Love, Pamela

Love, Pamela is a celebrity memoir that gives readers a better understanding of Pamela Anderson, the Canadian actress and activist who shows readers that she is more than just the blonde bombshell people know from Baywatch, Playboy magazine and her rocky marriage to musician Tommy Lee. 

Through anecdotes, Anderson shows readers that she's a small-town Canadian gal who is well-read, loves art, poetry and philosophy and is an ardent and unwavering supporter of animals. We see her successes, mistakes, impulsivity, and the things that give her strength - most importantly, being mom to her two boys with Tommy Lee. 

I listened to the audiobook and Anderson did a good job as narrator. I appreciated her candidness and vulnerability when she shares her ups and downs as she navigates through her personal and professional lives. From a dysfunctional childhood growing up in British Columbia and traumatic events she experienced, to her rise to fame, her passion for animal rights and other humanitarian efforts, Anderson is genuine, but not exactly concise. Her writing style is nonlinear and often felt scattered and choppy and despite the philosophical vibe, I was disappointed that she doesn't dig deeply into the major experiences that shaped her life. 

This memoir reminded me of Jessica Simpson's memoir, Open Book (which I LOVED) in that we get a different perspective of a female celebrity. Both women were well-known for their physical attributes, but through their memoirs they show that they are talented on stage and as businesswomen in Hollywood. I am so happy that both women are no longer downplaying their intellect and show the strong, resilient, and talented performers they are.

Pamela Anderson is a tenacious, talented and free spirited Canadian woman who has lead an interesting and varied life. And although this memoir is a bit chaotic at times, I think readers will enjoy getting to know her a bit better within these pages.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Pamela Anderson

Genre: Memoir, Canadian

Type and Source: eAudio from public library

Run Time: 5.5 hours

Narrator: Pamela Anderson

Publisher: HarperAudio

First Published: January 31, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: In this honest, layered and unforgettable book that alternates between storytelling and her own poetry, Pamela Anderson breaks the mold of the celebrity memoir while taking back the tale that has been crafted about her.

Her blond bombshell image was ubiquitous in the 1990s. Discovered in the stands of a football game, she was immediately rocket launched into fame, becoming Playboy's favorite cover girl and an emblem of Hollywood glamour and sexuality. But what happens when you lose grip on your own life—and the image the notoriety machine creates for you is not who you really are?

Growing up on Vancouver Island, the daughter of young, wild, and unprepared parents, Pamela Anderson's childhood was not easy, but it allowed her to create her own world—surrounded by nature and imaginary friends. When she overcame her deep shyness and grew into herself, she fell into a life on the cover of magazines, the beaches of Malibu, the sets of movies and talk shows, the arms of rockstars, the coveted scene at the Playboy Mansion. And as her star rose, she found herself tabloid fodder, at the height of an era when paparazzi tactics were bent on capturing a celebrity's most intimate, and sometimes weakest moments. This is when Pamela Anderson lost control of her own narrative, hurt by the media and fearful of the public's perception of who she was...and who she wasn't.

Fighting back with a sense of grace, fueled by a love of art and literature, and driven by a devotion to her children and the causes she cares about most, Pamela Anderson has now gone back to the island where she grew up, after a memorable run starring as Roxie in Chicago on Broadway, reclaiming her free spirit but also standing firm as a strong, creative, confident woman.