When Drew Barrymore came out with a book of personal essays, stories, memories, and poems, I knew I had to read it. Fortunately, I got to do more than that--I got to listen to Ms. Barrymore read it to me herself.
Wildflower is not a memoir; it's not a recounting of her difficult childhood, her addiction, or her recovery; and it's not about her famous acting family. What Wildflower is is a personal journal, a journey of a girl to woman. Drew opens up about living on her own for the first time (at 14!) and figuring out how to do laundry. She talks about her love affair with literature. She shares her feelings about the death of her father. She talks about meeting her husband and becoming a mother and finding her own voice.
She wanders through her stories and through the years, talking about the things in her life that are important to her and introducing us to the real woman inside all the characters, all the companies, all the myths. It's truly a lovely journey to take with her, and listening to her read it all makes you feel like you've made a true and genuine friend.
That being said, she does have a distinctive voice, and her passion and excitement can bring out a bit of shrieking at times. It's very much in time with her personality. However, it can also be a little distracting. Just be forewarned about that. Otherwise, just sit back, listen, and enjoy the ride. It's an amazing one.