I’ve never reviewed a memoir; as a matter of fact I had never even read one before I received Pieces of my Heart. I agreed to review this one for a number of reasons: Robert Wagner was born in my home state of Michigan and he’s ten years older than me, almost to the day. He arrived in Hollywood around the same time my father landed there to work in the music side of the film industry.  Although my dad never mentioned knowing Robert Wagner, he hung out with some of Wagner’s buddies like Robert Mitchum.  It was enough of a connection to interest me.

What impressed me about this book was that Wagner was willing to reveal so many personal details about himself; his fears and insecurities, as well as his dreams and ambitions.  Robert Wagner was born to be a movie actor and he knew it from a very young age.  Although his family wasn’t keen on the idea, they never stood in his path. Wagner studied his craft and learned the business side of the industry to help him become a complete actor.

He tells about his encounters with many of the legends of Hollywood like Spencer Tracy and David Niven and he talks about his love affair with Barbara Stanwyck. Wagner gained his stature and held his own quite well in an era of super-handsome leading men like Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis. And there are insights into the workings of the major studios and how the business evolved over the years. The many adventures he describes make this a very interesting book.

The chapters dealing with his love and marriages to Natalie Wood are particularly poignant and tender. It leaves little doubt about his love for her and then his struggle to go on after her tragic death. The story leads up to the present and his marriage to former Bond girl, Jill St. John.

After reading this book, I felt as if I knew Robert Wagner... and liked him.