Paris: The Memoir

by Paris Hilton

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Paris was the It Girl of the early aughts, her every move dissected and documented on the internet and social media. Now, Paris offers an unflinching and intimate memoir that reveals what it was really like to be in the middle of a changing cultural landscape, beloved and reviled at the same time.

A MILLION MEANINGS IN A SINGLE NAME...

Heiress. Party girl. Problem child. Selfie taker. Model. Cover girl. Reality star.

These are labels that have been attached to Paris Hilton by others.

Founder. Entrepreneur. Pop Culture Maker. Innovator. Survivor. Activist. Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mom.

These are roles Paris Hilton embraces now as a fully realized woman.

Paris rose to prominence as an heiress to the Hilton Hotels empire, but cultivated her fame and fortune as the It Girl of the aughts, a time marked by the burgeoning twenty-four-hour entertainment news cycle and the advent of the celebrity blog. Using her celebrity brand, Paris set in motion her innovative business ventures, while being the constant target of tabloid culture that dismissively wrote her off as “famous for being famous.” With tenacity, sharp business acumen, and grit, she built a global empire and, in the process, became a truly modern icon beloved around the world.

Now, with courage, honesty, and humor, Paris Hilton is ready to take stock, place it all in context, and share her story with the world. Separating the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, Paris: The Memoir strips away all we thought we knew about a celebrity icon, taking us back to a privileged childhood lived through the lens of undiagnosed ADHD and teenage rebellion that triggered a panicked—and perilous—decision by her parents. Led to believe they were saving their child’s life, Paris’s mother and father had her kidnapped and sent to a series of “emotional growth boarding schools,” where she survived almost two years of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. In the midst of a hell we now call the “troubled teen industry,” Paris created a beautiful inner world where the ugliness couldn’t touch her. She came out, resolving to trust no one but herself as she transformed that fantasy world into a multibillion-dollar reality.

Recounting her perilous journey through pre-#MeToo sexual politics with grace, dignity, and just the right amount of sass, Paris: The Memoir tracks the evolution of celebrity culture through the story of the figure at its leading edge, full of defining moments and marquee names. Most important, Paris shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question our role in her story and in our own. Welcome to Paris.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212206914
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	03/14/2023
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Paris Hilton is the world’s most recognizable influencer, defining and dominating pop culture for over two decades. She has built a multibillion-dollar global empire as an entrepreneur, tech pioneer, DJ, recording artist, and philanthropist. In 2021, Paris launched 11:11 Media, a next-gen company at the center of pop culture– connecting content, commerce, and community. Her proudest achievement is her continuing impact as an advocate and activist dedicated to empowering and elevating young women and girls, including spearheading meaningful legislative changes in the troubled-teen industry. She lives with her husband and son in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

03/06/2023

In this revealing memoir, Hilton (Confessions of an Heiress) pulls double duty, doling out obligatory TMZ bait while also opening up about the abuse she endured in what she dubs the “troubled-teen industry.” Detailing her horrific treatment—including cavity searches and staff-sanctioned sleep deprivation—at so-called “emotional growth boarding schools,” which targeted distraught parents in the aughts, the billionaire heiress pulls back the curtain on a little-discussed source of psychic damage for so-called “wayward teens.” On a lighter note, she provides running wardrobe commentary: “This dress is going to end up in a museum someday,” Hilton muses about the Julien Macdonald silver chain-mail dress she famously donned for her 21st birthday. Dishier topics include Hilton’s complicated relationship with her mother, lifelong friendship with Nicole Richie, and marriage to Carter Reum. She also dives into her ADHD diagnosis, which she deems a “superpower” she’s wielded to her advantage, though stories of managing the disorder with the help of organizational staff may fail to connect with less privileged readers challenged by the diagnosis. Even so, those unimpressed by the author’s occasional solipsism are likely to appreciate her advocacy for survivors of cultish care centers. Affecting and triumphant, this is a must-read for Little Hiltons. Agent: Albert Lee, United Talent Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"One of the world's most recognizable personalities delivers a memoir with surprising depth and purpose... The most impressive thing about this memoir is the gracious and compassionate eye with which Hilton views her past. Unlike many other similar stories, there is no tone of self-pity or martyrdom. Delivering a masterclass in owning your own story, Hilton shows how to live with purpose, compassion, and beauty."
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Hilton's memoir is perfectly poised as society starts to reflect on how we treated young women in the early 2000s. An unputdownable reckoning for anyone who lived through that time."
— Booklist (starred review)

"Revealing. . . Affecting and triumphant, this is a must-read."
— Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Paris was the It Girl of the early aughts, her every move dissected and documented on the internet and social media. Now, Paris offers an unflinching and intimate memoir that reveals what it was really like to be in the middle of a changing cultural landscape, beloved and reviled at the same time.”

Barnes&Noble.com

03/03/2023

Hilton, the great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotel founder Conrad Hilton, was a media personality often derided as "famous for being famous." She was a 1990s party girl who became a fixture on the NYC social scene. She eventually landed a reality series, The Simple Life, with her best friend and fellow socialite Nicole Richie. That led to Hilton becoming the butt of jokes, including SNL skits, then an ex betrayed and traumatized her by leaking a sex tape. Her first book, Confessions of an Heiress, published in 2004 at the height of her fame, was more tongue-in-cheek than revealing. Now 42, Hilton candidly reveals new details to let her fans know more about her life in the past and who she really is now. For example, she writes about her ADHD diagnosis and a date rape. She also tells readers that her teenage rebellion caused her parents to send her to correctional boarding schools, where she spent two horrific years enduring verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Now a successful DJ, teen advocate, wife, and mother, she shares her story with the hope of helping others. VERDICT Hilton's fans and supporters, along with readers interested in pop culture and books by celebrities, might request this one.—Rosellen "Rosy" Brewer

Library Journal

★ 2023-01-27
One of the world’s most recognizable personalities delivers a memoir with surprising depth and purpose.

In her debut book, Hilton, with the assistance of a ghostwriter, presents a tender and triumphant account of her life so far. The author is furiously candid about multiple instances of sexual abuse she suffered as an adolescent. Like many survivors, she took refuge in her menagerie of pets. Had things gone differently, she might have been able to finish school and become the veterinarian she dreamed of becoming. However, because her parents thought she was partying too much in high school, they sent her to multiple facilities for so-called “troubled teens,” brutal institutions where occupants were subject to cavity searches, beatings, and solitary confinement. Reading like a prison-break movie, the text chronicles multiple escape attempts, each ending in failure. Breaking up the heartbreak are the author’s asides about her ADHD. Though she still suffers from PTSD, the author has become an advocate for shutting down facilities like the ones in which she suffered. She also points out that society is beginning to acknowledge the media’s relentlessly exploitative treatment of famous teenagers, especially young women. Hilton cites examples of her own as well as those of longtime friend Britney Spears. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this memoir is the gracious and compassionate eye with which Hilton views her past. Unlike many other similar stories, there is no tone of self-pity or martyrdom. Hilton has always been acutely aware of the agreement between celebrities and their fans, between the photographed and the photographers. She signed up to play the fame game and is determined to win, an attitude reflected in this inspiring and empowering book. Like the author, it is far more than its glossy exterior.

Delivering a master class in owning your story, Hilton shows how to live with purpose, compassion, and beauty.

Kirkus Reviews