Customer Reviews

Love Child: A Memoir of Family Lost and Found

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Absolutely brilliant. LOVE CHILD marks the debut of a major writer.

Allegra Huston's powers of description and characterization are breathtaking. Her portrait of John Huston is quite simply a masterpiece: she has written the classic portrait of one of Hollywood's most complex, fascinating, and elusive characters.

Huston has peopled the pages of her dramatic and heartbreaking memoir with a whole gallery of unforgettable characters. And the voice of the child Allegra herself will haunt you long after you have finished the book.

Ireland, Mexico, Malibu, and London--all come to vivid life in her talented hands. This is a book of rare intelligence and sensitivity.

I don't usually read memoirs, thinking them less interesting than the thrillers and mysteries that I usually read. So I smiled as I forced myself to close the book, unfinished, last night because I needed to get to sleep. This morning I snuggled back under a blanket to read to the end. I would say that's the sign of a well written tale and it smashed my prejudice against the genre. What was I thinking!

At first I was drawn to the story because of the Huston family connection. Even from the beginning, I'm sure I was looking forward to the 'good stuff' about father, John Huston, and sister Anjelica, and the film industry. But soon it was Allegra who I wanted to know.

Details of the more recent years are missing, although we do peek in on her current life in Taos NM, where Allegra seems happy and fulfilled, connected to family in every direction.

Yes, it's that good. A story of fate, love, family, sex, loss, and redemption, Love Child is a tender, courageous memoir that is remarkably readable, intelligent and moving. Allegra is a masterful story teller, but beyond that she's funny, humane and endearingly self-aware. Most memoirs recount facts, this one invites us in and I often found myself wanting to talk back when someone was harsh to her. I wanted to hide out in the tress to catch a glimpse of her crazy grandfather doing hand stands on the widow's walk of one of the many homes she grew up in and I laughed out loud when Jack played an outrageous practical joke on Marlon Brando. I wanted to know her and in the end I wanted her to have a storybook ending. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time as a reminder that there is very little that can't be overcome if you let love find you -- and if this wonderful story isn't enough, there's a sixteen page family photo album in the middle that by itself is worth the price of the book!

Such an insight into a life, that would by all appearances be one of indulgence and frivolity. On the contrary we discover the glaring absence of parental presence and love, and the amazing skills it takes to navigate the waters of such a childhood. The wry observations of a self contained child are at times hilarious as are the unexpected challenges that come from of the privileges she is presumed to have enjoyed, but has not.
This is a poignant tale of, all that glitters is not gold, and the delicious discovery of, that which has meaning is what you discover for yourself.

I bought this book since I'm a huge Anjelica Huston fan. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance unlike one of the previous reviewers had to met Allegra Huston and hear her read from her book(I am so envious ).I'm having a hard time finding some thing that previous reviewers have not already posted.This book is amazing as the ratings have mentioned. Huston examines her life subsequent to the death of her mother and it's implications/ramifications on her life, which was being shuttled around and her relationship with her adopted and her real family.This book was beautiful, enrapturing and moving.I would like Huston to see her try her hand at fiction....

This is a shattering tale of constant displacement told without a trace of sentimentality by a truly talented writer. Huston's debut is a must read. It grabs you and it doesn't let you go.

From the time I picked up Allegra's book to putting it down, I knew I was in the hands of an authorative, phenomenal writer, which is to say, I had the privilege of experiencing a piece of art I will never forget. Let's see. It's moving, funny, poignant, exquisitely written and gives the reader a glimpse into a world that is also really entertaning and fascinating. But at it's core, it's about a girl looking for what we all want, a home, an identity, a sense of peace. I laughed. I cried. This is not the usual Hollywood book, thought there are a lot of big players, but how one girl tries to make sense of it all. I fell in love with Allegra, it's quite hard not to,she is so grounded, kind and generous, leaving the reader with a gift one will never forget. I didn't want the book to end and quite look forward to more of her books. I recommended to all my friends and hope others do as well. This is a stand out, coming from a book lover that has read thousands and thousands of books! Thanks Allegra.

I had not planned on LOVE CHILD derailing my entire weekend. As it seems there are few books these days that hold me captive, after a weekend of being curled up on the couch, this book rekindled my own passion for reading a truly great book.

It's not a piece that would entice one with the seduction of Hollywood dazzle and drama. It's a real story of a child whose sense of home is transported around the globe in her little monogrammed suitcase. We discover how, like most of us, Allegra Huston's search for herself involves observing the lives of those around her and deciding how she fits in --or not. Internally questioning the admired and developing her own genuine perceptive lens, Huston now tells her story using the masterful skills she has honed. She demonstrates to us how privilege is not a replacement for family.

With clever, sharp, descriptive talent, Huston delivers a brilliant and mature book with an undercurrent of a child's pure intelligence and wonder. At times I was pleasantly caught off-guard by the humor that lurks beneath and behind this eloquent, deeply introspective tapestry of a book so expertly written.

It was a privilege and honor to meet the lovely Allegra Huston, sister of Anjelica and daughter of the legendary director, John Huston, at her book signing and appearance at The Council of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.

Her new book, Love Child: A Memoir of Family Lost and Found, is an emotional story of her life starting as a child at the age of four, with the tragic car accident death of her mother. Shortly there after, she was introduced to a man and was told, 'This is your father." The man was legendary film director, John Huston. At the age of twelve, she was then shocked as she was introduced to her biological father, the British aristocrat John Julius Norwich.

She spoke about her family dynamics, including attending the funeral of her legal father, John Huston along with her sister Anjelica and Jack Nicholson. As she read excerpts from her book, we listened and all felt her warmth and sorrow as she shared her emotional stories with the group.

Allegra Huston shows great strength as she shares the details from her painful memoir, including finding out that she was a "Love Child" which resulted from an affair her mother had, to the sadness of having no memory of ever being in her mother's arms, to having two high-profile fathers. She shares her love and acceptance of her large extended family.

I applaud Ms. Huston for her courage to share her stories with the world. She is now happy and living in New Mexico with her son Rafael, and his father.

Julie Spira, author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online

What a special person Allegra Huston is. She is a role model for all children raised in dysfunctional families. In spite of tremendous odds she became a productive member of society and a mother and amazing writer. Her writing is some of the best I have seen, so filled with emotion and wonderful descriptions of her life experience spanning Europe and both coasts of the U.S. She was wise beyond her years growing up yet never became bitter or used her upbringing as an excuse to indulge in the destructive behavior by which she was surrounded. I would like to learn more about her and hope Ashe will write another book that continues the story.