For nearly half a century Joan Crawford

was the essence of glamorous Hollywood.

Having a family of her own, if only for pub-

licity purposes, became for Joan one im-

portant measure of success. Unmarried at

the time, and living in a twenty-two-room

house, she first adopted Christina, then a

son, and eventually two more daughters.

Christina was presented to the world as

the perfect child of the famous film star, but

she could not remain a baby forever, and

when the reporters and fans departed, Chris-

tina grew up with the reality of child abuse

and of alcoholism, and sometimes a night-

mare of sheer terror.

Mommie Dearest is the story of the re-

lationship between a child trying to stay

alive and a ruthless, cunning, lonely

woman who knew every trick of survival.

Christina loved Joan and searched for her

mother s love in return throughout the

years they shared.

It is a book for all those people who have

lived with a terrible secret and have had to

hide the truth because they were afraid or

because no one would believe them. It is for

everyone who knows what it is like to grow

up with a parent determined to thwart

every effort to achieve independence. In

Momrnie Dearest, Christina offers hope that

it is possible to live through a terrifying per-

sonal struggle and create a productive life

nut of chaos.