06/05/2017
2017-05-21
"America loved Bette Davis for the great star she was. I had the privilege of being her friend. She lived by good old-fashioned Yankee standards; she expected much and gave much; she was forthright, honest, and had a great sense of humor. Kathryn Sermak's book is a beautifully insightful look at the real Bette Davis."—George Hamilton Stefanie Powers Robert Wagner Greg Gorman,celebrity photographer Miss D & Me is a fascinating look at the life of this indomitable star and her young assistant, Kathryn, during the last ten years of Miss Davis's life. It is their inspirational journey, which begins with Miss D as mentor- instructing Kathryn in every detail of work as well as the social graces- and ultimately leads to a devoted friendship. I highly recommend it."—Ann-Margret Olivia de Havilland Miss D & Me details the sweet and deepening bond between the much-feared actress and a timid, young Kathryn Sermak—a pairing set against a steady drumbeat of menace."—New York Daily News The Hollywood Reporter New York Times Book Review Daily Mail (named a Best Book of the Year)
This is a very personal account of screen legend Bette Davis’s final challenging years as told by her personal assistant, who later became her “buddy” and, finally, co-executor of her estate. While the stories told are interesting, and some are remarkable, the work lacks the punch and maturity to call it an overall winner. Kathryn Sermak’s first-time narration is remarkable for its lack of precision. Attributions to “Miss D” sounds like “Misty” nearly throughout, and that causes confusion. The very quality of immaturity that may have attracted Davis to employ Sermak is still very much present in both the writing and narration. Rambling, adoring, and touching in instances of Davis’s great kindness and cruelty—the audiobook, considered as a whole, is uneven, as we surmise that life with the elderly Davis must have been as well. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
This is a very personal account of screen legend Bette Davis’s final challenging years as told by her personal assistant, who later became her “buddy” and, finally, co-executor of her estate. While the stories told are interesting, and some are remarkable, the work lacks the punch and maturity to call it an overall winner. Kathryn Sermak’s first-time narration is remarkable for its lack of precision. Attributions to “Miss D” sounds like “Misty” nearly throughout, and that causes confusion. The very quality of immaturity that may have attracted Davis to employ Sermak is still very much present in both the writing and narration. Rambling, adoring, and touching in instances of Davis’s great kindness and cruelty—the audiobook, considered as a whole, is uneven, as we surmise that life with the elderly Davis must have been as well. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
