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From Here to the Great Unknown
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Audiobook (2024), Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir (2024)In 2022, Lisa Marie Presley asked her daughter to help finally finish her long-gestating memoir.
A month later, Lisa Marie was dead, and the world would never know her story in her own words, never know the passionate, joyful, caring, and complicated woman that Riley loved and grieved.
Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, laid in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts together in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them. About getting dragged screaming out of the bathroom as she ran towards his body on the floor. About living in Los Angeles with her mother, getting sent to school after school, always kicked out, always in trouble. About her singular, lifelong relationship with Danny Keough, about being married to Michael Jackson, what they shared in common. About motherhood. About deep addiction. About ever-present grief. Riley knew she had to fulfill her mother鈥檚 wish to reveal these memories, incandescent and painful, to the world.
To make her mother known.
This extraordinary book is written in both Lisa Marie鈥檚 and Riley鈥檚 voices, a mother and daughter communicating鈥攆rom this world to the one beyond鈥攁s they try to heal each other. Profoundly moving and deeply revealing, From Here to the Great Unknown is a book like no other鈥攖he last words of the only child of an American icon.
A month later, Lisa Marie was dead, and the world would never know her story in her own words, never know the passionate, joyful, caring, and complicated woman that Riley loved and grieved.
Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, laid in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts together in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them. About getting dragged screaming out of the bathroom as she ran towards his body on the floor. About living in Los Angeles with her mother, getting sent to school after school, always kicked out, always in trouble. About her singular, lifelong relationship with Danny Keough, about being married to Michael Jackson, what they shared in common. About motherhood. About deep addiction. About ever-present grief. Riley knew she had to fulfill her mother鈥檚 wish to reveal these memories, incandescent and painful, to the world.
To make her mother known.
This extraordinary book is written in both Lisa Marie鈥檚 and Riley鈥檚 voices, a mother and daughter communicating鈥攆rom this world to the one beyond鈥攁s they try to heal each other. Profoundly moving and deeply revealing, From Here to the Great Unknown is a book like no other鈥攖he last words of the only child of an American icon.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2024
4,578 people are currently reading
56k people want to read
About the author
Lisa Marie Presley
10听books106听followersLisa Marie Presley (February 1, 1968 鈥� January 12, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter. She was the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley developed a career in the music business and issued three albums: To Whom It May Concern in 2003, Now What in 2005, and Storm & Grace in 2012. Her first album reached Gold certification with the Recording Industry Association of America. Presley also released non-album singles, including duets with her father using tracks he had released before he died.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,561 reviews
November 14, 2024
My 100th book of the year! One of the best memoirs I鈥檝e ever listened to. You get to hear actual audio recordings from Lisa Marie Presley and Julia Roberts narrates the other parts for her. Riley Keough also narrates a lot of it! Check TWs, this family has been through anything and everything you can think of. Definitely in my top 5 favorites of all time 鉂わ笍鈥嶐煩�
October 8, 2024
Listened to the entire audiobook at work today. Riley is what makes this book so special, she really honored her mother and family in such a beautiful way.
October 19, 2024
This was a rough read. It is deeply personal, I will give it that.
It was much shorter than I expected it to be- around 280 pages. Honestly I felt like I could鈥檝e read another 200 more pages, in sort of a morbidly fascinated way.
Lisa Marie was ultimately, very human. Very flawed. Her childhood made up so much of who she was and how she saw herself, and I don鈥檛 know if she ever really got over the loss of her father.
To me, at its core, this book is about generational trauma. Whether Lisa Marie wrote it to be that way, I鈥檓 not sure. But her daughter, Riley Keough, seems to understand that and reflects on it throughout her POV.
I will say in advance that I do consider myself a Priscilla Presley 鈥渇an鈥�- her life fascinates me and I think most attempts to vilify her come from a deep misunderstanding of her and her relationship with Elvis. But I鈥檓 also aware Lisa Marie felt like her mother failed her in a lot of ways, so I tried to go into this memoir without too much of a bias.
I came out of the book with the impression of the deep sadness of Lisa Marie鈥檚 life (I wouldn鈥檛 necessarily categorize her life as "unfair" as much as I would "tragic") and how grounded Riley is; it鈥檚 like she鈥檚 embodies the best parts of the Presley line (Elvis鈥檚 talent, Priscilla鈥檚 grace, Lisa Marie鈥檚 passion) while trying to overcome the negative parts that have haunted the family tree- the addiction, the drama, the extreme moodiness, the rollercoaster of highs and lows.
If you go into this thinking it鈥檚 going to be a tell-all, extremely detailed read about the inner workings of the Presley's lives, it鈥檚 not that kind of book. It鈥檚 very much an intensely personal expression of Lisa Marie鈥檚 opinions and feelings. And I think ultimately, that鈥檚 why it could be divisive; her words bleed out all over the page and are bound to bring up personal feelings in the reader.
But Lisa Marie did deserve to tell her story, in her words (and when that failed, in the words of her daughter), I just think it鈥檚 a shame, and almost melancholic, that her journey of reflection and expression ended with her sadly premature death. If there鈥檚 more things she wanted us to know, we never will unfortunately.
But at the end of the day, maybe readers can take comfort in that, even if she didn鈥檛 explicitly state it, Lisa Marie is now where she most wanted to be- reunited with her beloved son, whose loss she never quite got over, and her father, the person she felt closest too in the whole world.
It was much shorter than I expected it to be- around 280 pages. Honestly I felt like I could鈥檝e read another 200 more pages, in sort of a morbidly fascinated way.
Lisa Marie was ultimately, very human. Very flawed. Her childhood made up so much of who she was and how she saw herself, and I don鈥檛 know if she ever really got over the loss of her father.
To me, at its core, this book is about generational trauma. Whether Lisa Marie wrote it to be that way, I鈥檓 not sure. But her daughter, Riley Keough, seems to understand that and reflects on it throughout her POV.
I will say in advance that I do consider myself a Priscilla Presley 鈥渇an鈥�- her life fascinates me and I think most attempts to vilify her come from a deep misunderstanding of her and her relationship with Elvis. But I鈥檓 also aware Lisa Marie felt like her mother failed her in a lot of ways, so I tried to go into this memoir without too much of a bias.
I came out of the book with the impression of the deep sadness of Lisa Marie鈥檚 life (I wouldn鈥檛 necessarily categorize her life as "unfair" as much as I would "tragic") and how grounded Riley is; it鈥檚 like she鈥檚 embodies the best parts of the Presley line (Elvis鈥檚 talent, Priscilla鈥檚 grace, Lisa Marie鈥檚 passion) while trying to overcome the negative parts that have haunted the family tree- the addiction, the drama, the extreme moodiness, the rollercoaster of highs and lows.
If you go into this thinking it鈥檚 going to be a tell-all, extremely detailed read about the inner workings of the Presley's lives, it鈥檚 not that kind of book. It鈥檚 very much an intensely personal expression of Lisa Marie鈥檚 opinions and feelings. And I think ultimately, that鈥檚 why it could be divisive; her words bleed out all over the page and are bound to bring up personal feelings in the reader.
But Lisa Marie did deserve to tell her story, in her words (and when that failed, in the words of her daughter), I just think it鈥檚 a shame, and almost melancholic, that her journey of reflection and expression ended with her sadly premature death. If there鈥檚 more things she wanted us to know, we never will unfortunately.
But at the end of the day, maybe readers can take comfort in that, even if she didn鈥檛 explicitly state it, Lisa Marie is now where she most wanted to be- reunited with her beloved son, whose loss she never quite got over, and her father, the person she felt closest too in the whole world.
October 12, 2024
I just finished this minutes ago and I'm very emotional right now. This was a very open and honest memoir, culled from actual tapes that were made by Lisa Marie Presley and augmented by her eldest daughter, Riley Keough. Lisa had been working on this memoir for years accumulating her story on audiotapes, but in recent years had asked Riley to help her write the book. The way the book is laid out is that Lisa Marie tells her story, but interspersed in certain areas Riley will add her perspective to it. Being the eldest child of Lisa Marie, she was witness to so much and her viewpoints were integral to this story. Both women were unabashed in their honesty. While some areas were so painful to read, it answered a lot of questions that I'm sure a lot of people speculated about. In particular, how Lisa Marie's son Ben's suicide went down and how the family dealt with the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy. I was crying reading this part, but even more so when I read the tribute from Riley that was read at Lisa Marie's funeral by her husband Ben because she was too upset to read it herself.
The writing style is very natural from both women, and it's a good guess that it closely mirrors the audiotapes left behind by Lisa Marie. I've read so many biographies about Elvis over the years, and was lucky enough to visit Graceland several years ago. He's a person I'm quite fascinated with, so it's always a treasure to get another new glimpse into his story. In the past we've heard from ex-wife Priscilla, his "Memphis Mafia" friends/employees, ex-girlfriends and even his maid. But this one was truly special.
February 1, 2025
Talk about a jarring life. Wow. This was a rollercoaster of a ride. Written by Riley Keough and her mom, Lisa Marie Presley.
One can easily see why LM was wild and untamed. She was her father鈥檚 daughter. She candidly tells about her life through a series of recordings she left before she tragically passed away.
The raw love she had for her father; the distance between her and her mother; Her closeness with her own children. The identity she continually sought but couldn鈥檛 find. The anguish she would have if she didn鈥檛 please her father. The trauma, the physical abuse and the drug abuse. It was a life destined to spin out of control.
Riley really provided the insight and intimate details into who Lisa Marie was - outside the portrayal by the public- and what a beam of light she was for many.
The letter to Mama just broke me.
Themes of addiction, abuse, dysfunctional families yet so much love.
4.25猸愶笍
One can easily see why LM was wild and untamed. She was her father鈥檚 daughter. She candidly tells about her life through a series of recordings she left before she tragically passed away.
The raw love she had for her father; the distance between her and her mother; Her closeness with her own children. The identity she continually sought but couldn鈥檛 find. The anguish she would have if she didn鈥檛 please her father. The trauma, the physical abuse and the drug abuse. It was a life destined to spin out of control.
Riley really provided the insight and intimate details into who Lisa Marie was - outside the portrayal by the public- and what a beam of light she was for many.
The letter to Mama just broke me.
Themes of addiction, abuse, dysfunctional families yet so much love.
4.25猸愶笍
January 30, 2025
Kudos to Riley Keough, who made sure that this book does exactly what memoirs are supposed to do plus added an multi-generational extra-level: After her mother Lisa Marie's passing, she completed her memoir by filling in gaps and commenting on her mother's thoughts and experiences in her own voice, thus giving us a portrait of Elvis as a father rendered by Lisa-Marie, an account of Lisa Marie's life in her own words, and the portrait of Lisa Marie as a mother and grandmother as told by Riley. Somewhat surprisingly, Riley is really good at conveying moods and atmospheres (no shade, I was just unaware of her writing talent), which helps to make this a propulsive read far beyond the juicy details we all already know from the tabloids (drugs, Michael Jackson, Nic Cage, suicide etc.pp.).
Some people apparently went into this text ready to judge the people portrayed, which, to be clear, is the completely wrong mind set: Of course no one in this book is particularly relatable, this is an account of the emotional devastation extreme celebrity culture brings upon families. Everyone everywhere knows who Elvis was, damn, my dog is named after Lisa Marie's dad - this is the level of stardom we are dealing with here, and of course it's too much to be his daughter, to be his grand daughter. Lisa Marie's uncritical adoration of her father was apparently haunting, and the constant pressure mixed with the trauma Priscilla was already carrying was too much. Lisa Marie's whole life was uncanny. Riley, whose idea of normal certainly also isn't that of an average person either, does a fantastic job of showing the impact.
And sure, we also get the stories about Michael Jackson and Nic Cage (who both seem insufferable and severely damaged), and a haunting account of the suicide of Riley's brother Benjamin Keough who is likened to Elvis' mother: She drank herself to death worrying about her son, Ben felt responsible for his spiraling, drug-addicted mother and shot himself. Danny Keough, Lisa Marie's first husband, comes across as a saint, as he continued to stand by a woman who left him for MJ (I mean: WTF). Priscilla remains a fleeting presence, enigmatic and mostly unable to connect to her child (but then again, the women were in a grim legal battle about Lisa Marie's estate). And Elvis himself appears as a very Southern eccentric who, from Lisa Marie's perspective, was the only one who truly loved her as a child.
This is probably a rather wild remark, but I just read , an account of a surface, the image of a mask crafted as a book, and "From Here to the Great Unknown" is the opposite: It really aims to reveal what was behind the mask, from a very subjective, but subjectively honest standpoint. Riley shows her mother as a deeply flawed individual searching for human connection, in a world where she was the daughter of THE Elvis Presley. The result is an affecting book. Very well done, Riley.
You can listen to us discussing the German translation on the podcast:
Some people apparently went into this text ready to judge the people portrayed, which, to be clear, is the completely wrong mind set: Of course no one in this book is particularly relatable, this is an account of the emotional devastation extreme celebrity culture brings upon families. Everyone everywhere knows who Elvis was, damn, my dog is named after Lisa Marie's dad - this is the level of stardom we are dealing with here, and of course it's too much to be his daughter, to be his grand daughter. Lisa Marie's uncritical adoration of her father was apparently haunting, and the constant pressure mixed with the trauma Priscilla was already carrying was too much. Lisa Marie's whole life was uncanny. Riley, whose idea of normal certainly also isn't that of an average person either, does a fantastic job of showing the impact.
And sure, we also get the stories about Michael Jackson and Nic Cage (who both seem insufferable and severely damaged), and a haunting account of the suicide of Riley's brother Benjamin Keough who is likened to Elvis' mother: She drank herself to death worrying about her son, Ben felt responsible for his spiraling, drug-addicted mother and shot himself. Danny Keough, Lisa Marie's first husband, comes across as a saint, as he continued to stand by a woman who left him for MJ (I mean: WTF). Priscilla remains a fleeting presence, enigmatic and mostly unable to connect to her child (but then again, the women were in a grim legal battle about Lisa Marie's estate). And Elvis himself appears as a very Southern eccentric who, from Lisa Marie's perspective, was the only one who truly loved her as a child.
This is probably a rather wild remark, but I just read , an account of a surface, the image of a mask crafted as a book, and "From Here to the Great Unknown" is the opposite: It really aims to reveal what was behind the mask, from a very subjective, but subjectively honest standpoint. Riley shows her mother as a deeply flawed individual searching for human connection, in a world where she was the daughter of THE Elvis Presley. The result is an affecting book. Very well done, Riley.
You can listen to us discussing the German translation on the podcast:
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 11, 2025DNF
I just can't keep forcing myself to try and get through this. Lisa came across as a very spoiled, empty vessel, who threw attitude at everyone in her path for no reason and filled the void with drugs.
I can't imagine what it would be like to be the daughter of such a famous person...and I'm glad I never will. Her life was defined by being Elvis's daughter. And sadly, that was the most interesting thing about her, which inherently had nothing to actually do with her. Thus the struggle of her entire life.
Also, I knew Elvis was wrapped up in the downer/upper drug life, but holy cow. He was basically a rampant drug addict who spent the majority of his adult life surrounded by a sycophantic entourage. Sad.
Maybe I will eventually finish this, but I doubt it. On top of everything else, I can't stand Julia Roberts' voice. And Lisa - I'm sorry, this is petty, but this is how I feel - had a very unattractive voice and she sounds wasted in every voice clip used.
***For the record, I really like Riley Keough and I think she's a great actress. In fact, I will watch something just because she's in it. I think she was trying to to right by her mother and Elvis' legacy with this book and I commend her for her class in the face of it all. I also think it's a testament to her how measured and seemingly "normal" she is despite the extraordinary circumstances of her roots and upbringing. Her voice was my favorite part of what I listened to of this audio book.
I just can't keep forcing myself to try and get through this. Lisa came across as a very spoiled, empty vessel, who threw attitude at everyone in her path for no reason and filled the void with drugs.
I can't imagine what it would be like to be the daughter of such a famous person...and I'm glad I never will. Her life was defined by being Elvis's daughter. And sadly, that was the most interesting thing about her, which inherently had nothing to actually do with her. Thus the struggle of her entire life.
Also, I knew Elvis was wrapped up in the downer/upper drug life, but holy cow. He was basically a rampant drug addict who spent the majority of his adult life surrounded by a sycophantic entourage. Sad.
Maybe I will eventually finish this, but I doubt it. On top of everything else, I can't stand Julia Roberts' voice. And Lisa - I'm sorry, this is petty, but this is how I feel - had a very unattractive voice and she sounds wasted in every voice clip used.
***For the record, I really like Riley Keough and I think she's a great actress. In fact, I will watch something just because she's in it. I think she was trying to to right by her mother and Elvis' legacy with this book and I commend her for her class in the face of it all. I also think it's a testament to her how measured and seemingly "normal" she is despite the extraordinary circumstances of her roots and upbringing. Her voice was my favorite part of what I listened to of this audio book.
January 23, 2025
It鈥檚 as sad as expected 馃ズ what pressure it is to fill a legacy鈥檚 shoes 馃挃
October 18, 2024
So good!
Incredibly sad..
I鈥檓 so happy that Riley seems to have a lot of joy..and friends.. a good marriage and her daughter Tupelo.. and of course her dad鈥� Danny, who was first married to her mom when Lisa Marie was 17 and even though divorced鈥� was with her when she passed鈥�.he was always a united force with her mom, always looked after her.
I have been following her on social media for years, she is smart and brave and is also not letting her incredible losses keep her from living a very full life.
I enjoyed the audio.. it had Riley telling her own story, Julie Robert鈥檚 narrating Lisa Marie鈥檚 parts from the tapes she left 鈥� and then snippets of Lisa Marie talking throughout.
I think it鈥檚 wonderful that Riley told both hers and her mom鈥檚 story as it was what Lisa Marie wanted.
Incredibly sad..
I鈥檓 so happy that Riley seems to have a lot of joy..and friends.. a good marriage and her daughter Tupelo.. and of course her dad鈥� Danny, who was first married to her mom when Lisa Marie was 17 and even though divorced鈥� was with her when she passed鈥�.he was always a united force with her mom, always looked after her.
I have been following her on social media for years, she is smart and brave and is also not letting her incredible losses keep her from living a very full life.
I enjoyed the audio.. it had Riley telling her own story, Julie Robert鈥檚 narrating Lisa Marie鈥檚 parts from the tapes she left 鈥� and then snippets of Lisa Marie talking throughout.
I think it鈥檚 wonderful that Riley told both hers and her mom鈥檚 story as it was what Lisa Marie wanted.
March 10, 2025
It's impossible, I think, to avoid being fucked up by your parents. No matter how good they are, how well they treat you, how researched their parenting strategy, there will always be something. If they're too good, the pressure to live up to their standard will be suffocating. If they're too bad, you'll boil with resentment for the rest of your life. Maybe we should all be like the baby birds. Fly away as soon as we reach maturity and never look back. But then we'd probably suffer abandonment issues because our parents didn't chase after us. There really is no winning.
Of course, most of us didn't have Elvis Presley as a parent. Only one person could ever say that鈥擫isa Marie. While it may seem her story is so unique as to be unrelatable, she, like everyone, experienced trauma from her upbringing. It's just her trauma is more obvious. We all live in the shadow of our parents. For most of us, it's easier to occasionally hide from this shadow. But Elvis? There's no escaping that.
This is a posthumous memoir adapted and transcribed largely from audio recordings before Lisa Marie's death and supplemented with commentary from her daughter Riley. It's raw and unflinching in its depiction of life as a Presley. There is no sugar-coating the hard times and poor choices. Grief is open and oozing on the page. The chapters on Ben's suicide are devastating. The marriage to Michael Jackson is described with frank detail. It's not a long book, but it covers everything most people will want to know and then some.
It's not a celebrity memoir in the traditional gossipy sense, though. It is a book about grief and trauma. There are no proposed solutions to the many difficult topics described, but honest recognition of their existence, and that's half the battle.
Prior generations could have only dreamed of being this honest about their feelings. It's wonderful to see that honesty on the page, laid bare for all to see. Sadly it's too late to help Elvis, Michael Jackson, Lisa Marie or her son Ben鈥攁ll taken too soon. But I think books like this further reduce the stigma around addiction and mental health. And if experience is important, it's hard to imagine a better spokesperson than posthumous Lisa Marie Presley.
Of course, most of us didn't have Elvis Presley as a parent. Only one person could ever say that鈥擫isa Marie. While it may seem her story is so unique as to be unrelatable, she, like everyone, experienced trauma from her upbringing. It's just her trauma is more obvious. We all live in the shadow of our parents. For most of us, it's easier to occasionally hide from this shadow. But Elvis? There's no escaping that.
This is a posthumous memoir adapted and transcribed largely from audio recordings before Lisa Marie's death and supplemented with commentary from her daughter Riley. It's raw and unflinching in its depiction of life as a Presley. There is no sugar-coating the hard times and poor choices. Grief is open and oozing on the page. The chapters on Ben's suicide are devastating. The marriage to Michael Jackson is described with frank detail. It's not a long book, but it covers everything most people will want to know and then some.
It's not a celebrity memoir in the traditional gossipy sense, though. It is a book about grief and trauma. There are no proposed solutions to the many difficult topics described, but honest recognition of their existence, and that's half the battle.
Prior generations could have only dreamed of being this honest about their feelings. It's wonderful to see that honesty on the page, laid bare for all to see. Sadly it's too late to help Elvis, Michael Jackson, Lisa Marie or her son Ben鈥攁ll taken too soon. But I think books like this further reduce the stigma around addiction and mental health. And if experience is important, it's hard to imagine a better spokesperson than posthumous Lisa Marie Presley.
November 7, 2024
Wow!
This one hit me right in the feels.
Motherhood. Grief. Loss. Insecurities. Passion. Music. Love.
It's no surprise that Elvis's only daughter, Lisa Marie, has always had a larger than life persona. Living an immensely private life, she tried to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. Many times this lead the public to come to their own conclusions and paparazzi to relentlessly stalk her. This book gives an intimate, candid look at all aspects of her life, from her point of view, and in her own words.
A childhood at Graceland, teen years- with no real parental guidance to speak of- on the west coast, bouncing from school to school, and finally finding her place within the Scientology community as a young adult. Marriage, babies, a career in music, addiction, becoming a grandmother, and ultimately coming to terms with the great losses of her life...just in time for hers to sadly and suddenly come to an end.
The audiobook is one of the best I've ever listened to. We get snippets of audio that Lisa Marie recorded while organizing her thoughts for this book. We also get to hear from her daughter Riley. What a beautiful and loving picture she paints of her mama. "She had an uncanny ability to see right into your soul. And she was able to truly, unconditionally love."
And then we get Julia Roberts narrating to fill in the gaps with stories Lisa Marie had penned herself.
Emotional, powerful, spiritual, and stunning.
5 stars.
This one hit me right in the feels.
Motherhood. Grief. Loss. Insecurities. Passion. Music. Love.
It's no surprise that Elvis's only daughter, Lisa Marie, has always had a larger than life persona. Living an immensely private life, she tried to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. Many times this lead the public to come to their own conclusions and paparazzi to relentlessly stalk her. This book gives an intimate, candid look at all aspects of her life, from her point of view, and in her own words.
A childhood at Graceland, teen years- with no real parental guidance to speak of- on the west coast, bouncing from school to school, and finally finding her place within the Scientology community as a young adult. Marriage, babies, a career in music, addiction, becoming a grandmother, and ultimately coming to terms with the great losses of her life...just in time for hers to sadly and suddenly come to an end.
The audiobook is one of the best I've ever listened to. We get snippets of audio that Lisa Marie recorded while organizing her thoughts for this book. We also get to hear from her daughter Riley. What a beautiful and loving picture she paints of her mama. "She had an uncanny ability to see right into your soul. And she was able to truly, unconditionally love."
And then we get Julia Roberts narrating to fill in the gaps with stories Lisa Marie had penned herself.
Emotional, powerful, spiritual, and stunning.
5 stars.
October 18, 2024
It鈥檚 not often that a book leaves me in floods of tears鈥� but the pain and grief in Lisa Marie鈥檚 story is palpable. It鈥檚 beautifully written and Riley鈥檚 heartfelt contributions really build on Lisa鈥檚 words. Lisa was so honest, candid and funny when describing her early life at Graceland before her Dad passed鈥� and her descriptions of immense grief and addiction read alongside Riley鈥檚 experiences were truly powerful. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever read a more heartbreaking autobiography. This book will stay with me for a very long time.
October 8, 2024
One of the greatest celebrity memoirs I've ever read. A beautiful meditation on motherhood, generational trauma, and addiction.
January 20, 2025
To have started a memoir of a most tumultuous life weaved together with oral snippets, to have her daughter complete the work. It felt like a beautiful gathering of family. Heartbreaking and heartwarming to listen to. I loved Lisa Marie asked her daughter to help write the story of her life.
To me Riley felt calm, as opposed to her mum鈥檚 storm. The insights into her mothers life are extraordinary! I was interested in Lisa Marie鈥檚 reflection of her inability to do the mundane. Go to work, come home, sleep, repeat. This would never be her path.
How could she after her chaotic childhood where there was so much good, and conversely many challenging things that a child should never have to deal with.
Carefree moments seemed to pale in comparison while witnessing her father鈥檚 decline, understanding and witnessing his drug use, dangerous and reckless golf cart rides (and the unbridled freedom to roam Graceland with her friends), immeasurable people in and out of her life. Watching pariahs swarm in to 鈥榯ake鈥� belongings at the event of her father鈥檚 death, his fianc茅 dressing up to the nines to attend the hospital at that time. Lisa Marie knew what was what.
Riley saw her mum embrace with love a known fan at an Elvis anniversary. Lisa Marie needed love. So sad Priscilla lacked what was needed.
Riley could see her mum鈥檚 lack of self worth, the immense love for her and her siblings. Riley was the perfect conduit to tell the story.
Beautifully read by Riley Keough and Julia Roberts. Highly recommended to readers who don鈥檛 often read nonfiction, this was a moving, tragic and contemplative memoir. Bolstered by the use of the recordings of Lisa Marie鈥檚 direct voice. Looking at photos of Lisa Marie online, so striking. So much to offer, unseen by herself.
I listened to this via the BorowBox platform and my public library.
To me Riley felt calm, as opposed to her mum鈥檚 storm. The insights into her mothers life are extraordinary! I was interested in Lisa Marie鈥檚 reflection of her inability to do the mundane. Go to work, come home, sleep, repeat. This would never be her path.
How could she after her chaotic childhood where there was so much good, and conversely many challenging things that a child should never have to deal with.
Carefree moments seemed to pale in comparison while witnessing her father鈥檚 decline, understanding and witnessing his drug use, dangerous and reckless golf cart rides (and the unbridled freedom to roam Graceland with her friends), immeasurable people in and out of her life. Watching pariahs swarm in to 鈥榯ake鈥� belongings at the event of her father鈥檚 death, his fianc茅 dressing up to the nines to attend the hospital at that time. Lisa Marie knew what was what.
Riley saw her mum embrace with love a known fan at an Elvis anniversary. Lisa Marie needed love. So sad Priscilla lacked what was needed.
Riley could see her mum鈥檚 lack of self worth, the immense love for her and her siblings. Riley was the perfect conduit to tell the story.
Beautifully read by Riley Keough and Julia Roberts. Highly recommended to readers who don鈥檛 often read nonfiction, this was a moving, tragic and contemplative memoir. Bolstered by the use of the recordings of Lisa Marie鈥檚 direct voice. Looking at photos of Lisa Marie online, so striking. So much to offer, unseen by herself.
I listened to this via the BorowBox platform and my public library.
October 16, 2024
To say that I鈥檓 an Elvis Presley fan is an understatement. One of my earliest memories is of listening to Elvis with my grandmother and mother. When I walked down the aisle to marry my husband it was to an Elvis song. Elvis鈥檚 music has been a big part of my life so I was ecstatic to start Lisa Marie鈥檚 long-awaited memoir.
The book covers everything in Lisa Marie鈥檚 life from her early memories at Graceland with her father, her grief of losing him, becoming a mother, her infamous relationships (yes, she does in fact talk about Michael Jackson), addiction, losing her son, and everything in between.
Lisa Marie鈥檚 daughter, Riley fills the missing pieces of her mother's story with her own memories. Riley鈥檚 voice is a sort of love letter to Lisa Marie as she reflects on her mother鈥檚 extraordinary life.
I absolutely loved this book and it exceeded all of my high expectations. At 284 pages, it's a fast read and my only minor complaint is that I wished it was a bit longer. I learned so much about Lisa Marie and I highly recommend this phenomenal story!
I read the book myself and afterward I listened to the audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by Julia Roberts, who read Lisa Marie鈥檚 words, and Riley Keough who read her own. There are also a few parts where we hear Lisa Marie鈥檚 own voice. If you decide to read this one, I highly recommend this format!
From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough was published on October 8 so it's available now. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook!
The book covers everything in Lisa Marie鈥檚 life from her early memories at Graceland with her father, her grief of losing him, becoming a mother, her infamous relationships (yes, she does in fact talk about Michael Jackson), addiction, losing her son, and everything in between.
Lisa Marie鈥檚 daughter, Riley fills the missing pieces of her mother's story with her own memories. Riley鈥檚 voice is a sort of love letter to Lisa Marie as she reflects on her mother鈥檚 extraordinary life.
I absolutely loved this book and it exceeded all of my high expectations. At 284 pages, it's a fast read and my only minor complaint is that I wished it was a bit longer. I learned so much about Lisa Marie and I highly recommend this phenomenal story!
I read the book myself and afterward I listened to the audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by Julia Roberts, who read Lisa Marie鈥檚 words, and Riley Keough who read her own. There are also a few parts where we hear Lisa Marie鈥檚 own voice. If you decide to read this one, I highly recommend this format!
From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough was published on October 8 so it's available now. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook!
October 16, 2024
I enjoyed From Here to the Great Unknown, listening to the audiobook in 2 days. It鈥檚 Lisa Marie Presley锟斤拷锟絪 memoir, co-written and completed by her oldest daughter, actress Riley Keough.
I felt for Lisa, she lost her father at a young age and was close to him, and had a rocky relationship with her mom for several years. I knew very little about Lisa before reading this and I think it鈥檚 fair to say her life leaned chaotic.
I felt for Riley even more. She shows extreme compassion for her mom and has experienced not only the loss of her mother, but also her brother. Riley did a great job filling in the blanks of Lisa鈥檚 story.
This audiobook is narrated by both Riley and Julia Roberts, for Lisa, with a few recordings of Lisa interspersed at the start of some chapters.
I felt for Lisa, she lost her father at a young age and was close to him, and had a rocky relationship with her mom for several years. I knew very little about Lisa before reading this and I think it鈥檚 fair to say her life leaned chaotic.
I felt for Riley even more. She shows extreme compassion for her mom and has experienced not only the loss of her mother, but also her brother. Riley did a great job filling in the blanks of Lisa鈥檚 story.
This audiobook is narrated by both Riley and Julia Roberts, for Lisa, with a few recordings of Lisa interspersed at the start of some chapters.
December 1, 2024
Thank you, @randomhouse, for the gifted book. I also purchased a copy of From Here to the Great Unknown from @librofm.
Huge shoutout to the audio of this one. The read/listen was the way to go. Wow. Narrated by Julia Roberts and Riley Keough, with snippets of recordings by Lisa Marie, this is quite simply one of the best audio experiences I鈥檝e ever had. To be honest, I was not that familiar with Lisa Marie Presley鈥檚 life. I knew bits and pieces, and I somehow also missed out on her music career?
This book is as emotional and somber as one would expect. Lisa Marie鈥檚 life had a dark shadow from the death of her father on. Regardless of that, she took her mother role seriously and made sure her children always felt loved even as she struggled. The chapters about Ben were especially tender, and as someone who has experienced sibling loss, I was grateful to hear from Riley during these parts as well. I can鈥檛 recommend this one highly enough. My mom read it in just a couple hours time.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
Huge shoutout to the audio of this one. The read/listen was the way to go. Wow. Narrated by Julia Roberts and Riley Keough, with snippets of recordings by Lisa Marie, this is quite simply one of the best audio experiences I鈥檝e ever had. To be honest, I was not that familiar with Lisa Marie Presley鈥檚 life. I knew bits and pieces, and I somehow also missed out on her music career?
This book is as emotional and somber as one would expect. Lisa Marie鈥檚 life had a dark shadow from the death of her father on. Regardless of that, she took her mother role seriously and made sure her children always felt loved even as she struggled. The chapters about Ben were especially tender, and as someone who has experienced sibling loss, I was grateful to hear from Riley during these parts as well. I can鈥檛 recommend this one highly enough. My mom read it in just a couple hours time.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
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December 16, 2024*no ratings for memoirs*
wow i really loved this鈥攁nd highly recommend the audiobook format. narrated by Lisa Presley (voice memos), her daughter Riley (aka Daisy Jones) and Julia Roberts.
if there are two words to sum up this book: shocking and emotional.
idk how one person let alone one family can endure all the pain, train, addiction, loss and issues with fame as the Presley family did. i had basically zero knowledge about their family dynamics and history (and i鈥檓 not a huge Elvis fan, no shade just not my style of music) but even with little knowledge, i still LOVED learning this oral history.
i wish it was even deeper and more in depth into specific areas鈥攏amely Lisa鈥檚 romantic relationships (Michael Jackson?! HELLOOOO?!?!) and her experience being famous and the only heir of Elvis. that said, i鈥檓 sure this experience was extremely traumatic to write and reflect on so i鈥檓 sure that鈥檚 part of the 鈥渟urface levelness鈥� at times here but even with that said, they really went deep in a few areas 馃槄 (what they did after Ben鈥檚 death was shocking to me to say the least)
it seems like Lisa was a warrior and simply never got over her father鈥檚 death and struggled to find her place in the world. but there were two main truths鈥攕he was born to be a mother and she loved her family deeply.
also this book makes me want to give Riley the biggest hug ever. she has gone through SO much and has seen so much tragic loss. i truly hope she鈥檚 okay 鉂わ笍
10/10 recommend!
wow i really loved this鈥攁nd highly recommend the audiobook format. narrated by Lisa Presley (voice memos), her daughter Riley (aka Daisy Jones) and Julia Roberts.
if there are two words to sum up this book: shocking and emotional.
idk how one person let alone one family can endure all the pain, train, addiction, loss and issues with fame as the Presley family did. i had basically zero knowledge about their family dynamics and history (and i鈥檓 not a huge Elvis fan, no shade just not my style of music) but even with little knowledge, i still LOVED learning this oral history.
i wish it was even deeper and more in depth into specific areas鈥攏amely Lisa鈥檚 romantic relationships (Michael Jackson?! HELLOOOO?!?!) and her experience being famous and the only heir of Elvis. that said, i鈥檓 sure this experience was extremely traumatic to write and reflect on so i鈥檓 sure that鈥檚 part of the 鈥渟urface levelness鈥� at times here but even with that said, they really went deep in a few areas 馃槄 (what they did after Ben鈥檚 death was shocking to me to say the least)
it seems like Lisa was a warrior and simply never got over her father鈥檚 death and struggled to find her place in the world. but there were two main truths鈥攕he was born to be a mother and she loved her family deeply.
also this book makes me want to give Riley the biggest hug ever. she has gone through SO much and has seen so much tragic loss. i truly hope she鈥檚 okay 鉂わ笍
10/10 recommend!
October 10, 2024
I'm probably going to be in the minority, but I thought the memoir was just "OK." When Elvis was alive, Lisa was a spoiled terror at Graceland, and as she was allowed to do pretty much whatever she wanted, it's no wonder she didn't want to live with Priscilla. That being said, I'm not sure Priscilla was the best mother she could have been. The fact she didn't immediately get rid of her boyfriend who molested Lisa says a lot. I think Lisa actually saying she was in love with Michael Jackson was one of the biggest surprises. However, he had that same sort of "larger than life presence" that Elvis had, and that's what drew her to him. I think this book is definitely best as an audiobook. Riley speaks frequently, and there are actual voice recordings of Lisa Marie. Julia Roberts does a good job with the rest. There is a sense of sadness that hovers over the entire book, and it's especially heartbreaking that as such a young child she watched her father's decline, saw him dead, and later in life had to deal with her son's suicide. It was charming to know they actually continued to spend time at Graceland over the years even after it was opened to the public. I think Riley was right when she said it was the only place Lisa Marie ever felt free.
October 10, 2024
It's an interesting enough look into a mother's ability, or inability, to process trauma, grief, sadness, and heartbreak while also being born into the shadow of a pop culture icon. But beyond the salacious bits of her and Ben's deaths, I feel like an exorbitant chunk of information is missing. Many times, Lisa Marie is described as having been "used" by the music industry, or "due to her history in music, she feared and loathed it." Or something to that affect. But it's never expressly stated what happened. Or why. It feels like the majority of her adult life was skimmed over, and that there are definitive moments lost.
November 28, 2024
After finishing From Here to the Great Unknown, the only thing I can honestly say that I have in common with Lisa Marie Presley is that we share the name Lisa Marie, and believe me, that鈥檚 a good thing.
What a tough read this was. So much loss, heartbreak, and tragedy. In this instance, money, privilege, and fame sure didn鈥檛 buy happiness and fulfilment. It was definitely an honest account of the destructive nature of addiction. I knew little about Lisa Marie鈥檚 childhood (and I use the term loosely because she didn鈥檛 have much of one), so that was a real eye-opener. Her teenage years, and marriage to Michael Jackson were more familiar to me as she was in all the magazines back then. I barely remember hearing a thing about her from the past twenty-five years (I didn鈥檛 even remember she was briefly married to Nicholas Cage), although I had outgrown gossip magazines by then, so that section of the book was nearly all new to me. I didn鈥檛 even realise she had two more daughters.
I鈥檓 loath to admit this, but even though this was Lisa Marie鈥檚 autobiography, I preferred the biography parts narrated by her eldest daughter, Riley Keough, as Lisa鈥檚 thoughts were kind of all over the place, and hard to follow, and it will come as no surprise that her voice was also very depressing and surreal.
I flew through this, but it wasn鈥檛 a 5 star read for me as I鈥檝e read better written memoirs/autobiographies. Still a solid 4 though. Now I think I need to find something lighter to read.
What a tough read this was. So much loss, heartbreak, and tragedy. In this instance, money, privilege, and fame sure didn鈥檛 buy happiness and fulfilment. It was definitely an honest account of the destructive nature of addiction. I knew little about Lisa Marie鈥檚 childhood (and I use the term loosely because she didn鈥檛 have much of one), so that was a real eye-opener. Her teenage years, and marriage to Michael Jackson were more familiar to me as she was in all the magazines back then. I barely remember hearing a thing about her from the past twenty-five years (I didn鈥檛 even remember she was briefly married to Nicholas Cage), although I had outgrown gossip magazines by then, so that section of the book was nearly all new to me. I didn鈥檛 even realise she had two more daughters.
I鈥檓 loath to admit this, but even though this was Lisa Marie鈥檚 autobiography, I preferred the biography parts narrated by her eldest daughter, Riley Keough, as Lisa鈥檚 thoughts were kind of all over the place, and hard to follow, and it will come as no surprise that her voice was also very depressing and surreal.
I flew through this, but it wasn鈥檛 a 5 star read for me as I鈥檝e read better written memoirs/autobiographies. Still a solid 4 though. Now I think I need to find something lighter to read.
October 17, 2024
Don't waste your time. Not well written, not revealing, not interesting. Shocked that Oprah chose this as a monthly pick. There are a few poems added in (my guess is from the ghost writer) to make it seem dare I say literary, total fail. Keogh "writes" that she comes from a long line of people who did not graduate from high school; it's pretty apparent from her "writing". There aren't even any good photos. Too bad people will buy this book. If you want a good biography of what was going on in the elvis years read Albert Goldman's book. As for lisa marie if she was interesting it doesn't come through in this book.
January 3, 2025
This book was not what I expected. I love to read about Elvis but this was all about Lisa Marie who was a poor little rich girl. She had a traumatic childhood as she was spoiled by Elvis and neglected by her mother. I feel she had mental illness problems similar to the ones her father had but he was always my idol and was nice to everyone. My mother and her brothers and sister grew up about 50 miles from Tupelo and my aunt's cousin went to high school in Memphis with Elvis. He was always nice to everyone and had good manners. I asked my aunt today did he cuss and she said no he did not. Well, Lisa Marie cusses like a sailor in this book and it is a big drag. Their language is tiresome and disgusting so I am disappointed. If you want to read about Elvis then I recommend Last Train to Memphis. I believe I gave that one 5 stars. This one is a self-centered drag.
October 9, 2024
This book was absolutely stunning and it broke my heart.
I have never been a big, die-hard Presley fan 鈥� nothing against them, it just isn鈥檛 my generation; but I, of course, know the music, the story, the tragedies. I was curious to know more about Lisa Marie and was already a fan of Riley鈥檚 after watching Daisy Jones.
The book plays out like a love story, but between father and daughter, then mother and daughters/son. It beautifully portrays how complex and special a mother-daughter relationship can be. I laughed, I cried, I wanted more - only to remember that there can be no more. Which broke my heart all over again.
Anyone who has a mother, or is a mother, or has lost a parent, or has experienced unimaginable grief, or has struggled with addiction, or just needs a reminder on the human condition and how to feel compassion toward it and others 鈥� read this book.
I have never been a big, die-hard Presley fan 鈥� nothing against them, it just isn鈥檛 my generation; but I, of course, know the music, the story, the tragedies. I was curious to know more about Lisa Marie and was already a fan of Riley鈥檚 after watching Daisy Jones.
The book plays out like a love story, but between father and daughter, then mother and daughters/son. It beautifully portrays how complex and special a mother-daughter relationship can be. I laughed, I cried, I wanted more - only to remember that there can be no more. Which broke my heart all over again.
Anyone who has a mother, or is a mother, or has lost a parent, or has experienced unimaginable grief, or has struggled with addiction, or just needs a reminder on the human condition and how to feel compassion toward it and others 鈥� read this book.
March 8, 2025
"Two weeks into her new life in Nashville my mother was back on opioids. The addiction got worse. She was drinking more, taking more opioids. At one point she found an article that said cocaine can help people get off opioids, so she began to do cocaine to get off the opioids and then opioids to get off the cocaine. Her addiction would continue through all stints of rehab . . . " - on page 218
With the above-included quote it was possibly at this point in the memoir - or perhaps it was a few pages earlier, in the same chapter, with the mention of "she had a house manager, one security guard, one driver, a chef, two nannies for the girls", along with regular jet-setting to residences on multiple continents - that any involvement or connection to the text soon turned into frustration and then disinterest. I'm not saying that I don't have empathy - Ms Keough wanted to issue a tribute to her mother, and it touched a nerve with countless other readers judging by the many GR high ratings - but for a large number of average Americans working hard at honest jobs to pay their mortgages, car loans, utility bills, and to provide for their children, the material extravagance or routine financial security that is oft-depicted herein will be jarring in the context of the current national climate. For the legions of Elvis fans - and he's pictured on the cover, which I cynically think was for marketing purposes - it should be mentioned that he only is a fleeting presence in the first quarter of the book.
With the above-included quote it was possibly at this point in the memoir - or perhaps it was a few pages earlier, in the same chapter, with the mention of "she had a house manager, one security guard, one driver, a chef, two nannies for the girls", along with regular jet-setting to residences on multiple continents - that any involvement or connection to the text soon turned into frustration and then disinterest. I'm not saying that I don't have empathy - Ms Keough wanted to issue a tribute to her mother, and it touched a nerve with countless other readers judging by the many GR high ratings - but for a large number of average Americans working hard at honest jobs to pay their mortgages, car loans, utility bills, and to provide for their children, the material extravagance or routine financial security that is oft-depicted herein will be jarring in the context of the current national climate. For the legions of Elvis fans - and he's pictured on the cover, which I cynically think was for marketing purposes - it should be mentioned that he only is a fleeting presence in the first quarter of the book.
November 1, 2024
This book was fascinating, sad, and mind-boggling in the best possible way. I was drawn to it because one of my only memories of my dad was his fond appreciation of Elvis, which he endeavored to impart to me in the brief time we had together. His efforts worked, and I have always appreciated Elvis as a real American icon and truly a musical and performance genius. Since my conceptualization of Elvis has always been tied up with my dad, I of course was always super interested in the idea of Elvis AS a dad. Seriously, can you effing even imagine if freaking ELVIS was your freaking DAD?!?
It defies imagination, and yet, this was Lisa Marie Presley鈥檚 experience, and her loving memories of him and their crazy Graceland life together were things she yearned for and mourned for the rest of her life after he died suddenly at home with her when she was only nine years old. I was very grateful to hear that by her account, Elvis was a devoted, attentive, affectionate father, obviously also unusual, and fun! (And yes, he did sing to her.) Lisa Marie went on herself to have a very unconventional life, albeit one sadly marked by depression, isolation, addiction, and further loss. This was a very absorbing memoir made all the more poignant by the way that Lisa Marie鈥檚 love for her dad and her own children is echoed by the love that co-author and daughter of Lisa Marie, actor Riley Keough, demonstrates through her commitment to completing this memoir in her mom鈥檚 memory and honor after Lisa Marie鈥檚 death - which occurred, like her own dad鈥檚, at a very young age.
Keough鈥檚 written contributions are beautiful, as was her audio narration of her parts, and I came away very impressed with her. Likewise, Julia Roberts does an absolutely bang-up job reading some of the portions Lisa Marie herself left behind, and we also get to hear some of Lisa Marie鈥檚 original audio recordings of other parts of the memoir. It was all spellbinding, a tragic fairy tale about one of the closest things we have to an American royal family of sorts. A super unique and moving read!
It defies imagination, and yet, this was Lisa Marie Presley鈥檚 experience, and her loving memories of him and their crazy Graceland life together were things she yearned for and mourned for the rest of her life after he died suddenly at home with her when she was only nine years old. I was very grateful to hear that by her account, Elvis was a devoted, attentive, affectionate father, obviously also unusual, and fun! (And yes, he did sing to her.) Lisa Marie went on herself to have a very unconventional life, albeit one sadly marked by depression, isolation, addiction, and further loss. This was a very absorbing memoir made all the more poignant by the way that Lisa Marie鈥檚 love for her dad and her own children is echoed by the love that co-author and daughter of Lisa Marie, actor Riley Keough, demonstrates through her commitment to completing this memoir in her mom鈥檚 memory and honor after Lisa Marie鈥檚 death - which occurred, like her own dad鈥檚, at a very young age.
Keough鈥檚 written contributions are beautiful, as was her audio narration of her parts, and I came away very impressed with her. Likewise, Julia Roberts does an absolutely bang-up job reading some of the portions Lisa Marie herself left behind, and we also get to hear some of Lisa Marie鈥檚 original audio recordings of other parts of the memoir. It was all spellbinding, a tragic fairy tale about one of the closest things we have to an American royal family of sorts. A super unique and moving read!
November 4, 2024
This memoir, without question, is heartbreaking.
Prior to reading, I suspected that this memoir would be sad as it's Lisa Marie Presley's memoir that is being published posthumously with the assistance of Lisa Marie's daughter Riley Keough. However, I don't think I could have predicted just how sad of a read it would be. I really have only known minor details surrounding Lisa Marie Presley's life and this memoir went into her life in-depth in her own words (and her daughter's).
Although this memoir gives Lisa Marie that autonomy in having her known and her own story told coming from her, I really can't help but feel that I was reading a tragedy. It really made you feel heartbroken for all that Lisa Marie had to face in her life. How could one person be expected to survive and be resilient through it all? I just don't know.
This must have also been incredibly hard for Riley to write as well but I think she did amazingly. She combined both her mom's words and stories with her own in a way that you could tell they were coming from two different voices. I truly hope Riley Keough continues on her own writing journey in the future.
I also do have to recommend the audiobook because...wow. It's read by Riley Keough and Julia Roberts (yes, THE Julia Roberts) while also including clips from the tapes Lisa Marie Presley recorded to write this memoir. The addition of these clips made this read vastly more personal and harrowing.
Prior to reading, I suspected that this memoir would be sad as it's Lisa Marie Presley's memoir that is being published posthumously with the assistance of Lisa Marie's daughter Riley Keough. However, I don't think I could have predicted just how sad of a read it would be. I really have only known minor details surrounding Lisa Marie Presley's life and this memoir went into her life in-depth in her own words (and her daughter's).
Although this memoir gives Lisa Marie that autonomy in having her known and her own story told coming from her, I really can't help but feel that I was reading a tragedy. It really made you feel heartbroken for all that Lisa Marie had to face in her life. How could one person be expected to survive and be resilient through it all? I just don't know.
This must have also been incredibly hard for Riley to write as well but I think she did amazingly. She combined both her mom's words and stories with her own in a way that you could tell they were coming from two different voices. I truly hope Riley Keough continues on her own writing journey in the future.
I also do have to recommend the audiobook because...wow. It's read by Riley Keough and Julia Roberts (yes, THE Julia Roberts) while also including clips from the tapes Lisa Marie Presley recorded to write this memoir. The addition of these clips made this read vastly more personal and harrowing.
November 15, 2024
I have so many thoughts!
First, the most redeeming quality of this sad story is that Julia Roberts and Riley Keough narrate the audiobook. To me the narrative felt very thin, with little to no real depth of insight on Lisa Marie鈥檚 part. There is a lot of tell, not show, which makes the book seem more like an initial outline than the final version.
Lisa Marie was a wild child and had a horrible relationship with her own mother. Priscilla Presley is not presented here in a sympathetic light, and her various boyfriends took a terrible toll on Lisa Marie as a young girl. There is very little discussion of her father other than a few memories here and there that she was basically unsupervised while with him.
Riley Keough seems to have made peace with all of her relatives, including both her father鈥檚 and mother鈥檚 families. It is a miracle that Riley has established a successful career for herself, and seems to also have a very stable home life. Sadly her own mother did not provide that for her or her brother Ben. They moved around constantly, from Florida to be near the Church of Scientology, to Europe and to California. When Lisa Marie ultimately descended into depression and addiction, she could no longer care for her family and Riley had to step in.
It seems to me that Lisa Marie suffered from a lifetime of people telling her 鈥測es鈥� to everything, including near the end of her life when she insisted on keeping the body of her son Ben in her house for two entire months. This is a poignant and bleak tale, with only Riley ultimately left to bear witness to her family鈥檚 tragedies. I鈥檓 glad she seems to have found some comfort in helping to complete her mother鈥檚 book.
鈥滒潙囸潣潙庰潣潙� 饾懄饾槹饾憿 饾憮饾槹饾憻 饾憯饾槳饾懀饾槳饾憶饾槰 饾槷饾憭 饾憼饾樀饾憻饾槮饾憶饾槰饾憽饾槱, 饾憵饾樅 饾槱饾憭饾槩饾憻饾樀, 饾憵饾樅 饾槮饾憵饾槺饾憥饾樀鈩庰潣�, 饾憵饾樅 饾槫饾憸饾樁饾憻饾槩饾憯饾槮, 饾憵饾樅 饾槾饾憭饾槸饾憼饾槮 饾槹饾憮 鈩庰潣娥潙氿潣梆潙�, 饾槷饾懄 饾憵饾槩饾憶饾槸饾憭饾槼饾憼, 饾槷饾懄 饾憽饾槮饾憵饾槺饾憭饾槼, 饾憵饾樅 饾樃饾憱饾槶饾憫饾槸饾憭饾槾饾憼, 饾槷饾懄 饾憽饾槮饾憶饾槩饾憪饾槳饾憽饾樅. 饾惣鈥欚潙� 饾憥 饾憹饾槼饾憸饾槬饾憿饾槫饾憽 饾憸饾槯 饾樅饾憸饾樁饾憻 鈩庰潣︷潙庰潣仇潙�.鈥�
First, the most redeeming quality of this sad story is that Julia Roberts and Riley Keough narrate the audiobook. To me the narrative felt very thin, with little to no real depth of insight on Lisa Marie鈥檚 part. There is a lot of tell, not show, which makes the book seem more like an initial outline than the final version.
Lisa Marie was a wild child and had a horrible relationship with her own mother. Priscilla Presley is not presented here in a sympathetic light, and her various boyfriends took a terrible toll on Lisa Marie as a young girl. There is very little discussion of her father other than a few memories here and there that she was basically unsupervised while with him.
Riley Keough seems to have made peace with all of her relatives, including both her father鈥檚 and mother鈥檚 families. It is a miracle that Riley has established a successful career for herself, and seems to also have a very stable home life. Sadly her own mother did not provide that for her or her brother Ben. They moved around constantly, from Florida to be near the Church of Scientology, to Europe and to California. When Lisa Marie ultimately descended into depression and addiction, she could no longer care for her family and Riley had to step in.
It seems to me that Lisa Marie suffered from a lifetime of people telling her 鈥測es鈥� to everything, including near the end of her life when she insisted on keeping the body of her son Ben in her house for two entire months. This is a poignant and bleak tale, with only Riley ultimately left to bear witness to her family鈥檚 tragedies. I鈥檓 glad she seems to have found some comfort in helping to complete her mother鈥檚 book.
鈥滒潙囸潣潙庰潣潙� 饾懄饾槹饾憿 饾憮饾槹饾憻 饾憯饾槳饾懀饾槳饾憶饾槰 饾槷饾憭 饾憼饾樀饾憻饾槮饾憶饾槰饾憽饾槱, 饾憵饾樅 饾槱饾憭饾槩饾憻饾樀, 饾憵饾樅 饾槮饾憵饾槺饾憥饾樀鈩庰潣�, 饾憵饾樅 饾槫饾憸饾樁饾憻饾槩饾憯饾槮, 饾憵饾樅 饾槾饾憭饾槸饾憼饾槮 饾槹饾憮 鈩庰潣娥潙氿潣梆潙�, 饾槷饾懄 饾憵饾槩饾憶饾槸饾憭饾槼饾憼, 饾槷饾懄 饾憽饾槮饾憵饾槺饾憭饾槼, 饾憵饾樅 饾樃饾憱饾槶饾憫饾槸饾憭饾槾饾憼, 饾槷饾懄 饾憽饾槮饾憶饾槩饾憪饾槳饾憽饾樅. 饾惣鈥欚潙� 饾憥 饾憹饾槼饾憸饾槬饾憿饾槫饾憽 饾憸饾槯 饾樅饾憸饾樁饾憻 鈩庰潣︷潙庰潣仇潙�.鈥�
November 4, 2024
4.5 Stars!
"My music wasn't that successful, I didn't finish high school, I'm not beautiful, I'm not good enough- but I'm a great mother."
What a heartbreaking read. I didn't know Lisa Marie Presley or her dad Elvis until she married Michael Jackson. I was a kid and I saw them on Diane Sawyer and in the You Are Not Alone video. I never really paid her any attention. I'm not an Elvis fan...I'd rather listen to the Black versions of the songs he stole. I didn't even remember Lisa Marie was married to Nicolas Cage. I didn't know Riley Keough was her daughter.
From Here To The Great Unknown is a memoir that Lisa Marie Presley started but died before she finished so her daughter Riley finished it. It's really a joint memoir. Lisa Marie experienced alot of heartbreak in her life. Her father Elvis died when she was a kid. She was molested by her mother's boyfriend and her mother did nothing about. She battled a drug addiction and worse of all her son committed suicide. The suicide of her son was really the end of her life. I know lots of people don't believe that you can die from a broken heart but know for a fact you can and I agree with Riley that her mother died from a broken heart.
This book is short but it packs quite the punch. I had to put this book down because it was so heavy.
I highly recommend this book.
"My music wasn't that successful, I didn't finish high school, I'm not beautiful, I'm not good enough- but I'm a great mother."
What a heartbreaking read. I didn't know Lisa Marie Presley or her dad Elvis until she married Michael Jackson. I was a kid and I saw them on Diane Sawyer and in the You Are Not Alone video. I never really paid her any attention. I'm not an Elvis fan...I'd rather listen to the Black versions of the songs he stole. I didn't even remember Lisa Marie was married to Nicolas Cage. I didn't know Riley Keough was her daughter.
From Here To The Great Unknown is a memoir that Lisa Marie Presley started but died before she finished so her daughter Riley finished it. It's really a joint memoir. Lisa Marie experienced alot of heartbreak in her life. Her father Elvis died when she was a kid. She was molested by her mother's boyfriend and her mother did nothing about. She battled a drug addiction and worse of all her son committed suicide. The suicide of her son was really the end of her life. I know lots of people don't believe that you can die from a broken heart but know for a fact you can and I agree with Riley that her mother died from a broken heart.
This book is short but it packs quite the punch. I had to put this book down because it was so heavy.
I highly recommend this book.
November 5, 2024
I鈥檝e simply never read such an entitled, un-self aware memoir. I thought maybe having grown up in the environment she did, during such an interesting time in Hollywood, Lisa-Marie would be able to provide a unique retrospective on life. She鈥檚 been through so much and I thought her experiences would make her full of wisdom鈥urns out, not so much. This one is a big skip for me unless you鈥檙e a die-hard Elvis fan and don鈥檛 mind reading a delusional, sanitized version of history.
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