Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke (Paperback)

by Patty Duke (Author) "About two years ago I went to a meeting in the office of Sid Sheinberg, president of MCA and one of the most powerful men..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, John Ross, Annie Sullivan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Call Me Anna is an American success story that grew out of a bizarre and desperate struggle for survival. A harrowing, ultimately triumphant story told by Patty Duke herself--wife, mother, political activist, President of The Screen Actors Guild, and at last, a happy, fulfilled woman whose miracle is her own life. (Nonfiction)

From the Publisher
The Star--The public saw her as a gifted child star: the youngest actor to win an Oscar for her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and the youngest actor to have a prime-time television series bearing her own name.

The Nightmare--What the public did not see was Anna Marie Duke, a young girl whose life changed forever at age seven when tyrannical mangers stripped her of nearly all that was familiar, beginning with her name. She was deprived of family and friends. Her every word was programmed, her every action monitored and criticized. She was fed liquor and prescription drugs, taught to lie to get work, and relentlessly drilled to win roles.

The Legend--Out of this nightmare emerged Patty Duke, a show business legend still searching for the child, Anna. She won three Emmy Awards and divorced three husbands. A starring role in Valley Of The Dolls nearly ruined her career. She was notorious for wild spending sprees, turbulent liaisons, and an uncontrollable temper. Until a long hidden illness was diagnosed, and her amazing recovery recovery began.

The Triumph-- Call Me Anna is an American success story that grew out of a bizarre and desperate struggle for survival. A harrowing, ultimately triumphant story told by Patty Duke herself--wife, mother, political activist, President of The Screen Actors Guild, and at last, a happy, fulfilled woman whose miracle is her own life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (May 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553272055
• ISBN-13: 978-0553272055
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #58,278 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, September 13, 2001

By	Jaqueline M. "jaquelinemanning" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

I really appreciate this book. Patty Duke tells her story well and I applaud her for having the courage to let the whole world know about her private adversities, especially her struggle with illness. Since learning more about Patty Duke, I also highly recommend a little book by Taro Gold called "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life" which contains many inspirational thoughts based on the Buddhism that Patty Duke practices. Excellent.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patty is a pioneer for telling her candid story, March 22, 2006

By	J. Abercrombi (Honolulu) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Call Me Anna" is Patty's own story. Patty Duke wrote this book in 1988 long before it was fashionable to "tell all" like today's throwaway "stars" do.

Like millions of Americans, Patty Duke has always been one of my most cherished TV actresses because her talent is so deep and thought-provoking. But I never knew much about her, until I read "Call Me Anna."

"Call Me Anna" describes Patty's rise to TV stardom (playing the title character on the classic "Patty Duke Show") and subsequent fall, partly due to her illness. Patty talks candidly for the first time about the bridges she burned, and the people she hurt while she struggled with her disease, bipolar disorder.

Patty was one of the very first (if not the first?) bona fide celebrities to discuss their own mental illness. And she was a pioneer in the rights of the mentally ill, and for that she should be highly regarded.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading about TV stars, or anyone who cares about someone who is struggling with mental illness (especially bipolar disorder). I also recommend Patty's second book, "Brilliant Madness" which describes the disease in a more clinical manner.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for anyone with Manic Depression, Bi-Polar & ADD, August 25, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews

I read this book about 10 years ago, and it began a healingprocess in my own life. I have ADD but had been diagnosed ManicDepressed and Bi-Polar for 20 years due to the sub-characteristic symptoms that ADD/ADHD has...they are the same as a manic depressed person but not to the severity. It is an exceptional book of insight into this disorder, and an incredible biography of an incredible peer of the baby boomer generation! And a MUST after reading Patty Duke's (Anna) autobiography is to read her sequel which gives even more encouragement that those of us with any mental disorder are "not freaks" but can live healthy, functional lives and be of great help to our whole society. The sequel is "A Brilliant Madness" also by Patty Duke and Gloria Hochman, originally published by Bantam books.