Homesick: A Memoir [Paperback]

Sela Ward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2003

At a time when much of America is yearning to recapture the spirit and feelings of a more innocent era comes this exceptional book from one of our most beloved actresses: the story of one woman's journey to reconnect with the landscape of her childhood.

Though best known today as the Emmy Award-winning star of the television series Once & Again and Sisters, Sela Ward considers herself at heart a small-town girl. When her world was recently rocked by a crisis -- the death of her mother -- Sela's journey home to Meridian, Mississippi, became something far deeper: a turning point in her own life, as she pondered her mother's complicated legacy and came to terms with just what it was she herself was searching for.

Filled with warmth, storytelling, and laughter, Homesick is a book to treasure: an exploration of the lessons we carry away with us from childhood, and a celebration of the bittersweet legacy of home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This earnest memoir by Ward, the 46-year-old star of the 1990s sitcom hits Sisters and Once & Again and spokesperson for Sprint long distance, juxtaposes a jet-setting Hollywood image with a smalltown Mississippi past. More sugared up than a glass of Southern iced tea, the book will surely build Ward's reputation with her TV fan base, as it doesn't delve deep into Ward's psyche or tell all about the biz. It's targeted at the women Ward grew up with in Meridian, Miss. the same women she wants to reunite with now that she's returned there to begin settling down, loaded with cash, a Los Angeles venture capitalist husband and their two children. The fascinating trajectory of Ward's ideal American woman's life she went from cheerleader and homecoming queen at the University of Alabama to fashion model and fixture of New York nightlife should intrigue readers who can relate to culture shock. There's also a smattering of intelligently researched treatises on civil rights and on the contemporary crumbling of social bonds. A portion of the book's proceeds will go to a foundation for abused and neglected children that Ward founded last year in Meridian. Her overly saccharine tendencies notwithstanding, Ward gives readers a cute story of a smalltown girl's rise to celebrity. Photos.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Sela Ward is the recipient of two Emmy awards for her work on Once & Again and Sisters, and a Cable Ace Award for her role as Jessica Savitch in Almost Golden. She recently founded Hope Village for Children, a permanent home for abused and neglected children, in Meridian, Mississippi. Sela lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their two children, and returns frequently with her family to her Mississippi hometown. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment; First Edition edition (October 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060989076
• ISBN-13: 978-0060989071
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,528,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sela touches the world's heart with her words, October 24, 2002

By 

Dowler Young (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homesick: A Memoir (Hardcover)

In this book, put down your palm pilot and enter the world of the south, fishing with a pole, good old southern food, and loving family values. Using her own life experiences Sela teaches you that no matter what happens in your life you can always come home and find comfort in your roots. Her heartwarming tales will cause huge laughs and many tears. You may even find yourself picking up the phone and calling Mom and Dad once you finish, I know that I did. Sela may be an inspiration to many as an amazing actress, but she is also a person who has a real life, and she opens up that life with a warm heart and a hug. Her thoughtful words are ones that I know will touch your soul. So snuggle up with a good blanket and a cup of tea in front of the fire and enjoy.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sela Ward Finds Her Way Back Home, January 7, 2004

By 

FictionAddiction.NET - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homesick: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Go down south with Mississippi born actress Sela Ward. Homesick is a refreshing look at the everyday life of a young girl as she moves from small town life to young adulthood in New York and then settles in Hollywood.

Sela shares the story of her family stating, "The Wards have always walked a fine line between conviction and orneriness..." She admires her father and her mother. She talks much of the way she grew up as a southern girl, the south's traditions and the legacies, girl talk sessions, cliques, church, the family restaurant, charm school and even hanging at the local Quik Stop. It's rather refreshing that the book focuses on the positives of life.

Sela speaks of her own life, though not with Hollywood spectacles on. She shares her climb to success but does not allow it to take over the entire telling of her story. Her claim to fame is only part of her. Her family, her history, her place of birth are so much more.

Homesick also touches on issues such as racism in the South, the tragedy of September 11, overindulged children and drugs. The book also details Sela's mother's death and the hardship on the family.

The book is generously sprinkled with photographs which tell a story themselves. You'll see the young Sela, the model, the actress, but mostly you'll see the real Sela Ward, the one who stood at her mother's knee and listened to the stories of her family.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Homesick for one's roots!, October 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Homesick: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Don't we all cling to memories of our roots? Sela Wards's sensitive, personal explanation of her longing to maintain her Southern roots while maintaining balance in her family life with a loving husband and children in Hollywood is a sign post for all us. Not the 'tell all' Hollywood insider story that will generate salacious headlines...but a deeply personal and touching remembrance of Ms. Wards upbringing and the special values that help define her role as a parent, spouse and personality. What a great read!!