Unsinkable

A Memoir

By: Debbie Reynolds, Dorian Hannaway

Narrated by: Debbie Reynolds

The definitive memoir by legendary actress and performer Debbie Reynolds - an entertaining and moving story of enduring friendships and unbreakable family bonds, of hitting bottom and rising to the top again - that offers a unique and deeply personal perspective on Hollywood and its elite, from the glory days of MGM to the present.

In the closing pages of her 1988 autobiography Debbie: My Life, Debbie Reynolds wrote about finding her "brave, loyal, and loving" new husband. After two broken marriages, this third, she believed, was her lucky charm. But within a few years, Debbie discovered that he had betrayed her emotionally and financially, nearly destroying her life.

Today, she writes, "When I read the optimistic ending of my last memoir now, I can't believe how naive I was when I wrote it. In Unsinkable, I look back at the many years since then, and share my memories of a film career that took me from the Miss Burbank Contest of 1948 to the work I did in 2012.... To paraphrase Bette Davis: Fasten your seatbelts, I've had a bumpy ride."

Unsinkable shines a spotlight on the resilient woman whose talent and passion for her work have endured for more than six decades. In her engaging, down-to-earth voice, Debbie shares private details about her man and money troubles, including building and losing her Las Vegas dream hotel and her treasured Hollywood memorabilia collection. Yet no matter how difficult the problems, the show always goes on.

Debbie also invites us into the close circle of her family, speaking with deep affection and honesty about her relationships with her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher. She looks back at her life as an actress during Hollywood's Golden Age - "the most magical time you could imagine" - including her lifelong friendship with (and years-long estrangement from) the legendary Elizabeth Taylor. Here, too, are stories that never reached the tabloids about numerous celebrities, such as Ava Gardner, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger, Gene Kelly, and many more. She takes us on a guided tour through her movies with delightful, often hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes about every film in which she was involved, from 1948 to the present.

Frank and forthright, and featuring dozens of previously unseen photos from Debbie's personal collection, Unsinkable is a poignant reminder that there is light in the darkest times. It is a revealing portrait of a woman whose determination is an inspiration.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2013 Maxray Productions, Inc. (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Just delightful!

A fascinating look into Denbie Reynolds' remarkable life!
I enjoyed her stories very much indeed!

Wonderful

This book is very honest and open and I learned a great deal. Definitely worth the read.

Truly the Unsinkable Debbie Reynolds!

Pretty much broken down into 3 parts. Part 1) Mostly about her 3rd marriage, her casino, and her divorce from her 3rd husband. Part 2) Still trying to keep her casino, and trying to find a place and backers for her movies and TV museum and things that went on during that time. Part 3) Her movies.
All throughout her audiobook she speaks warmly about her friends. And forgiving of some of the people who had hurt her. Not forgiving of others..and rightly so.
She was a loving mother in a time and profession that did not always go well with being close to your children..or even your own parents (she sounds like she was a loving daughter also). Did she make mistakes..? Sure she did, she was only human...and she admits to those mistakes in both humble and humourous ways.
Her stories are interesting, well told in her storytelling way. If you love Debbie Reynolds and her family..her movies.. you'll love this. Though sad to hear it after her death (and there are certain times in her storytelling that are especially sad)..and yet, it brings her back to life!

A true Hollywood star.

Her memoir is not just a story of her life, but the story behind many of the movies she stared in and the great movie stars who stared in those movies with her.

She'll be very missed.

What a life!!!

I'm so glad that I bought this book. Debbie had an amazing life. She certainly was unsinkable.

A fascinating glimpse into a Hollywood icon/legend

I adore Debbie Reynolds, even though I've only seen a few of her classic movies (now watching many more) and know her best from Will & Grace. Listening to her life of MANY ups and downs was inspiring, knowing that she's always maintained such a positive, happy stature. At 10+ hours, this was certainly worth the money, not for just time - but the pure enjoyment of listening to her hypnotic voice. I truly enjoyed every minute.

Great Story but Fair performance

It was great to hear the inside Hollywood stories from Debbie Reynolds but she is a very poor reader and had a hard time even pronouncing some of the simple words and you could really tell she was simply reading it like a book she hadn't seen before. I was surprised that being an actress all these years she couldn't put more personality into it and not sound so stilted while reading. Some of the sentences didn't make sense the way she stop and started words and phrases.

Unsinkable

Unsinkable is told by Debbie herself and she has separated her account into two parts. The first might be viewed as a autobiographical account and the second an account of the productions she has been part of. The latter part included stories and anecdotes about the making of the movies and her fellow thespians. I found the second part to be more interesting frankly because I thought Debbie herself was more interested in tHat part of her story.

All in all if you are a fan, it is well worth the listen

Debbie is a Stitch

Let me preface with I have always liked Debbie Reynolds. In this book Debbie give many intimate details about her financial difficulties. In fact, it could do with a few less details. The information about past stars and her interaction with them is priceless. She was a kind, generous soul snd it definitely comes out in this story. I enjoyed hearing her voice, even if it was a bit singsongish. She’s just a delight and quite funny. It’s obvious where Carrie got her wonderful sense of humor. A fun read.

Total fun with Debbie Reynolds

What made the experience of listening to Unsinkable the most enjoyable?

The fact that it was read by the author herself.

Have you listened to any of Debbie Reynolds’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I loved Hollywood Anecdotes, which I believe she did several years prior to this. Her delivery of the lines for several actors quotes was a hoot in that book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was surprised at how many times she made financial mistakes, but was glad to learn she always came out on top in the end. A most enjoyable journey into the inside thoughts of a movie star.

Any additional comments?

Debbie Reynolds needs to do more of these, as her reading brings the words to life.