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award, a Laurel Award, as well as the Honorary Academy Award in 1991. In 1995, she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. Loren lives in Geneva and has homes in Rome and Naples and frequents Los Angeles where her two sons and grandchildren live.