Chapters 1-2 Summary and Analysis

Shirley MacLaine is a dancer and actress who makes many successful films that include one Academy Award winning performance as Best Actress. This memoir takes place in the mid to late seventies when Shirley is in her forties.

In chapter 1, Shirley is jogging on the beach, thinking about her father, a closet philosopher. Shirley watches a bird fly over the ocean and remembers a time in which she has a dream about flying that is so vivid it seems real. Shirley also reflected on her past in which she has made more than thirty-five movies, her acting partially inspired by her dramatic mother. Shirley travels a lot in her work, something she loves to do. In fact, Shirley's previous books are about her travels throughout the world. During those travels, Shirley becomes aware of the different religious convictions of...