Home by Julie Andrews

Dame Julie Andrews is the epitome of English class and elegance. Therefore, we expect no less than a memoir written with the upmost eloquence and sophistication. This expectation is more than fulfilled in Andrews’ heartfelt memoir Home, which details her early life and career.

As most memoirs begin, Andrews tells the reader of her family; her parents, her siblings, and their different residencies. Andrews explains that she was born Julia Elizabeth Wells. However her parents divorced when she was young, and her mother soon married a man named Ted Andrews. Her mother and her step-father decided that Julia Andrews was not a suitable name (an A at the end of her first name and at the beginning of her last name would be somewhat difficult to pronounce), therefore her name was changed to Julie.

As Andrews was growing up, her mother and step-father were already an established act in vaudeville. Her mother, Barbara, was a talented pianist, and her step-father was a singer. When Ted Andrews discovered that Julie had a phenomenal four octave range, she joined him and her mother in the theatre. Whilst this was the beginning of Andrews’ incredibly successful career, it did mean that she had to forfeit her education.

Her Broadway career began when she was approached to perform in a musical named The Boyfriend. After this came two Broadway performances, without which Andrews may never have had the career she did. The first of these was My Fair Lady, in which she played Eliza Doolittle. The success of this lead to her being asked to play the role of Queen Guenevere in Camelot, opposite Richard Burton as Sir Lancelot.

It was one evening, after a performance of Camelot, that Andrews was told Walt Disney had seen the performance, and wanted to come backstage to meet her. After complimenting Andrews on her performance, Disney asked her if she was available to make a motion picture with him. This picture was to be called Mary Poppins – a picture that would later become one of the most famous and highest grossing films of all time. Unfortunately, Andrews had to tell Disney that she could not take the role, due to her being in the early stages of pregnancy. Disney then explained to Andrews that the picture would not be ready to begin shooting until sometime after the baby was born, and with that, Andrews accepted the role.

Andrews ends her memoir when she, her husband and new born baby, Emma, are on a flight to Hollywood to being shooting Mary Poppins. There is no doubt that this memoir is beautifully written and a must-read for any Julie Andrews fans. In March 2015, Andrews announced that she will be penning another memoir, due to be released in 2017, which will detail the height and later years of her career.