Loving Amy - by Janis Winehouse (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"Amy was one of those rare people who made an impact . . . She was a bundle of emotions, at times adorable and at times unbearable. . . . Amy's passing did not follow a clear line. It was jumbled, and her life was unfinished--not life's natural order at all. She left no answers, only questions, and in the years since her death I've found myself trying to make sense of the frayed ends of her extraordinary existence."

Amy's mother, Janis, knew her in a way that no one else did. In this warm, poignant, and at times heartbreaking memoir, she tells the full story of the daughter she loved so much. As the world watched the rise of a superstar, then the free fall of an addict to her tragic death, Janis simply saw her Amy: the daughter she'd given birth to, the girl she'd raised and stood by despite her unruly behavior, the girl whose body she was forced to identify two days after her death--and the girl she's grieved for every day since.

Arguably the most gifted artist of her generation, Amy Winehouse died tragically young, aged just twenty-seven. With a worldwide fan base and millions of record sales to her name, she should have had the world at her feet. Yet in the years prior to her death, she battled with addiction and was frequently the subject of lurid tabloid headlines.

Including rare photographs and extracts from Amy's childhood journals, Loving Amy offers a new and intimate perspective on the life and untimely death of a musical icon.

Review Quotes

"Poignant." --The Independent (UK)

"An authentic, poignant, and gut-wrenchingly sad tale . . . An insightful, honest, and often uplifting account of a life cut tragically short." --Heat (UK)

"Deeply personal . . . Insightful, offering rare glimpses behind the maelstrom of Amy's public life." --The Jewish Chronicle (UK)

"We think we know her: just another rock star whose meteoric rise to the top led to a premature and deadly fall. But Winehouse also tells the other side of her daughter's story. ... Winehouse captures her daughter's contradictory personality ("she feared success, but she feared being ignored even more"), ultimately presenting a thoughtful, personal back story of a complicated person behind the beehive and eyeliner." --Booklist

"Fans who want to get to know the troubled artist a little better will find this a fond remembrance." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Janis Winehouse was born in New York but grew up mainly in London. While bringing up her son, Alex, and daughter, Amy, she completed two degrees--an Open University degree in science, followed by a bachelor of pharmacy at the University of London. Janis raised Amy on the music of Carole King and James Taylor, and supported her throughout her musical career. In 2003, Janis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was forced to take early retirement in 2009. She now devotes her time to raising money for the Amy Winehouse Foundation and the MS Society. She lives in north London with her husband, Richard, and three cats: Gizzy, Moggy, and Minty.