Top Comment: ‘Anna’ Taught Me Much

MikeK: (RE: DeePee: Patty Duke discusses Robin Williams’ death ): I read it! (“Call Me Anna” by Patty Duke) It was a very unique experience in that I hadn’t known a number of important things about my Mom’s childhood — she was always very protective of my brothers and I on the issues of her tough home life growing up. So I learned things about my family that were vitally helpful for me understanding my Mom, Grandmother, Aunt, and Uncle. It was tough to learn some of those stories that way. But in the intervening 28 years or so I have personally witnessed so many people in person, by email, and by letter telling my aunt in vivid detail how knowing her story helped them get the strength to cope with and improve their own situation. That book was wrenching for her to write but it was cathartic. Her success in thriving and living as close to a normal life as any of us can despite her illness has been a genuine beacon for a lot of people struggling. That makes her a hero in my book.

Question: Which autobiography is the best one that you’ve read?