Breaking the Silence

I ran across this book not too long after reading Jane Pauley's memoir. I haven't heard of Mariette Hartley in some time, so don't really know what she's up to these days, but this is one very interesting book. I had no idea Hartley had had such a lousy disfunctional childhood, with alcoholic and distant parents (her father shot himself, a suicide), a famous pop psychologist/behaviorist grandfather who believed children shouldn't be touched overly much. What a lot of crap on this poor kid's plate, ya know? Then she had to survive an ill-advised abusive marriage, before she finally found someone who deserved her. My first memory of Mariette Hartley was her role in the classic Peckinpah western film, Ride the High Country, with Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in their last big major roles. And she was great in the film - her first movie role, about 45 yrs ago, I think. She talks about this auspicious debut and the awful stuff whe was dealing with at the same time, and also talks about some of the awful clinkers she made too, and all the TV shows, revealing - who'da guessed this? - what a card James Arness was when she did some Gunsmoke episodes. I notice that Hartley has a co-writer for this book, but I have to assume that the sense of humor exhibited throughout the narrative belongs to Hartley alone. And she is a funny woman, in addition to being a survivor. This book should not be out-of-print. This story of personal tragedy, recovery and survival is simply too well told to be lost. If you can find this book, read it! - Tim Bazzett, author of Pinhead: A Love Story (RatholeBooks.com)

Mariette Hartley isn't just a courageous risk-taker for detailing her family's alcohol and mental problems. She's a risk-taking pathfinder by calling it "Breaking the Silence."

I've admired MH for many years and it was a pleasure to relive some of the shows I've seen her in, but from her point of view. She comes across as a very humble, friendly, and intelligent person you can't help but admire. The writing is crisp and humorous. I especially loved the sections dealing with the really bad movies she made, like Count Yorga and Drums of Africa (which I'm now dying to see) as well as cult shows she was on like Peyton Place, Star Trek, and Hulk. If anything, I would have liked to hear more about what it was like behind the scenes at those shows and how she fleshed out those characters, what it was like to win an Emmy, etc. She has been in so many shows she could probably do another book just on that aspect of her life. The sections about her family were very interesting, too, showing how much she managed to overcome to be where she is now. Hope she writes volume two--apparently her life has changed a lot since 1991 with divorce and several humanitarian awards, etc.

This was a wonderful book. It detailed so eloquently the struggle of growing up in an abusive home and overcoming the obstacles placed before a person. Ms. Hartley presented herself in a very human manner and also a person who is not above these struggles herself. It gives a person hope that they too might be able to overcome such difficulties in life. I would recommend this book to professionals as well as survivors.