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The Unreachable Star: My Unauthorized Travels with Patti LuPone | 
| Author: Maile Hernandez
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
Category: Book
Buy New: $16.99
New (3) from $16.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 625250
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Pages: 258
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 1419696726
Dewey Decimal Number: 792
EAN: 9781419696725
ASIN: 1419696726
Publication Date: June 13, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
In The Unreachable Star: My Unauthorized Travels with Patti LuPone, author Maile Hernandez shares her story of following a Broadway legend on tour with star-struck enthrallment and her struggles as a mother to an autistic child. Dramatic in all the right ways, this poignant and reflective memoir reads as a deeply felt confession that wades through the waters of what it means to sail upon the shores of self-revelation. As lively and lilting as a memoir can be, there is an often self-deprecating tone, which reads as the tender weight of a life that inadvertently went off-course. A lawyer-turned-overwhelmed-parent began to renew her old singing and acting career after realizing a long-sought childhood dream of seeing Patti LuPone (of Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, and Evita) live on Broadway. With poise and grace, Hernandez paints a vivid picture of what success is as a wife, as a mother, and as a performer and shares an inspired tale of what it takes to keep reaching for unreachable stars.
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| Customer Reviews:
Great Roller Coaster of Emotions September 8, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I just was so unbelievably awed by this book, and by the amazing journey this young woman took. And by how much she changed and grew.
There were so many times when I wanted to reach out and hug her, and say, "don't you realize that you already are an Important Person." There were other times I wept for her experiences and the emotions she went through regarding her son. Having a daughter with autism, I've experienced this same roller coaster of emotions, and the same desire to completely focus my energies and attention on something outside of that. At other times, I took pride in her triumphs, and some measure of relief in the idea that she was finally able to see the true value in herself that others saw in her.
The conclusion was magnificent and sublime. I want to just pick it up and
start reading it all over again right now!!!
A Magnificent Book August 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is the best book for people who love Broadway and the stars that shine there that I've found in years. It's funny, it's heartbreaking, it's beautifully written, and at its core it covers a topic that is rarely addressed: the inspirational power of stars to uplift and even transform their audience members. It's one of "the other sides of the story" - rather than being the biogrpahy of a star, it's the story of Maile, one of Patti LuPone's fans, and how Patti's performances change her life. For Patti's fans, there's plenty of stories about her performances written in a way that makes you feel you're right there, watching them along with Maile. I loved it, and I think everybody who has ever had a favorite actor, actress, athlete, or rock star - especially one who led you to want to take your life in another direction - can relate to it. If a star inspired you sometime, somewhere, you'll want to read this book.
Loved it! July 26, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This memoir is beautifully written and was a joy to read. I was riveted and I couldn't put it down! If you like tender and humorous slice-of-life prose, this is the book for you. Whether you are a fellow fan of Patti LuPone and her work or if you have never even heard of her, this story captures the roller coaster ride that is fan-dom and the fears and dreams that all human beings experience. I especially love the ending!
A sensitive look at one of Patti LuPone's most ardent fans July 17, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The Unreachable Star: My Unauthorized Travels with Patti LuPone
This is a well written, sensitive book that provides insight not only about the author, Maile Hernandez, a devoted fan, but also about Tony Award winner Patti LuPone who is currently starring in Gypsy on Broadway. Maile is an attorney living in Arizona with a husband and their autistic son. She shares her feelings for, and her interactions with Broadway Diva Patti LuPone. The book is interesting, funny, insightful, and at the same time sad. Although a story about personal growth, The Unreachable Star expresses the pain that can be felt from rejection by a beloved performer - even from a distance.
Much more than the Tony Award -winning star of "Gypsy" June 16, 2008
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
I am neither a parent nor a fan of Broadway, but I still found much in this book to relate to. (I *was* a "Life Goes On" fan.) The way Maile projected so much of her emotion onto one person/idea is something I think many of us do for various defensive and protective reasons. Maile's writing is honest, intimate, smart and funny even when she's revealing her rather painful experiences. It's so compelling that I read it in two sittings. I really hope to read more of her in the not too distant future. I feel like she could write about anything and I'd enjoy it immensely.
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