She's beloved worldwide for her effervescent smile and the way she lights up the screen in movies like Erin Brockovich, Mona Lisa Smile and, of course, Pretty Woman. But Julia Roberts's real life has only been glimpsed in the tabloids, until now. Acclaimed biographer James Spada has created a rich and exhaustively researched portrait of Julia as both an actress and as a woman. Spada went back to Julia's parents' beginnings in Georgia to unearth fresh details and fascinating facts.

Julia Roberts represents a return to the glamour of the great Hollywood stars of another era. Fans flock to her movies, and she's a staple cover subject of People magazine and every entertainment show imaginable, but her real life has only been seen in tabloid glimpses until now. James Spada has gone back to Julia's beginnings in Athens, Georgia to unearth fascinating facts about her family and her early dating life. And he's followed her career from movie to movie-both on screen and behind the screen-to show fans what the private face of Julia really is.

As an artist, Julia has changed dramatically from the talented but sheltered girl who found fame first with a role in the independent movie "Mystic Pizza" and became the exuberant star whose "Pretty Woman" delighted audiences everywhere before becoming an Oscar-winning actress capable of taking on the toughest roles. As a person, she's grown from a skittish and gangly girl moving through relationships with co-stars to become an assured woman making her own bold decisions about how to live her life.

Julia will delight fans with its level of detail and fresh information, as well as its thoughtfulness about the life and career of a truly vibrant and complex star.