All My Life: A Memoir

This is only for Susan Lucci fans who are interested to know how sad privileged little Susan was when her Nana died. Otherwise, you will find it boring and will not be able to relate to the content, especially after reading more engaging autobiographical works such as Not My Father's Son and My Mother Was Nuts.

Seriously, Erica, err I mean Susan, your autobiography was a disappointment to me. I expected insight into what has made up your exciting and unique life. Instead, reading "All My Life" was like overdosing by putting too much cream in my morning coffee--all sweetness and light. Come on, Susan! Your life must have contained a bump or two along the way, so why not share both the ups and the downs with your fans and readers. Nobody's life is *that* perfect.

Perhaps had you written your autobiography today, now that "All My Children" has been cancelled by ABC, your life's story might be a little less rosy. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be cruel, nor am I looking for downers. I only wanted to get to know you better through your writing and I honestly don't believe that this occurred.

While your life was wonderful and you no doubt have a wonderful family and a wonderful career, I am afraid that your book turned out to be wonder-less. I closed your book feeling let down and disappointed. And that's a real downer.

I have watched Susan Lucci since almost the beginning of All My Children and absolutely loved her and the show. When I saw that she had written a book, I assumed it would be as wonderful as watching her on TV. Not so much. The book was poorly written, almost as if a child wrote the book. Also, not nearly as interesting as I thought her "real" life would be.

What can you say about an icon? Beautiful, caring and steadfast. We will miss your daily vibrant face on All My Children, but you have immortalized yourself in this book beyond what was on screen. Love you Susan.

This memoir reveals nothing. I respect Susan Lucci's right to privacy, but then she should not have chosen to write a memoir that we were all going to spend good money for. The whole book is about wonderful people and fantastic experiences and talented colleagues and doctors, etc . . . I am not asking for her to totally trash anyone, but surely in her 60+ years, there have been less than wonderful acquaintances, etc. Yes, there was a bit about a difficult director, but even that ended happily ever after. And while most mothers are proud of their children, she goes on and on about their accomplishments and it just comes off as boring bragging. The book is not written sequentially and each chapter is about a part of her life that she thinks would interest the reader. Her pages about her travels are just not very interesting. I did not purchase the book to learn the intricacies of dog racing in Alaska. As another reviewer said, the only troubled times she speaks of in the book are what she has already revealed, such as her early car accident and her son's illness at birth. She comes across as a very guarded person who only likes to show what she wants you to see. Indeed she admits as much when she says that she did not like the camera following her and Tony Dovolani behind the scenes during Dancing With The Stars. Again, this is her right, but someone like that should not be writing a memoir.

For people who have never watched soap operas the name Susan Lucci and the character she has played for more than 41 years on "All MY Children", Erica Kane, is synonymous with daytime television. Probably the most famous actress to ever grace a continuing afternoon serial, Susan was, at one point, the highest-paid actress on soaps earning a reported $1,000,000 a year.

Now her long-awaited memoir, "All My Life", has hit book stores and she discusses with candor her personal and professional life. Never a celebrity to talk about her personal affairs, "All My Life" is a revealing expose into the woman who created Erica Kane, the highs and lows she has endured, giving the reader an insight to the private life of the most beloved icon from daytime drama.

Susan talks about her early unbringing and her desires to be an actress. However, one fatal day when she was a teenager she was involved in a terrible car accident when her face went through a car windshield almost costing her an eye and her life. Through determination she persevered and made a complete recovery. She would eventually graduate from college and marry her long-time husband Helmet Huber who are still very much married and in love today, something that is very rare giving the life of any actress. In 1970 she tried out for the part of vixen Erica Kane on a new daytime soap "All My Children", created by legendary soap opera writer Agnes Nixon. She was immediately cast in a supporting capacity and was only intended to be on every other Tuesday, but due to her unique acting ability she became the star of the serial as fans couldn't get enough of the antics of Erica, and she would become the most beloved character in the show's history.

In 1973 "All My Children" made history by becoming the first television program, day or night, to dramatize a legal abortion when Erica went through the procedure. In her book Susan discusses that was one of the hardest storylines she ever took on as in real life she had suffered a severe miscarriage and was dealing with both the physical and emotional scars of losing her first child.

She writes about eventually having two beautiful children, Liza and Andreas, who are the apple of their parent's eye, her long-standing career as an 18 time Emmy loser, and how she felt that night in 1999 when it was announced she had finally won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress. Personally I had watched the Emmy telecast that year and can say I have never seen so much love for any performer winning an award as the audience gave her a long-standing ovation. The camera panned on several celebrities such as Rosie O'Donnell and Kelly Ripa who were in tears, and even Oprah could be heard giving Susan praise from the side of the stage as Susan held her golden statue near the microphone.

A well-written book, "All My Life" is an informative insight into the life of Susan Lucci and the history to the most famous character ever created for soaps.

An A+ read. Thank you Susan for sharing this with your fans. We love you.

UPDATE: On September 13, 2011 "All My Life" will see its softcover edition hit stores and in it Susan writes an entirely new chapter on the abrupt cancellation of "All MY Children" by ABC. On those pages Susan discusses how she was the first actor to learn of the demise of her show when the head of ABC daytime came to the "All My Children" studio in Los Angeles and how Brian frons told her the series was getting axed. Susan spares no time in expressing her true feelings about this man going so far as saying Frons is a man that has "that fatal combination of ignorance and arrogance". She discusses why "All My Children" suffered so badly in the ratings in recent years pointing the finger right where it should be pointed at: Frons. Susan states the fact he hired Charles Pratt to pen the soap, moving the series to L.A. from New York City, and shoving beloved creator and headwriter Agnes Nixon out the door as components in what killed this daytime institution. When Frons told Susan "AMC" was being replaced by a cheap reality show her opinion was and is, "An iconic show was losing out to greed...If Brian frons could show his bosses that he could save the network 40%...he could keep his job even if the rest of us lost ours." I for one say bravo to you Susan for standing up to this miscreant that has helped destroy a genre so dear to our hearts. Susan Lucci...I could not have said it any better!

Also, for fans who don't already know "All My Children" will live on in January, 2012 on the internet and hopefully a cable channel, but Susan has yet to announce her decision on resigning with the series. However, by all indications it does look like our beloved Erica Kane, played by Susan, will BE a part of the new "All My Children" in the coming year.

Susan Lucci's memoir "All My Life" is an interesting read. I'm not sure why I expected it to be any different, but it read very similar to what I would imagine Erika Kane's memoir to be like, with the exception of multiple marriages and back stabbing.

She seems like a great lady, but the term "diva" certainly comes to mind when reading this book.
This isn't your rags to riches, Hollywood story, for sure! Susan had talent, but she didn't necessarily have to twist anyone's arm to get what she wanted.

Maybe it's the hazard of knowing her TV character so well, but you really can't read this book without hearing Erika's voice and inflections.

Honestly, other than knowing more about All My Children and her other show biz ventures, you won't find anything too profound here.

The main thing I gleaned from this book was her love and devotion for her husband and children, which is very positive. I guess if that's the main idea that she portrays in her memoir, then she's done a good job!

If you've been a fan of All My Children, then you will enjoy the behind the scenes information found here.

Thank you Susan for sharing your life with us. You are blessed, and you know it and are thankful for it. I've enjoyed watching you portray Erika Kane since the beginning and have stayed with the show for all these years. I'll miss the show and hope to see it produced again via internet or cable channel. There are some brave network folk out there and I know AMC will be picked-up and appreciated for the quality entertainment it's always been. Sadly; the guys at ABC lack the cojones to see AMC through a very tough economy. I also feel that the PTB at ABC underestimated the loyal soap fans. We all suffer through this economy; even a wonderful bunch of excellent actors who are now out of work. We're in this together and we'll all pull through it together.

Your memoir is both insightful and poignant. I appreciate that you wrote it for us.

First of all, I really did enjoy reading this book. It was interesting and therefore a quick read. However, when I finished, it occurred to me that many parts of the book were not even about Lucci herself; rather, they were about her character on AMC. I haven't watched the show in many years, so I was more interested in Lucci's life than in the character's, so I was a bit disappointed by that. I understand that she gave background into the character to provide parallels between the character's plotpoints and her own life, but still, I didn't need to read that much about a fictional character. I felt like she was trying to avoid discussing her own life.

Also, if you're looking for a salacious beach read, this isn't the book for you. Everyone she talks about is either "wonderfully talented", "gorgeous", or some other complimentary adjective. Surely there have been people she has worked with that she absolutely hates, but she chose to take the high road in the book, so this isn't a particularly juicy story like I was looking for. Other readers may appreciate that more than I do though!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Although I was never a viewer of All My Children, I certainly know who Susan Lucci is. I did watch a couple of other soaps for several years and first learned of Susan Lucci due to her many nominations for the Daytime Emmy. After several years it got to the point where I was actually rooting for her to win even when she was up against an actress from one of my shows.

The book was an interesting read for me. I know that I enjoyed it because I read it much faster than I normally read a book. There were a few small parts that were a bit boring for me, but overall it was very entertaining. I recommend it for anyone who is or was a soap opera fan.

Her memoir didn't reveal much outside the Susan Lucci fans have come to adore on daytime and in interviews, plus her appearances at fan events. Should you anticipate this to be a salacious memoir exposing everyone's vulnerability and weak side, cease on picking up a copy (unless the edition consists of the additional chapter blasting Brian Frons among others). However, as Lucci's the epitome of a professional even if careful on what she writes, this was everything I expected it to be: nicely constructed (the book charts her time as a little girl up until AMC's move to Los Angeles in 2010 with equally lengthy chapters), poignant, elegant and classy. Throught the pages, her stories resemble that of her character's in the sense they will make you cry, laugh, smile and gain insight into her personality. A rather great book!

Susan,
Thank you for keeping me going in the early 70s when I was a stay at home wife and mother who could not afford much in the way of entertainment, ie movies. Your show gave me a few minutes of reprieve each week, much appreciated.
I have read biographies of other TV celebrities but yours is of a much higher caliber. While other authors have aired their dirty laundry, you took the high road and had nothing but praise for your co-workers and acquaintances. Your sense of humility and concern for others also demonstrates your integrity and your values.
The fact that you rarely acknowledge your beauty reflects your sense of humility, a rare trait these days. To me, beauty is about health and fitness, and you obviously possess both. I hope that some day you author a second book on this topic. In the meantime, I'll be starting pilates!
I have nothing but the highest respect for you and all you have accomplished. Thank you for this book....

This review is about the audio book version. I really like Susan Lucci, but listening to the book I was hearing the dramatic Erica Kane. There were some interesting things in the book, but like many reviews said, it was a bit boring. Now whether you like her, adore her, or hate her Tori Spelling has good books!!!! They are so interesting and fun to listen to. Audio books help with my work commute. She definitely has the right to reveal as little as she wants, but what I really didn't like about this book is the mantra women in her generation got so many generations following in trouble is the message that you can have it all. No you can't. Some women my age really are realizing that isn't true. Someone or something will suffer...it is mostly the children and hubby for us everyday worker types. We don't all have these flexible schedules, drivers, cooks, nannies, etc. that celebrity women have and contine to say, "women can have it all."

I give the book a 2 star rating because I do like Susan Lucci and I feel like a 1 is an insult and can be hurtful when it is a book about your "life". I also give it a 2 because the disk are a beautiful bright red. So, 2 for presentation.

This somewhat boring book is filled with stories about Susan Lucci's illnesses and accidents--and not much more. She is a syrupy-sweet person who uses positive adjectives to describe every person and event she has encountered. While that makes for a nice friend, it results in a dull book. She comes across as the on-screen Julie Andrews--practically perfect in every way (though if you read Andrews' autobiography you find out how very different she was from her image).

There is no "dirt" here, so you won't find Lucci discussing difficulties with her co-stars or even her own faults (she admits to having only gotten mad twice in all the years of doing her soap opera!). Her husband is perfect, her kids are the best, her time on Broadway was spectacular, she loved Dancing with the Stars, etc. She takes a lot of credit for being the first to do something and points out how humbled she was by the praise she received. You get the picture.

I wish she would have revealed more of herself instead of trying to stay so picture-perfect. There are some confusing chapters where she mixes up dates and there are gaps of many years that she doesn't cover at all. Also, she could have done a better job analyzing her soap character. She talks about being the first character to have an abortion on a soap, but then doesn't explain whether she struggled with her personal Catholic beliefs. She just says she thought it was in character for Erica to do it.

There are a few cute stories but there is no depth to any aspect of her life except the ailments. She does seem to focus a lot on the little physical problems, from choking on chicken to a miscarriage. In the end it feels more like a family history written for her kids. Her fans will love it because they adore her. Those that are looking for insight into her life will be disappointed.

I really enjoyed the book. I was looking for more. I was intrigued by the life she has led. It was great to hear about the travels her husband and she have taken and all the wonderful people she has met. She has a wonderful, close family. Her husband sounds like a gem. I have been a fan of All My Children and Susan Lucci for a long time and it was sad when the show ended. I really thought it was a great read.

All My Life by Susan Lucci and Laura Morton
Hardcover, 317 text pages, autobiography

My mother hated Donna Reed because Donna Reed had a perfect life with a beautiful home, perfect hair, perfect husband, perfect children and starched dresses. Her housework was always done. Problems were quickly solved. I never understood my mother's dislike for this beautiful television actress. After all Reed's show was fiction. She was no more perfect than other television wives like June Cleaver, Harriet Nelson or Marjorie Lord who played Danny Tomas's television wife.
When I read Susan's Lucci's biography, I began to understand some of my mother's dislike for Donna Reed. But at least the Stone family, Reed's television family had problems to solve even if they did it too easily. It must be nice to live a perfect life. But I prefer a person who has challenges to face and can overcome those challenges. A perfect life must get boring.
Certainly Susan Lucci is beautiful and talented. But I don't need to read about her to see that. I know there is too much negativity in life, but stories, even true ones, need challenges, and people should change in the course of their lifetimes. None of us start off perfect and stay that way – even Susan Lucci.
It didn't take me long to start disliking Susan Lucci as I read her book.
I didn't like how she described glamorous women who wore furs – an index would help here. I can't remember who these stars were. Maybe Mae West or Gypsy Rose Lee or Lana Turner. I really dislike anyone, celebrity or not, who wears furs. (Latter Lucci confesses to loving veal dishes. Does she know how much cruelty goes into making veal? Veal is anemic calf.)
The book became extremely boing mostly because of the perfection in everything. I kept reading. But one of the later chapters was about her costars in “All My Children,” and I enjoyed this chapter. I particularly liked reading about the scene where she and David Canary, one of my favorite actors, had a food fight scene. I even looked that scene up on YouTube. I was never a steady watcher of the program, so I had not known about that scene before.
Her fan letter to her fans was a great idea, but boring as Susan described her favorite meals and artists. Lists seldom make good reading.
Lucci's five ways to look taller start with “Wear High Heels.” Her fans are not teenagers. I wear prescription running shoes and visit a podiatrist once a month. I cannot wear high heels. The very thought gives me foot pain. High heels are very unhealthy. Ask any physician about the problems they can cause. What gives with giving fans such unhealthy advice? This is not a teenage magazine.
A much better soap opera autobiography came from Lucci's ex costar Ruth Warrick. I read “The Confessions of Phoebe Tyler” years ago. It is a great autobiography.
To read a good book of advice by a celebrity read, “Wear Your Life Well, Use What You have TO Get What You Want,” by Marilou Henner.
Lucci tends to talk down to her readers. It is like she is lecturing us. We her fans know we are not perfect. Nice of Ms. Lucci to take the time to show us how wonderful life can be when one is perfect.
I like Donna Reed much better.

Ms Lucci has a pleasant public persona and she maintains that persona in this book. She is a private person. She may know where the bodies are buried, but in this book, she recounts details that she has revealed in her interviews over the years, such as her car accident and the resultant injuries, a miscarriage, and her son's birth drama. Lucci doesn't offer any insight as to how she managed to be a gentle lady in a tough business. If she knows the secret, she isn't telling! She recounts winning a daytime Emmy, which must be quite significant for her, and she speaks well of her co-workers, especially David Canary. The most revealing detail is that she once threw a tantrum over a prop in one scene. The only hint of real anger is over the cancellation of All My Children and the way it was handled by the network. Other than that, no juicy details, just her story.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Although I was never a viewer of All My Children, I certainly know who Susan Lucci is. I did watch a couple of other soaps for several years and first learned of Susan Lucci due to her many nominations for the Daytime Emmy. After several years it got to the point where I was actually rooting for her to win even when she was up against an actress from one of my shows.

The book was an interesting read for me. I know that I enjoyed it because I read it much faster than I normally read a book. There were a few small parts that were a bit boring for me, but overall it was very entertaining. I recommend it for anyone who is or was a soap opera fan.

This book is joyful to read. Susan Lucci shows an unwavering focus and passion on following her dream to become an actor. You get the feeling that she is truly an authentic person. In a world of crazy celebrity Sheens it is nice to know that WINNING for Susan is about hard work, honestly and loyalty. Loved this book!