Rating: 
Summary: Chain, Chain, Chain of deceit!
Review: I love Aretha so much, but after reading this book, I must admit the three stars I gave were out of a mixture of pity and favoritism. I don't know what she was thinking with that outfit on the Grammys and I don't know what she intended to gain by writing this confusing, dishonest, and unrevealing book!
Her feuds with other performers, with the exception of maybe Luther, all point the finger at her as the culprit. She is less than kind to members in her own family. She is disillusioned that she created every musical trend and worse, was the trendsetter of clothing fashions (what a joke). And does she really have children? who would know? she rarely made any mention of them in relation to her rigors of parenting.
I really hope that she comes to terms with her demons and gains back the respect of the many, very disappointing purchasers of this book. Thank God for libraries!
Rating: 
Summary: MERCY BABY!!
Review: Upon reading the previous reviews of this book from the previous revieweres, i have to admit i was somewhat hesitant of reading Aretha's biograpy. However, I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and be the judge myself. Unfortunately, the reviewers, most of them were 100% right! Aretha comes of as extremely secretive, almost shady and underhanded when it comes to giving her account of her life story. I mean the explanations about her relationships involving her father, mother, entire family, musical peers are just unbelievable. The fact that she talks more about men and food in this book really reveals the shallow person she really is and almost downright embarrasing to read considering an artist of her caliber!! Also, I don't think I can respect any artist who doesn't even know the facts of their own music ( the 'Bridge over troubled water' and 'Angel' mixups were so shameful that it makes you want to take the pen she was writing with out her hand and stab her with it!!!). The fact that she is the lowly, humble and justified victim and everybody else had just downright dogged her out throughout this book is just downright pitiful. I mean, you don't have to tell everybody what toilet paper you use or what color "it" is but if you decide to tell your life story, at least be considerate of the money and time of the people who are interested. If you are a hardcore Aretha Franklin fan, stick to her music. Her albums, Lady Soul, Spirit in the Dark, Young Gifted And Black, and more are far more revealing than this farce of an autobiography!
Rating:
Summary: I just want to fight her!
Review: Though long overdue, in light of the recent death of her beloved sister, Erma, I finally read this autobiographical portrayal of my favorite diva, lady Soul. However, this is not the woman I expected at all! I just wanted to fight her at several points in this book. There were so many contradictions that made me so crazy.
Example#1- Her father was 'cool' with her birthing two children before legal adulthood, but took her on the road to monitor her behavior.
Example#2- The Natalie Cole incident. I remember reading 'Jet' and 'Rolling Stone'magazine in the 1970's when she ripped the girl to shreads- is that ignoring her, as you put it?
Example#3- The countless episodes with named and unmentioned men. While most of these men were labeled 'deceitful', she validates her philandering as "finding out where her heart was" Please, this from a girl who was having babies since 14. There are countless others, but I was really disheartened by her lack of female camaraderie amongst the other singers. Aretha really, Barbra, Diana & Chaka are more than hard workers- they get the job done. And I am a bit mystified as to why so little was written in response to the comments Gladys Knight made in reference to you in her book? The Esther Phillips reference was simply distasteful.You get the impression she wanted to speak in a ill manner about Leotyne Price, but thought twice. Whoever the 'mysterious diva' was who gave her the finger was, she was on the right track. Other parts just angered me. How dare she use this book as a forum to berate her sisters and cousin! Her brother, Cecil, was a well known substance abuser, which she failed to mention as she, also, did her father's infamous womanizing, which resulted in the birth of her unmentioned half sister. And I do not care how gifted she was, what "good father" allows his child to neglect her education to pursue a career when she could clearly have done both? By now, Iwould suspect that this book is out of print. THAT IS A GOOD THING. Hopefully, in a few years, one will forget that this trash was ever written! Extremely disappointed in the Queen.
Rating:
Summary: Queen of deceit!
Review: Though I was warned not to, I read this book and was absolutely crushed by Aretha's egotistical statements and ultimately, the lack of honesty to the readers, and most of all, to herself. I grew up on and love Aretha for her many significant recordings, as they relate to my life. But reading this book leads me to wonder, did I pick the wrong person to look to as a source of strength and heroism? Now, to address the many lies. First off, how could 1971's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and 1973's "Angel", eclipse eachother when there is a two year lapse between them? Then, there's the touchy subject of her mother. I'm so sorry, but I was not convinced that your mother did not abandon you! Face the reality. No one waits over thirty years to clear up an inaccuracy of such great error. Then there's daddy- There is alot that you and I know you forgot to tell us about daddy, but I won't even go there. And since you were clearing up "inaccuracies", I just knew you would touch on the rumored Glynn Turman incident involving your son. Her many moments of "amnesia", too, did bother me throughout the book. I also grew somewhat disturbed in relation to the incident she shared regarding Richard Pryor. She can "expose" Richard, but made sure she stayed clear of mentioning similiar episodes involving ex-husband, Ted White. Also, I thought she was rather cruel to Mavis Staples and Cissy Houston with her comments, especially since it appears that they love her unconditionally (and yes, I read what Mavis wrote in Vanity Fair magazine).
Lastly, I do not think Arehta is in any position to extend any prayers to Gladys, or anyone else for that matter- save them truly for the person who needs them most- YOU!! I thought I was going to read the memoir of a Queen, royalty. Turns out beyond the music, she's just a peasant, common folk.
Rating: 
Summary: Unwilling to Forgive
Review: ...I was very disappointed by the lack of honesty in the book, but I must say, I found the book very amusing. I loved how she portrays herself as this young, naive child, who innocently gets pregnant twice, by two different men, all before her eighteenth birthday. I particularly loved the "bravo daddy" comment in reference to her second pregnancy, in which she is leading readers to believe that her father, the minister, was in total agreement with. The justification for her dropping out of high school was another funny moment. She notes that she skipped grades repeatedly- well, I'm puzzled- why didn't you make it to the twelfth grade? Interesting, too, was the incident with Sam Cooke- so what he was married and eleven years her senior. She never goes into depth about any of the incidents she's encountered with the other female singers and even lashes out at the females in her family- while all the men are saints! Little/no mention of her experiences of motherhood. No tips for aspiring artists on how to endure in the music business. This book has no purpose!
But then again it does. Sadly, Ms. Frankin represents the child who is praised for their talent and taught no sense of self worth or self love outside of their talent. I would recommend that parents read this book in hopes that they will think cautiously before pushing their children into the spotlight. Even in these late stages of her life, Aretha apparently still does not have a clue in regards to who she really is and what her purpose on this earth is...
Rating:
Summary: No respect for this book!
Review: I LOVE Aretha Franklin. When you think of soul music, if you don't think of her, you'd have to be crazy. I was hoping that this book would give us insight into a career that has spanned the last four decades but I was totally disappointed. The entire book is spotty at best. It is poorly written with too much hidden from the readers and has to be one of the worst autobiographies I've ever read. You would think a life as interesting as the "Queen of Soul" would be enough to fill two volumes but if this is it, I think we better stick to her singing. Forget this lemon, console yourself with one of her cds---you're guaranteed to like that!
Rating:
Summary: Aretha are you there?
Review: I just finished reading the book...took me all of two hours. I was deceived by the cover showing a beautifully coiffed impecabbly applied makeup Aretha Franklin which is in complete contrast to the sweat rolling fat garrish costume wearing diva whose singing I grew up on and absolutely adore. She is as elusive in the book as she is in interviews....you go girl! 251 pages long and revealed nothing of who you really are....and by the way I don't buy that "sheltered life bit" cmon pregnant at 13! I love you just the same
Rating:
Summary: Aretha Franklin "From These Roots"
Review: I Love Aretha. I think this book was Ok and I MEAN JUST Ok. Being a fan I would have like to know more about her. It just scaled the surface. Didn't share enough about her as a person. I felt like it was a peek (very small peek) into her life as a mother , a woman. But more than anything the singer/entertainer. You don't have to tell it all Aretha, but we wished you would let your readers know more about you. What you think about things of life, music etc. As a reader I was left unfulfilled.
Rating:
Summary: Not enough soul
Review: In my opinion, a memoirist's chief, if not sole, responsibility to their readers is to be honest about themselves. So the fact that Ms. Franklin often expresses a queenly hauteur in this book bothers me not in the slightest. (She is the Queen of Soul, after all, so I figure she's entitled.) And that she presents her hearty, arguably gluttonous, appetites for men and food with lip-smacking relish is entirely to her credit - the best part of the book, in fact. (Did you think that a great soul singer would be the type to clip coupons and come to a full stop at intersections?) But everything that readers have written here about the author's evasiveness when it comes to the most interesting parts of her story are true. (As Bart Simpson critiqued Krusty the Klown's autobiography, "it was self-serving with many glaring omissions!") To cite only one example, her idealized portraits of her early family life simply ring false. The bald facts are that her parents separated (which could not have been a casual matter for a minister and his wife in the 1950s), she lived apart from her mother for many years (Aretha huffily denies that she was "abandoned", as many have said, but this was a very peculiar arrangement for the time), she was flogged with a belt for transgressions (not peculiar, sad to say, but can no longer be passed off as simply firm parenting), and while still a teenager she became pregnant not just once but twice (which convinces me that her feelings about the strongly patriarchal rule of the Reverend Franklin - which extended well into her young adulthood - are a lot more complicated than her worshipful descriptions of him would suggest). So you might try this book if you're willing to settle for simply hearing Aretha's "voice" speak in the first person. (The audio version is read by an actress who does a good job of delivering those queenly cadences but it just ain't the same.) But anyone interested in the inner life of a great American artist will have to look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: EN EXPECTED LET DOWN
Review: ARETHA FRANKLIN WILL ALWAYS BE, NOT ONLY, MY FAVORTIE RECORDING ARTIST, BUT ALSO MY FAVORITE CELEBRITY.
DID YOU ALL SEE THE DIVAS LIVE 2001. WELL, JUST AS SHE SHOWED COMPLETE LACK OF AWARENESS IN THE WARDROBE DEPARTMENT, IN HER BOOK SHE SHOWED THE SAME AMOUNT OF LACK IN LITERARY SKILLS. SHE ALWAYS HAS BEEN THE LAZY GENIOUS LADY OF MUSIC. SINGING BEAUTIFULLY HAS COME SOO EASY TO HER IN THE PAST AND IT SEEM THAT SHE HAS BECOME BORED WITH PUTTING FORTH AN HONEST EFFORT IN MOST EVERYTHING SHE DOES (WITH EXCEPTION OF HER TRIPS TO THE KITCHEN). ALL HER LOVES, HER WIEGHT, HER MUSIC, HER HOMES, HER WEALTH, AND HER FEARS ALL SEEM TO BE JUMBLED AND MIXED IN A CALCULATING AND INNOCENT WAY. SHE SPEAKS VERY OPENLY AND HONESTLY ON EVERY ASPECT OF HER LIFE AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH HER PRIVACY.
WHO CARES HOW MUCH SHE LOVES MACARONI AND CHEESE, MASHED POTATOES WITH BUTTER, OR HAM HOCKS? WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT MOTIVATES HER, WHAT INSPIRES HER, WHAT MAKES HER HAPPY. IT SEEMS THAT HER OVERALL LAZYNESS IN LIFE AT THIS STAGE OF HER CAREER IS REFLECTING ON HER MUSICAL CAREER. SHE SEEMS TO SIMPLY NOT CARE ABOUT MUCH EXCEPT TELLING US HOW POWERFUL AND FORGIVING SHE IS. I PURCHASED THE BOOK AT A NEWARK AIRPORT BOOK STAND AND FINISHED IT BEFORE THE PLANE LANDED, I WAS INTRIGUED AT HOW CANDIDLY HONES SHE IS ABOUT IRRELEVANT ASPECTS OF HER LIFE. BUT THEN AGAIN SHE SHOWS THAT SAME ATTITUDE DURING T.V. INTERVIEWS. I FIRST HEARD THAT SHE WAS WRITING A BOOK IN 1993. HERE AND THERE I WOULD HEAR OTHER TID BITS, I WAS EXCITED IN 1999 TO HEAR SHE FINISHED IT. "WOW, 6 YEARS OF COMPOSING AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, IT MUST BE GOOD!!" WHAT A SHOCK TO FIND THE BOOK EXPRESSED NOTHING BUT SHALLOW MEMORIES OF PAST LOVE AFFAIRS AND PITTY GRUDGES. I KNEW SHE GAVE THE FINGER GESTURE TO DIANA ROSS AT THE WHITE HOUSE LONG BEFORE THE BOOK WAS RELEASED. C-MON ARETHA... YOU OWE YOUR HARDCORE FANS MUCH MORE THAN THIS. ALSO THE PICTURES IN THE BOOK WERE LIMITED MOSTLY TO FANCY POSES WITH CLIVE DAVIS AND MARY J BLIGE (WHO YOU ENJOY SOO MUCH) NOT EVEN ONE RECENT PICTURE OF YOU AT HOME, SINGING AT THE GRAMMYS, OR DIVAS LIVE 1998. YOU ARE A MAGNIFICENTLY TALENTED WOMAN WHO PIONEERED SOUL AND R&B FOR OVER 4 DECADES, CAN'T YOU RISE ABOVE YOUR SOFT CUSHY COMFORT ZONE ALREADY AND SHED SOME LIGHT ON YOUR REAL SELF? THE BOOK HOWEVER DID NOT DAMPEN MY FUTURE EXPECTATIONS OF YOU. YOU ARE AND FOREVER WILL BE THE "ULTIMATE, OMNIPOTENT DIVA". BUT IT'S TIME SOMEONE TELLS THE QUEEN THAT HER TASTE IN FASHION IS A BIT ARROGANT, AND HER SILLY ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHER PERFORMERS IS A TAD BIT PRETENCIOUS. WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ARETHA FRANKLIN. YOU ARE ONE OF GOD'S GREATEST GIFTS TO US AND WE CANT GET ENOUGH OF YOUR MUSICAL WORKS OF ART. WE JUST EXPECT YOUR PRVATE LIFE TO REFLECT THE SOUL YOU SO HONESTLY SHOW US ON STAGE.
GOD BLESS YOU ARETHA!!
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