There Was a Little Girl - by Brooke Shields (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The perfect gift for Brooke Shields fans, There Was a Little Girl explores Brooke's relationship with her unforgettable mother, Teri, in this extraordinary, heartfelt memoir that became a New York Times bestseller.

Brooke Shields never had what anyone would consider an ordinary life. She was raised by her Newark-tough single mom, Teri, a woman who loved the world of show business and was often a media sensation all by herself. Brooke's iconic modeling career began by chance when she was only eleven months old, and Teri's skills as both Brooke's mother and her manager were formidable. But in private she was troubled and drank heavily.

As Brooke became an adult the pair made choices and sacrifices that would affect their relationship forever. And when Brooke's own daughters were born she found that her experience as a mother was shaped in every way by the woman who raised her. But despite the many ups and downs, Brooke was by Teri's side when she died in 2012, a loving daughter until the end.

Only Brooke knows the truth of the remarkable, difficult, complicated woman who was her mother. And now, in an honest, open memoir about her life growing up, Brooke will reveal stories and feelings that are relatable to anyone who has been a mother or daughter.

Review Quotes

"Shields writes with considerable reflection; she's done the hard work of making sense of the contradictions in her mother, and now we get the benefit of her sharing what she's learned."--Kirkus Reviews

"Shields writes vividly and humorously about her mother's life growing up in Depression-era Newark; her days as a flirtatious coat-check girl and her short-lived marriage to Brooke's father, Frank Shields, who came from aristocratic stock.... The book reads like a parent's heartfelt and exasperated lament--but the irony here is that her mother is the one behaving like the problem child."--The Independent (London)

"A brutally frank recollection of Shields' career path, romances, marriages and entry into motherhood, but the basic thesis of the book is a deep examination of her intense relationship with her own mother, Teri Schmon Shields--a woman who molded Brooke's life, both personal and professional, for decades."--Chicago Sun-Times

"An emotionally raw memoir."--USA Today

About the Author

BROOKE SHIELDS is an award-winning actress and a Princeton gratuate with honors in French Literature. She starred in iconic films such as Pretty Baby, The Blue Lagoon, and Endless Love. She is a renowned model and starred in the long-running TV show Suddenly Susan and the critically acclaimed Lipstick Jungle. She wrote Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, the New York Times bestseller Down Came the Rain and also penned two childrens books. She lives in New York City with her husband, writer and producer Chris Henchy, and their two daughters.