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Julie Andrews is a successful actress and singer born in Walton on Thames in 1935. Julie grew up mostly in the English countryside with regular visits into London for vocal and dance lessons. She started her career performing with her mother and step father across England in vaudeville performances. She had several successes in plays and on Broadway, namely as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, and was approached by Walt Disney to star as Mary Poppins which launched her film career. Julie has three daughters, two step children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She lives in Sag Harbor, New York.

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Three words to describe this read:

Enlightening- Knowing Julie Andrews from Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, I didn’t realize what an accomplished career she had prior to either of those roles. I expected most of the book to talk about those two projects and was surprised when it barely touched on Mary Poppins by the last few pages. It also, of course, shows a more personal side of the actress and singer and makes me realize how much has drastically changed only in her lifetime.

Charming- If you can be nostalgic for a time and place that you’ve never been, this book accomplishes it. While Julie didn’t have the most ideal upbringing, and lived through the bombings of England during World War II, she still writes in a way that makes the time and place seem so welcoming.

Hopeful- Realizing that Andrews came from humble and even at times difficult beginnings is a nice reminder that talent can come from anywhere and often comes from unexpected backgrounds and upbringings.

Quote:

““My God, I never look enough,” and in the years since, I’ve tried very hard to look-and look again.”

This quote reminded me of a personal mantra, “Look up.” It started for me when I was adapting to living in Chicago and I also studied abroad for 3 months. I realized that unlike where I grew up, there was a lot happening above my head. In Chicago, entire buildings filled with offices, restaurants, and stores were floating above me and in Paris, beautiful historic buildings were looming. I realized that if I spent all my time looking down at where I was walking, or even ahead, I had the potential to miss wonderful things just above me. This was a nice reminder.