Review: In Pieces by Sally Field

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Sally Field has been a staple in the entertainment business for decades. First appearing in the Gidget, it is hard not to recognize the actress as one of the most talented American actresses. I can’t say that I remember my first Sally Field movie. Steel Magnolias had premiered years before I was even born, but I want to say that might have been my first. But even if it was, I, unfortunately, don’t recall being aware of Sally Field. As I grow, I just remember knowing how she was. However, I can recall the role in which I grew to love the actress. It was the ABC drama series Brothers & Sisters. I discovered the show while it was in its fourth season and spent one entire binge-watching the seasons with my grandfather. It was hard not to be captivated by the show and Sally Field’s performance as the strong matriarch- Nora Walker. Although the show ended in 2011, it quickly became one of my top five favorite shows and as of right now it still is on that list. When I found that Sally Field had a book, I jumped at the chance to buy it. It took two years to get around to it, but I did I bought the audible book.

I listened to In Pieces on audible for two weeks each morning on my way to work. It most definitely wasn’t a tough read, and I lost count of how many times I almost cried. Sally didn’t have an easy life. And throughout the papers of her autobiography, she details her hardship and pain. From issues steaming from the time she was four years old to the Steven Spielberg 2011 Academy Award-nominated film Lincoln, she provides a raw and honest look into her life. She doesn’t hold back and doesn’t stray from painting herself in a bad light at some points. She owns up to her mistakes with her children, marriages, and overall life in general.

In addition to being extremely personal, it provides a look into the Hollywood lifestyle. It wasn’t easy for her to become the Sally Fields that we know today. She (regrettably) done a lot of bad television shows in the beginning and was sidelined multiples times due to her romance.

Although I rightfully enjoyed this book, I did have some issues with it as it neared. Towards around the 1990s, she begins to slow down. What I mean is that she begins to gloss over important events (in my eyes). I expected her to talk more about Steel Magnolias, but she only casually mentions the film as she lists the film that she completed during a point in the book.

Final Analysis

In Pieces is an in-depth look at an Academy Award Winners past. It’s emotional and honest. Also, In Pieces is a surprising story about a mother and daughter. One of the major themes that kept revisiting is Sally’s relationship with her mother.