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A Skating Life: My Story | 
 enlarge | Authors: Dorothy Hamill, Deborah Amelon
Publisher: Hyperion
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy Used: $0.31
You Save: $24.64 (99%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 47279
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 1401303285
Dewey Decimal Number: 921
EAN: 9781401303280
ASIN: 1401303285
Publication Date: October 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Corner Edge of Binding Cover is Torn, Moderate Shelf Wear, Text Very Clean , Immediate Shipping, Email Notification, Professional Service, MILLIONS Served, SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The dazzling smile, the signature haircut, the staple spin. "America's Sweetheart" Dorothy Hamill grew up on the ice, working toward the dream she was to accomplish by age nineteen: winning Olympic gold in figure skating. But life was not the picture of perfection it appeared to be. Dorothy faced a painful inner struggle from the time she was a young girl that followed her into adulthood -- though she would not know about the depression that ran in her family until much later in life. Weeks and months away from home to train and compete took a difficult toll, yet little reprieve could be found in the tumultuous and fragile relationship she had with her parents. Dorothy went on to marry the man of her dreams, only to have the partnership end in heartache and a tragedy that almost pushed her to her breaking point. Then, just when a light at the end of the tunnel finally began to appear, a second failed marriage tried and tested Dorothy's trust and strength yet again -- a travesty that could have led her to give up. But, she found a remarkable strength in what she did have -- her greatest love, her daughter Alexandra. "Thank goodness, I had my skating. There was certainly a pattern to my life. When times were tough, I went skating. It was only while I was out on the ice, enjoying the freedom of movement and my love of music, that I was able to escape from my bottomless heartache." In her deeply moving and honest memoir, Dorothy opens up for the first time about love, family, courage, and what it means to truly win both on and off the ice.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Very, very nice July 8, 2008
I loved Dorothy`s book. It was just as candid as the photo on the cover. For an armchair skater like me, who has followed figure skating for the past 40 years, it was a pleasure to be once on the inside of that world. I have such admiration for the dedication of those skaters and for their love of what they do. I enjoyed the book immensely.
An honest book, a curious phenomenon May 6, 2008
Dorothy writes in almost too much detail, with a balance between revealing and keeping reserved ; what is written bewteen the lines is enough to fill in the blanks anyone might feel exist. It is curious that although Dorothy has the generosity and presence to reveal to the public a large dimension of her private suffering , benefitting so many who have suffered from depression or lived with a demanding or mentally ill family member , there is still a small faction of readers that want MORE, and this is the bane of her sweet sparkling gifted life. Someone is always asking for MORE! Her parents her husbands the coaches and now readers who feel like she must cut open a vein and bleed on to the pages or describe her bedroom details. Yikes.Dorothy is a giver, a woker who gave 110 percent to the world and the sport and the vultures still circle to pick her bones. One reader noted that she has no bitterness or anger, I think she should get some , and fast. Thank you Dorothy for the book and everything you've given in life...Now make part two of your life for you.
 Just Plain Boring April 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love biographies, but this one left me looking forward to getting to the end. It seemed written through the eyes of an adolecent girl. There was nothing juicy or even interesting. It seemed Dorothy was dealing with the guilt she felt, about treating her mother badly, by writing this book. The binding fell apart half way through. It was a bust in every way possible for me!
I wish she had mentioned.... April 18, 2008
If her Mother ever realized and/or finally got access to the enormous amount of money Dorothy was sending for her independence? If Dr. Forsythe's first wife told Dorothy about her life with him and how she was treated, or more to the point mistreated by him...I can't believe how blindly Dorothy allowed him to take, and take and take from her, one cannot buy love or devotion. I would have liked to know how Dorothy is doing financially; not exact figures of course, but has she recouped to a degree of financial independence, and with all the money she sent her parents over 7 years, didn't they have the decency to provide her some of her own capital to start fresh and help her young daughter? If they didn't, she needs to shut them out of her life too. Parents are to give to their children willingly, not with strings. Had some of these things been discussed in greater detail, the book would have been infinitely more enjoyable overall.
She was quick to mention Vioxx (which has been recalled), and SHOCKINGLY goes to the very man who betrayed her for medical advice and medication? How foolish. Surely she could afford a "real" doctor who is working for a living and up on the latest advances in osteoarthritis. Someone without an ulterior motive for helping her. There was always a sense of her needing to go back to these men for some sense of self, it is really upsetting and very sad. Dorothy will have to keep her vulnerability in check if she is to escape such mistakes in the future.
She is a lovely skater, a national treasure, but has paid way to high a price for that medal.
Best of luck!
Heartfelt Honesty April 9, 2008
This is a revealing look into Dorothy Hamill's life from her first moments on the ice at 8 years old, to training to become a Gold Medal winner at the '76 Olympics through her life today. Dorothy Hamill details the sacrifices her family made, the challenges with coaches and training to become an Olympic athlete and how her passion for skating got her through some of the most difficult times in her life.
Dorothy Hamill was my hero growing up. I had the Dorothy haircut, the Dorothy glasses, and spent many afternoons on the skating rink at my grade school trying to teach myself spins and jumps. After reading A SKATING LIFE: MY STORY, she remains my hero.
I never realized what went into becoming serious in a sport like ice skating. The expense of traveling to train with the right coach, traveling to get enough time on the ice to practice, the cost of equipment and trying to get an education while competing in shows around the world was only a part of it. It was inspiring to learn the sacrifices made by Dorothy's family and Dorothy herself, although she never writes much of her own personal sacrifices. I learned so much about the beautiful and challenging sport.
Dorothy's story doesn't end with winning the gold medal in the '76 Olympics. It was only the beginning. She met the love of her life, Dean Paul Martin only to have it end in heartbreak and tragedy. My heart broke right along with her. I so wanted her to live happily ever after and the love that she still feels for her first husband, Dean Paul radiates from the pages. This was when her struggle with depression truly came to the surface, even though she battled with panic disorder and depression all through childhood. The honesty that comes from this book is truly a gift. The painful family issues and frank discussion of depression were courageous.
That being said, I hoped for a bit more about her struggle with depression. There was a lot of publicity about this book and America's Sweetheart suffering from depression for years, but little description of her struggle. It was written in a very matter of fact style without a lot of adjectives. Perhaps that's where we glimpse the real Dorothy. Instead of waxing poetic or dwelling in the difficult, she soldiers on telling her story with respectability and straightforwardness.
She survived another marriage that ended in painful divorce and leaving her a bankrupt single mother. I was so sad and angry for what she endured. And yet she never wrote a bitter word about anyone. I don't know of many of us who could have endured what she did, and remain so humble and without animosity or hostility.
While this wasn't the best written book I have ever reviewed, I had to give it a higher rating for its pure heart and openness.
I think that Dorothy found closure with some of the issues plaguing her. The one issue that will probably always haunt her is the death of her first husband. I have a feeling Dean Paul will continue to be a shadow, watching over her and waiting for her.
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
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