Customer Reviews

A Lotus Grows in the Mud

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Ah, Goldie, gotta love her! I grew up watching Goldie Hawn on Laugh-in and then in movies- everything from Butterflies are Free (where her hippie, dippy side got to cut loose) to Private Benjamin.
All along, she seemed both funny and gutsy but what REALLY got me to buy this book was a television profile where Goldie spoke of a long battle with depression and insecurity. Her longtime companion, Kurt Russell, and their children (some from previous marriages) also appeared and I realized that there might be more depth and complexity to this woman than I got from the fleeting images on screen.
Thankfully, I was right. This book was a joy to read, revealing the depth, intellect and pure gutsiness that Goldie Hawn possesses. She was brave enough to reveal the insecurities and pain that she felt during some of her early years in show biz as well as the joy she felt as she discovered Buddhism, met Russell, gave birth to her children - and so much more. Written with a unique style (would you expect anything else from Hawn?) the reader will find both entertainment and inspiration within this one.

The cover is nice. Some pages are blue or purple with very attractive motifs and graphics inside. Nice pictures too of Goldie at work, rest and play including snapshots of her children and partner Kurt Russell.

The content is only losely biographic. This is more Goldie Hawn's philosophy of life through the window of her journeys and successes in the movie industry. Co-authored with another. It reads very well.

Little subchapters called "Postcards" capturing experiences. There are also poems and thoughts: "Is our smile coded for in our DNA or is it nurtured?" (paraphrased). In this sense the book has some fine quotations.

As a woman who represents openness and seems to be something of a spiritual student this book is great for exploring themes on happiness, relationships, death and being human. Designed to bring out the best in anybody.

This book and its sentiments represent a fantastic contribution to genuinely making the world a better place - not by throwing money at problems but by being well inside.

I liked reading it - ideal as a gift or to dip into though not to be read from cover to cover necessarily. Really well edited - not much gossip, thankfully.

The book will draw just because it's written by Goldie Hawn. And then you readers will be unconventionally and pleasantly taken ... moved actually ... by the weaving of the stories with the lessons gleaned from her experiences and what they mean to her, deep down, in her heart, her gut. Regardless of being written by a famous woman or not, there is a lot to be learned here. If you are on any path in life to learn ... whatever it is you are desiring to learn ... this woman will be your gentle guide. Enjoy the read ... and all the best to Goldie Hawn.

Goldie Hawn shares with incredible honesty, wisdom and compassion in this memoir that is filled with heart-felt insight, integrity, and poignant lessons learned from her pure heart.
One thing is for sure, you will learn a LOT. Goldie has always searched for truth, and she is a shining example of living purely from the heart center, with compassion for all.
A note to the reviewer below that calls this genuine woman named Goldie a "man hater", dear Sir, take a look in the mirror, it is you that hates yourself. So we have compassion for you.

Goldie Hawn is the epitome of a humanitarian, and an example to learn from.
10 Stars for her and this Fantastic Book!

I don't know why anyone would consider her a 'man-hater'- as she expresses nothing but love for sons, stepson, grandson and her de facto husband Kurt Russell!
You don't have to be Jewish or Buddhist to appreciate the insights she makes about her life's journey. I've always liked her and I was particularly moved about how she and Kurt helped a horribly scarred Peruvian street kid named Juan but even eliminating the exterior scars proved to be no guarantee he'd heal from the interior ones. Still, Juan's life is far better off than had no one attempted to help him- as are Goldie and Kurt's for sharing in that journey.
I like how she told this as a series of vignettes instead of trying to chronicle every picayunish detail and helps the reader understand where she is coming from. She acknowledges that things may not be perfect but it's good she and her family have found a means to bolster themselves through the tougher times and their comitment as a family to each other appears solid regardless of the absence of a marriage license.

Heard GOLDIE: A LOTUS GROWS IN THE MUD, written and
read by Goldie Hawn . . . this is not your typical autobiography,
in there's not much name-dropping and very little
gossip . . . instead, it feels more like a class you'd take
with the talented actress, during which she points out the path
that she has followed to get to the point where she is now.

Along the way, she had to battle depression and insecurity, and
it took her many long years of therapy . . . in addition, she
discovered and developed a love for Buddhism, along with a
desire to help others.

I came away feeling that I got to know her better as a person . . . also,
the book forever changed my opinion about her being just a ditsy
blonde . . . she is anything but, as evidenced by her being a big
supporter of Operation Smile (the group which offers reconstructive
surgery to youngsters in less-developed countries).

I've always enjoyed the light heartedness of Goldie Hawn. She has a fresh airy style that makes most movies that she's in just that much more fun and entertaining.

Her personal life has been pretty full of controversay over the years. Between her divorce to Bill Hudson...and the estrangement with her children. I had been really intersted to know more about "why". She barely mentions Bill Hudson. Really! I guess I could be more optomistic, and say that "at least she didn't bash him..."....but I was a bit disappointed with the fact that she brushes over her relationships...and her kids. Still, she spends vast amounts of text talking about her trips to India, and riding on an elephant...and her relationships with people I don't care about at all. I bought the audio cd - which she narrates. She did a good job, but I couldn't help thinking that most of the time she sounded alot like Barbara Mandrell. Hmmm...I had never notice that before.

This book was hard to put down. Goldie has a wonderful warm, sincere, and open approach to life which is refreshing. She has welcomed us into her life and shared her intimate thoughts and feelings. I enjoyed every page. I am giving this as a gift to my daughter, and recommending it to my friends.

Ruth Nighswonger (Boca Raton, Fl)

Goldie's story read by Goldie. Audio books don't get better than this.

Many of us remember the seemingly irrepressible Goldie Hawn from her early "Sock it to me"days on Rowan Martin's Laugh-In through her movie roles, Cactus Flower, Shampoo, Private Benjamin, right up until she carried home an Academy Award.. She's a generous, appealing actress - the same adjectives describe her writing.

"Each of us goes through transitions and transformations," she says. "The important thing is that we acknowledge them and learn from them. That is the idea behind the book. Not to tell my life story, but to speak openly and from the heart about episodes in my life in the hope of explaining how they changed my perception and how they helped me to look at the world more clearly."

This she does. She speaks of the good times and the bad - her excitement at being a part of a new CBS series and the childhood sexual assault she suffered in her own home by one of her sister's friends. "Laugh-In" was, of course, an enormous boost to her career, and her relationship with Kurt Russell occupies a large part of her heart.

Goldie, the pixie-like gamin is a mom, mother to Kate Hudson, Oliver Hudson, and Boston Russell. She speaks of the difficulties and the pleasures in watching Kate grow into her own person. Every mother can relate to the experience of "letting go."

With appreciation she tells of the kindness shown her by many, and reflects on anger, love, compassion, and her Buddhist beliefs.

This is, of course, Goldie's story until now. She says, "Every day I ask myself, wondering aloud, `What does the future hold for you now, Goldie Hawn?' And the best thing of all is, I just don't know."

If her future is anything like her past, she will learn, experience and see a great deal more. Let's hope she shares it with us.

- Gail Cooke

I was very inspired by this book, and gave it to a few friends who also found it so, even those that have an aversion to all things 'new age'. This definately does have a new age angle, and Goldie by no means leads a 'regular' life, but she manages to approach her own tale from the perspective of the common events most of us experience - childhood traumas and joys, parental difficulties, career struggles and successes, relationship traumes and joys, and parenting joys and challenges. If you are looking for Hollywood dirt or lots of details on her life with Kurt or family, you won't find it, although you get some vignettes. Mostly it is a personal tale of a woman finding herself through all the activities of her life, and in that sense is inspiring.