Surviving Myself [Hardcover]

Jennifer O'Neill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 1999

Jennifer O'Neill knows all there is to know about life in the fast lane. Even before she skyrocketed to movie stardom at age twenty-two, she had already experienced more than most women twice her age: international modeling at fifteen, marriage at seventeen, and motherhood at nineteen. Then came Summer of '42.

If her career was already a dream come true, however, her private nightmare had just begun. The dark years that followed saw scandal and sorrow offset by beauty and style: eight marriages, nine miscarriages, a near-fatal gunshot wound, and three other near-death experiences. Even motherhood proved a painful trial when one of her husbands fell into the abyss of sexual abuse, with Aimee, the eldest of her three children, as his victim.

But Jennifer O'Neill is a survivor -- by the grace of God. Now, with her faith intact, she looks back on the roller coaster of her past with an unsparing honesty tempered with compassion, humor, and a new understanding of herself. Her story is an unforgettable drama of a beautiful, intelligent, talented, whimsical, yet deeply troubled woman redeemed in the end by the gift of her spiritual awakening.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A model and actress best known for her performance in the film Summer of '42, O'Neill recounts a litany of naive judgments and failed relationships leading up to her present happy marriage in this gabby yet banal memoir. The daughter of an English mother and Puerto Rican father, O'Neill grew up in the Northeast, apparently emotionally impoverished by parents she characterizes as more concerned with one another than with her and her brother. Devoted to her beloved horse and dog, at the age of 14 she took an overdose of sleeping pills after her parents informed her that she would have to give up her animals because the family was relocating to Manhattan. O'Neill began a grueling and lucrative modeling career at 15, married her first husband at 17 and became a mother the following year, when their daughter, Aimee, was born. The author chronicles the details of her film career, as well as her desperate search for the right man?a quest that resulted in seven more marriages, two more children and a number of painful miscarriages. O'Neill credits her survival and the positive changes she has made in her life to the spiritual growth she underwent when she became a born-again Christian in 1987.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The ups and considerable downs of O'Neill, star of Summer of '42.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (February 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688159923
• ISBN-13: 978-0688159924
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,371,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good book, lousy proofreading, September 24, 2005

By 

Ila Mcilvain "Ila McIlvain" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surviving Myself (Hardcover)

Interesting story of the life of a celebrity. However, nearly every page has at least one type and numerous pages have typo after typo. It's hard to believe a publishing company would print a book that, literally, appears not be have been proofread: words like held instead of help, mean instead of meant, 'eds' left off where required, and on and on and on. If you are a fast reader this has a tendency to slow you down a bit when you have to skim twice to get the meaning of thought after thought.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book is a Charmer!, March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Surviving Myself (Hardcover)

Splendid! Heartbreaking! An absolutely first-rate book! Jennifer's writing is beautifully controlled, brilliantly written, and extremely touching. It's a compelling story of beauty, fame, scandal, and an overcoming will to survive the odds. Jennifer O'Neill paints a picture on every page... it's terrific!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope and Encouragement, January 23, 2000

By 

Phyllis Thompson (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Surviving Myself (Hardcover)

This is a well written book for anyone who has experienced brokeness and survived some real tragedies. She points out that there is victory and God meets you when you finally surrender to his almighty power. Her family is restored and she is healed from her love addiction and can now have a loving relationship with her family. A real encouragement to anyone who has had a life of emotional abuse.