Celine Dion

Céline Dion tells her own life story in this memoir, covering the path from a childhood spent largely in a crowded family home to a career that has filled arenas around the world. The youngest of fourteen children, she grew up in a working-class Canadian household. Her first public performance took place on a kitchen table, and even then she dreamed of becoming a major star.

The book follows her into the places fans rarely see: the tour bus, the recording studio, and the backstage routines that make a concert work. It also recalls encounters with well-known figures of the entertainment industry. Yet the emotional center is her family and her marriage to René Angélil, who was her manager and closest partner. She writes about the close bonds that carried her family through hard times, about the shock when Angélil was diagnosed with cancer, and about how facing that illness together deepened their relationship. She also describes the excitement and nerves of starting a family.

Written with candor and warmth, the memoir is for readers who want to know the person behind the voice. It is by turns funny, sorrowful and uplifting, and it portrays a woman who has faced personal challenges as directly as professional ones.