Foxy: My Life in Three Acts

Before I read this book I knew little of Pam Grier's true persona. I thought she was this tough, bad mamma-jamma just like the characters she played in "Foxy Brown," "Coffy," and other blaxploitation films she starred in. Boy, was I wrong. Pam Grier in real life is a shy, sensitive woman who loves the simple things such as the outdoors, nature, animals, and the kindness of people. She's not a woman who flounces around knowing she's hot stuff like the afore-mentioned blaxploitation characters. It took her years to realize how beautiful she was since after two sexual assaults (one as a six-year-old by her male cousins, and a date rape when she was 18) she downplayed her attractiveness, thinking it'd make her unappealing to those men. Her telling of those ordeals made me feel her pain. Pam overcame a lot in life, from discrimination, the sexual abuse, failed relationships (with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the late Freddie Prinze and the late Richard Pryor), and even cancer. No matter what was thrown her way, Pam overcame it. (And I agree with another reviewer who mentioned that Pam not getting into the nitty-gritty of her sex life was refreshing. Julie Powell should take note.) I wish she would've spent more time talking about the behind-the-scenes action of her movies, especially her earlier ones. Granted, she does tell a few anecdotes, but I would've loved to have heard more about how it was like working on movies like "Foxy Brown" and "Coffy." I did like her tales about how she learned how to make films from sneaking and auditing classes in college (she couldn't afford it on her own) and how she treated Stanislavsky's "An Actor Prepares" like her Bible. I highly recommend this book. Pam's love of life and humble kindness make her a person I'd love to know in real life. That inner beauty adds to her outer beauty.

Pam Grier is a strong woman. I knew her from Foxy Brown, but I was a clean slate when it came to her personal life. Now that I know her story, I bow to her. The book was hard to put down and I finished it in less than 2 days. Strong, humble, and kind, she's been through alot, but managed to come out on the other side. She was viciously gang raped at the tender age of 6 and raped again at 18, but fought back when threatened with sexual harm as an adult. She doesn't spend too much time on her iconic role as Foxy Brown, but you see that her tough "take no mess" attitude existed long before she starred in that movie. Kudos to the sista!

I read this book in record time. Ms. Grier shares her life in an entertaining and easy to understand way. I had the pleasure to see her in Newark, N.J. at a film festival several years ago. After a screening of Friday Foster, she spoke for a while and I was mesmerized. My son was able to get on the stage and she hugged him and signed a photo for him which made a proud kid. She was so nice to him and I really appreciated that. The book gives the good and bad and she seems to be very honest about it. I am very happy that she is healthy and getting ready to make a new movie with Julia Roberts. Buy this book and you will not be disappointed. You will not put it down. I am going to put Coffy in my DVD machine now and get a flashback to my younger days. Thanks Ms. Grier !!!!

I simply could not put Foxy down. Following Pam Grier's life from her tumultuous childhood through the egocentric land of hollywood. She always had her head on her shoulders. I found her relationsips with the likes of Kareem Abdul jabar and the late Freddie Prinze Sr to be particularly riviting. Another strong effort from Andrea Cagan, the author of Grace Slick's autobiography Somebody to Love?: A Rock-and-Roll Memoir. Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

I became a fan of Pam Grier's movies as a teenager in the 1970's. I was old enough to see R-Rated movies and I was fascinated by a female militant type actress. My friends and I spent many Saturdays watching her movies then coming home and talking about how `bad' she was. My friends even called me `Coffy' due to our shared height, slight tooth gap, brown skin and yards of curly hair. So, of course, I was delighted to be asked to review her memoir. FOXY: My Life in Three Acts. I absolutely enjoyed the honest, `talky' way in which Ms. Grier wrote her memoirs. The first act focused on her childhood and the relationships she had with the people in her life. Particularly influential, was the work ethic and strength of her mother, and the fiery, fighting spirit of her aunt, Mennon. I could literally visualize Pam's mother working on a degree in nursing and purchasing a home while her father was a way in the Air Force. This act also covered the molestation Pam suffered at age six by her cousins. I could feel her pain wafting from the pages but also she made it clear why she never told anyone. It really brought out how the act of molestation is not `new' and that children should be able to tell someone. Act Two discusses her life as young adult and her work ethic and how she became an actress. Also discussed are her relationship with Kareem Abdul Jabar and how his becoming a member of the Nation of Islam came between them. She also had relationships with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Richard Prior that ended due to their drug usage. Grier was very honest about her relationships without being salacious or telling every dirty detail. I really admired that component of the book. It proved it is not necessary to drag anyone through the mud to tell your story. The Final Act discusses the actress' battle with cancer and how she continued to take her life into her own hands and never allow anyone to tell her how to live. She wrote with honesty, expressing little regret for the life she lived. More importantly, she painted herself as more than an actress, but as a well-rounded woman. I recommend this memoir to all who love memoirs and biographies that allow them to see inside famous people they thought they knew. The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Angelia Vernon Menchan APOOO BookClub