Jean M. Roberts : The Book's Delight

Not usually a fan of memoirs, I was offered a few pages of Irresistible Calling to preview and was hooked immediately. The book begins in childhood. Sean and his parents moved from the dying steel town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Dallas, Texas to start a new life. The impetus of which was a holiday travel magazine! The family lives a typical suburban lifestyle of the era, the early 1950s. While the author is a few years older than me, I could certainly relate to his experiences. Sean was lucky enough to win a place at a prestigious private boy’s school in Dallas where he made lifelong friendships. From there it was on to college, and the heyday of the 1960s. Mitchell then takes us through his career in newspapers, first in Washington D.C., then Dallas and on to Los Angeles as a theater, film and music critic. Along the way, he interviews many of the biggest stars in Hollywood, from Ann-Margaret to Clint Eastwood. The most entertaining review/relationship is with Tommy Lee Jones, whom...