`This Is Living’ an inspiring story

THIS IS LIVING, by Lynn Redgrave, Dutton and Penguin, 291 pages, $21.95.

Long before she was twirling all over the tube as a spokesperson for a well-known diet company, Lynn Redgrave was no stranger to the American play-going, movie-attending public. In fact, few members of the turbulent, many-talented English family, from Michael and Rachel, gifted dramatists, to the crusading Vanessa, were unknown.

But as with many a family whose life is constantly in the public eye, Lynn had her problems having to do with a continuing battle with weight. She would starve for one acting role, gorge for another, and was in a constant yo-yo state. She tried all kinds of desperate extremes in an effort to control her erratic lifestyle but it was not until she recognized and accepted that she had, in spite of her many vocational successes, deep feelings of insecurity and lack of love, that she was able to turn her life around to the point where her title, “This Is Living,” is apt and truthful.

There has been a veritable spate of confession books during the past decade, but it is easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. A clarion ring of sincerity shines through those which are presented for more than personal publicity. Redgrave’s is one of the stellar ones.

She gives full and frank credit to the program which she endorses while at the same time she goes beyond the problem and describes the ups and downs of the journey to self-acceptance. She does not try to shift the blame to background or to others but focuses on her own responsibility. There is no breath of self-flagellation or “poor me” in the pages, which is refreshing.

As a bonus the book includes a diet plan, menus and recipes. The book does not come off as a tout for a program, no mean feat. It is a fascinating and inspiring story told with the informality of a chat over an afternoon cup of tea. It is fully worth the time you spend with it and, if you need it, offers a few challenges too.

Marion Flood French is a free-lance writer who resides in Bangor.