Unbearable Lightness
A Story of Loss and Gain
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4.5 • 1.7K Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“An unusually fresh and engrossing memoir of both Hollywood and modern womanhood.” —Los Angeles Times
In this searing, unflinchingly honest memoir, actress Portia de Rossi shares the truth of her long battle to overcome anorexia and bulimia while living in the public eye, and details the new happiness and health she has found in recent years—including her coming out and her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres.
In this groundbreaking memoir, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades, from the time she was a twelve-year-old girl working as a model in Australia, through her early rise to fame as a cast member of the hit television show Ally McBeal. All the while terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids, Portia alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and concealing from herself and everyone around her the seriousness of her illness.
She describes the elaborate rituals around food that came to dominate hours of every day and explores the pivotal moments of her childhood that set her on the road to illness. She reveals the heartache and fear that accompany a life lived in the closet, a sense of isolation that was only magnified by her unrelenting desire to be ever thinner, ever more in control of her body and the number of calories she consumed and spent.
From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to a life of health and honesty, falling in love and marrying Ellen DeGeneres and emerging as an outspoken and articulate advocate for gay rights and women’s health issues. In this remarkable, landmark book, she has given the world a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The author, an actor in movies and TV, (including Ally McBeal, Arrested Development, and Better Off Ted), model, and gay rights advocate, writes that "playing the role of heterosexual while fantasizing about being a homosexual had been my reality since I was a child." It's one she played into her 20s, when she was for three years married to a man. Now, she is married to Ellen DeGeneres, whom she met in 2001 after recovering from anorexia and bulimia. De Rossi nicely chronicles the years in between, during which she starved herself to 80 pounds. She artfully draws the reader into the tension of a life lived in secrecy: did anybody notice she lunges rather than walks, the better to burn calories? will anyone guess she is gay? when she nearly fainted, was anyone around? While some details could be viewed as anorexia how-tos, they make it possible to comprehend the twisted logic of de Rossi's frantic daily pursuits, and grasp the enormity of her achievement in overcoming her problems. The path de Rossi took to her happy ending is well worth reading about: her story is a cautionary tale, an inspiration, and a triumph.
Customer Reviews
Raw and vulnerable
I couldn't put this down. I read in amazement and disbelief that someone would share such personal thoughts. The book made me cringe and it challenged me to think about my own sick relationship with food, and my own damaging thoughts. I've long been a fan of of Portia's but, dang girl, you can write! Thank you for putting words to an all too common problem. This is not just for those who struggle with eating disorders, its for every woman influenced by a society that values thinness over substance.
Moving and involving story
I downloaded the sample pages and completely felt moved by every word and situation. I eat up those first 50 pages and bought the entire book.
I believe it's a very important story to share and even when not being affected with an eating disorder you can relate to other aspects of life and self control.
I totally recommend it.
The truth
As a therapist who has worked with many young women with the many faces of eating disorders , I was so thrilled to see the absolute naked honesty with which this book is written. It doesn't pander to sloppy clichés or typical therapeutic "words of wisdom." This is the most down to earth real book on this broad subject i have ever read. I couldn't put it down. I have a list of clients and friends i will recommend this book to.