Book Review
Scottie the Daughter of…
Eleanor Lanahan
Book Description:
Providing an insider's look into a
brilliant but troubled family, a biography of Scottie, F. Scott and Zelda
Fitzgerald's daughter, is written by her own daughter and reveals her
personality traits, relationships, and life as a journalist and political
insider.
From the Publisher:
Until now, Scottie Fitzgerald has existed
only peripherally in the biographies of her famous parents. Although this
memoir contains riveting accounts of F. Scott and Zelda -- providing a unique
perspective on these literary giants as only their daughter knew them -- it
centers on Scottie, who managed to overcome being known as "the daughter
of..." to became an important and influential member of the Washington jet
set during the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon years. In these pages,
she comes to life as talented, driven, giving, as well as exasperatingly
controlling, dominating, and strangely unable to show affection -- a trait that
played havoc on the lives of her children. We see her through her marriages and
affairs; her career as a journalist, writer, and political insider; her struggle
with alcohol; and her complex relationship with her family, especially Tim, the
son who, like Zelda, suffered from schizophrenia and ultimately committed
suicide. Using diaries, journals, personal letters, and haunting photographs,
Lanahan provides a fascinating portrait of a great American family, and an
intensely personal, haunting look at the consequences of fame.
This book is out of print and
not in ebook form. However, it is well-worth buying a used copy to read because
it is that interesting.
Buy now:
My 5-Star Review:
I really enjoyed this
biography of Scottie Fitzgerald by her daughter Eleanor Lanahan. It begins with
a comprehensive recap of the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda and moves
on to Scottie's childhood and then her adult years. For the first time ever, I
felt that I was hearing the true story of these literary icons and their daughter.
Through the years, biographers have dwelled on the glitz and tragedies of the
lives of Scott and Zelda, but in this telling of it, you hear the clear truth
of their lives without the glamour and drama. And despite it all, Scottie grew
up to be an amazing person who was active in politics, a writer, and even a
songwriter. All of this is described through letters to and from family
members, a partially written memoir of Scottie's, and family memories.
A wonderful and powerful story of a very special lady. Thank you Eleanor Lanahan for sharing the story of your mother's life with us all.
A wonderful and powerful story of a very special lady. Thank you Eleanor Lanahan for sharing the story of your mother's life with us all.
About the
Author:
Eleanor Lanahan is an artist and filmmaker and is one of the
executors of her grandfather’s estate. She is the granddaughter of F. Scott
Fitzgerald and Zelda, and the daughter of Frances “Scottie” Fitzgerald Lanahan
Smith, the Fitzgerald’s only daughter.
