I read this book on the plane rides to/from Scotland and I was very impressed with this autobiography about Jane Fonda.
I have to wonder if Jane had the same ghostwriter as Gordon Ramsay did because much like Ramsay’s autobiography, I felt like this one truly captured Jane’s voice and was written very well. Her story is all at once brutal (her battle with anorexia and bulemia), heartbreaking (her inability to get close to her father, actor Henry Fonda), inspiring (her work for various charities and foundations) and brave (her detailed accounts of her trip to North Vietnam during the war that started the anti-Jane backlash). When I started the book I wondered if I’d like Jane Fonda (given what I knew about her from the press and her movies), but I have to say that I ardently admire her after reading this book and I think I’d love to go to lunch with her and have a one-on-one conversation.
Incredibly intelligent, unswaying and unapologetic in her liberal beliefs, and yet very insecure throughout much of her life, her story mirrors that of undoubtedly millions of women and girls out there who feel a man makes her more worthy (which is incorrect). And yet at the same time she was a bold activist during the Vietnam War and had no problem standing up for the rights of OTHER people.
Endlessly fascinating as Jane talks about her life and times, this is a good read and I recommend it.
Welcome back!
My dh is a Viet vet and she will always be Hanoi Jane to me. She has never truly apologized and she is at it again. Our people in the military need all the support they can get. Nuff said.
I am glad you are home safely and I’ll bet the kids are thrilled to have you back.
The Vietnam vets I work with are still not fonda Jane.
I’m sure there will ALWAYS be Vietnam Vets that never get over their loathing for her (I’ve always expressed surprise that my father allowed me to be named Jane given his own lack of affection for Ms. Fonda (this is presuming I was born AFTER the famous photo was published)). However, she goes into long detail about her experiences and reasoning behind her actions in North Vietnam, and while she doesn’t apologize, she does *regret* what happened because it was misinterpreted (according to her book). I tend to believe her – the book is SO open and honest that I don’t think she’d lie about this particular situation, given it’s her most notorious life-event.
There is absolutely nothing she can say to try to justify her treason that will make it acceptable. It wasn’t “misinterpreted” at all. The entire world, including her, knew exactly what she was saying and doing. She cannot re-write history as long as a single Vietnam vet is alive…
You were born before the incident.
Dad – I don’t want to argue with you about it since I know your opinions on Jane Fonda will not change, but I’ll say that there are plenty of Vietnam Vets who DO like her (albeit they are all Vets that opposed the war once they came back from overseas).
However, she does write in the book about a meeting she had with some Vets who hated her and were attempting to keep her from filming a movie in their town, and after a long cathartic discussion she was forgiven by those vets once they heard *her* version of the story as opposed to merely believing what was printed in papers or partially shown on tv.