Irving Berlin: A Daughter's Memoir
Irving Berlin's (1888-1989) oldest daughter here tells of growing up with the composer of some of America's most popular songs, including "White Christmas," "God Bless America" and "Easter Parade." Barrett (An Accident of Love) details her parents' well-publicized romance and marriage, which scandalized her mother's family, and describes life in a household with a Catholic mother from one of the country's wealthiest families and a Jewish father who earned millions with his music though his parents were penniless Russian immigrants. It was a storybook childhood, with loving parents, governesses and innumerable servants; homes in Los Angeles, the Catskills and New York City; and daily contact with the rich and the famous. Yet there was a dark side: the death of the Berlins' infant son; "dry spells" when the composer could not write; and periods of depression for both him and his wife, culminating in his later years as a virtual recluse. Barrett's bittersweet memoir is affectionate yet candid. Photos not seen by PW.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.