Customer Reviews

Get to the Heart: My Story

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True fans of Barbara Mandrell have always felt like we've known her. She's sort of like the good friend whom we visit whenever possible or that distant relative who seems to have achieved just about everything but never flaunted it in our faces.

Her autobiography does a good job of filling in whatever blanks were left for a woman who has spent most of her life in the public eye. However, unlike many celebrity tell-alls that rely on multiple marriages, rampant illicit sexuality, and boastful solipsism, Barbara's story revolves around her long-lasting marriage, devotion to family, and reverent Christianity.

Country music aficionados will enjoy her tales of Nashville and the many intriguing anecdotes of Music City's other movers and shakers. These too lack the shock value or backstabbing glee that often oozes from celebrity biographies.

A great deal of time is understandably dedicated to the Dudney family `s (Barbara and her two oldest children) involvement in a fatal accident. Tragically an innocent young man lost his life, and under a draconian Tennessee state law, they were forced to sue his family or forego every penny of the millions of dollars in insurance money they could otherwise receive. As of the book's publication, the painful litigation had not been resolved. Hopefully, the dire situation has since been rectified.

Other highlights include tales of her early years on the road, the foray into television-- which forced a traditional family to live among the anything-goes Hollywood mentality, and numerous adventures that only world travelers get to enjoy. Yet it is the stories of family that make this work soar. Long before Barbara became a dutiful wife, she was and still is an admiring daughter. She plainly writes of her parents' shock upon finding an engagement ring in their 16-year-old daughter's room and how they forbid any contact between her now husband and their daughter for six months. Despite her pain, Barbara writes of her and then-fiancé Ken's unquestioning honor of her parents directive. Humorously she mentions how unfair she found their action but concedes that now as a mother, her response would be much more severe.

Too many times reading a celebrity's autobiography can elicit a feeling like "what a jerk," but Barbara Mandrell proves herself to genuinely be the person her fans always hoped she was.

Side 1 of this album opens with an energetic version of I'm a believer (the Neil Diamond song that the Monkees took to the top of the international pop charts) and continues with another upbeat song, Fast lanes and country roads. Two excellent ballads (I'd fall in love tonight, Don't look in my eyes) come next. Side 1 closes with an excellent cover of Angel in your arms.

Side 2 is equally impressive, opening with For your love. Brilliant as it is, the next track (If they grow tired of my music) is my favorite on the album. Given that Barbara's career had already been long and successful and knowing that she'd spent a long time in hospital recovering from an accident that could have killed her, I wonder what she was thinking in recording such a song. The radio stations eventually grew tired of Barbara's music, although she continued to have top ten hits on the country charts for a few years after this album was released. Following that outstanding track, there is another outstanding ballad (You only you). Side 2 closes with the title track, which features vocal support by the Oak Ridge Boys.

The radio stations long ago grew tired of Barbara's music but I didn't. She's one of the main reasons for my keeping a vinyl record collection and a turntable on which to play those records. The chances of getting all of Barbara's wonderful albums, including this one, released on CD seem as remote as ever.

Let me say straight away that the reason I found this book a difficult read was simply because of the nature of the story. Half the book is about Barbara's life prior to the accident that almost killed her (and did kill somebody else unrelated and hitherto unknown to the family) and half is about her recovery from it. The recovery is sometimes a very difficult read and it may be for that reason that the book is not presented chronologically. Instead, chapters on the recovery alternate with chapters on the earlier years, so you could read about Barbara's life chronologically by reading alternate chapters.

Barbara's life was (and remains) in total contrast to so many celebrity lives. She was married to the same man throughout her career and was devoted to her family and her Christianity. No drugs, no extra-marital affairs, no hint of any kind of scandal. So although the early part of her life is of interest to her fans, of which I am one, the wider public is likely to be mainly interested in the accident and Barbara's recovery from it.

It seemed to me at the time (and subsequent events confirm it) that although Barbara made a full physical recovery - a miracle in itself - the mental scars never healed. She was less enthusiastic about her work than she had been. Perhaps this lack of enthusiasm explains why so little of her music from her peak years has ever been released on CD.

This book was in the American bestseller listings soon after publication. With Barbara's retirement from the music business, it seems that few people are interested in reading about her life any more (except her fans, who are likely to have a copy already) - this is a pity, because it's one of the more interesting country music biographies despite being a difficult read.

Wow. Buy this book!!! This book was impossible to put down once I started reading it. This woman has more guts and courage than anyone could imagine. It's so sad that her career never really recovered after the horrible car accident she was in. Ironically the accident happened on September 11, 1984.

This is a fantastic book! I couldn't put it down. In fact, I have read it more than once. In this book, Barbara Mandrell tells the story of her life in her own words. Barbara takes you on a journey of her life from her early childhood through her famous adult life. You experience every emotion when reading this book. There are cute/funny moments as well as sad moments and everything in between. It is a great insight on the life of Barbara Mandrell straight from her own heart. There are also some great pictures of Barbara and her family and friends. Barbara and her family are extraordinary. They are all extremely talented, sweet, and beautiful people. I highly recommend this book to everyone whether you are a big fan or not.

I have been a big fan of Barbara Mandrell for many years now! Anyone who reads this book will be sure to enjoy it! This was a book that I could not put down. Barbara has done a wonderful job on telling her story in this book. After you read this you will really feel like you really know her as a friend. This is a book that I will treasure and a book that I could sit down and read again! Barbara is a very beautiful and talented Lady and you will be sure to see that after you read this book of hers. I know that this is a book I will never get rid of and I will always treasure it in the years to come.

This is a wonderful book for Barbara Mandrell fans as well as those who may not be fans, but are just interested in her life story. Barbara writes in a way that makes you feel like a friend who she's telling her story to. I've read this book a couple of times and enjoyed it immensely.

This is an excellent book for those interested in Barbara and her family. It is an intimate portrait of one of America's greatest entertainers, and a book you will surely love and enjoy. Barbara is candid and personal in this up-close bio, which takes the reader through her personal trials and triumphs. A sure treasure for a long time.

I AM A HUGE MANDRELL FAN...THE LADSY IS AWESOME.....THE BOOK GET TI THE HEAR IS A WONDERFUL AND AWESOME BOOK...I HAVE READ IT MORE THEN ONCE...IT WAS A BOOK THAT ONCE I STARTED READING IT I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.. RHONDA DAY

I loved this book, I couldn't put it down. I love how the chapters leading up to the accident alternate with her early life. I couldn't wait to get to the next chapter to see what was next.