As with my first memoir, this book would not have been possible without the immeasurable contribution of my daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. Throughout the many years of putting this together, Emma has been at my side both figuratively and literally. A fine writer herself, she subjugated her own life, needs, and talent to assist me. She listened, encouraged, researched, transcribed from my diaries, organized, assembled, edited—without bias or reproach, and with all the gentle wisdom that an adult daughter who has shared so much of my journey can offer. It wasn’t always easy to open up and reveal certain truths. I didn’t want to reawaken old wounds, or inflict new ones. But she remained steadfast, nonjudgmental, curious, compassionate, loyal, and unafraid. Thank you, my darling Emma.
Leslie Wells edited my first memoir, Home, and it was unthinkable to attempt this second book without her. We are so grateful that she agreed to come aboard once again. Ever astute, honest, and kind, she steered Emma and me clear of many pitfalls and cheered us on when we needed it most. I recall with pleasure the hours we spent poring over photographs spread all over my dining table and floor, and the fun of being “just gals” together, while in the face of deadlines that seemed all but impossible.
Mauro DiPreta, founder and former VP and publisher of Hachette Books, served as our senior editor and stayed the course with us even after relocating to a new publishing home. We begged him for so many deadline extensions that he must have despaired of ever seeing the finished manuscript, but he was always patient and supportive.
Brant Rumble, executive editor at Hachette, came aboard seamlessly and has been a joy to work with as well. Our most sincere thanks also to Susan Weinberg, SVP/publisher at Perseus Books, and Mary Ann Naples, VP/publisher at Hachette.
Steve Sauer, my longtime manager and friend, was steadfast in protecting us from distractions, and helping us navigate the many other obligations, professional and personal, that threatened to derail the project from time to time. Thank you, dear Bubba, and thanks also to Jane McKnight, Steve’s indefatigable assistant.
Boundless gratitude to Amy Slack, my personal assistant, whose tireless efforts on Emma’s and my behalf encompassed everything from organizing files, photos, and supplies, to embarking on research, all while keeping my home and life in order and ensuring always that we were well fed and supplied with bottomless cups of tea. Amy’s cheerful, gentle, and loving presence kept our spirits up every day. Thanks must also go to her patient husband, Michael Cinque, who never complained about how busy Amy was or how much we asked of her.
As she did for my first memoir, Francine Taylor, another dear friend and longtime assistant, spent hundreds of hours without complaint transcribing the interviews that Emma and I recorded together, even when the audio was interrupted by dogs barking, doorbells ringing, and vacuum cleaners humming. Her occasional witty inserts into the transcripts always made us smile.
Julie Colbert, our agent at William Morris Endeavor, has been our champion throughout this project and beyond. Her constant support and gentle nudges of encouragement kept us going, and her sense of humor and clear judgment continue to refresh and inspire us.
Thanks must also go to other cherished members of my superb team, Ginny Davis and Christine Jardine, who have been with me for decades and who supplied data from archives, pulled materials out of storage, and held the fort for me in every way.
The vast majority of the photographs in this book were taken by my close friend Zoë Dominic. When she passed away, she transferred the rights to her work to her devoted friend, assistant, and photography colleague, Catherine Ashmore. Thank you, dear Catherine, for your profound generosity in providing us with the photographs contained in this book, and for seeming to drop everything at a moment’s notice to hunt for a specific image whenever we asked.
So many people helped with research for this book: Ted Chapin, president and chief creative officer of Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Kevin Kern, Brian Sibley, and Edward Ovalle at Disney Archives all provided valuable materials and information regarding Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music.
Tony Walton, my former spouse and Emma’s father, generously shared his datebooks and his memories (apologies, Tone, for the diary that went missing in a taxicab!). Tony and his loving wife, Gen LeRoy Walton, have been encouraging throughout, in spite of my sharing some personal stories that must have been painful to revisit. Tony’s sisters, Jen Gosney and Carol Hall, were also helpful in supplying memories and research materials. Emma and I thank you all, and love you dearly.
Needless to say, our entire family has contributed so much to this book, and their patience alone deserves our most profound thanks. Jennifer, Geoffrey, Amelia, and Joanna came to the rescue when our memories failed us, and gamely allowed us to reveal family stories, as did my brothers, John Wells and Donald Andrews, and my half sister, Celia (Shad) Day. My niece, Jessica Andrews, could not have been more supportive in giving her blessing to my revealing some painful truths about her beloved dad, my brother Chris, who sadly passed away several years ago.
An extra hug goes with gratitude to Emma’s husband, Steve Hamilton. This mother-in-law deeply appreciates your patience, guidance, and tact—not to mention the many superb meals and the shared laughter. Thanks, also, to Steve and Emma’s children, Sam and Hope. Sam’s computer skills often saved the day, as did his good eye, which helped us see little things we might never have spotted. Despite the frequent inconvenience of having Mum and Granny working such long and focused hours, Hope made her own contribution to the book by remaining patient, respectful, and resourceful throughout, knowing how much it mattered.
Emma and I extend heartfelt thanks to all at Hachette Books who have helped produce this memoir, including Michelle Aielli, Michael Barrs, John Colucci, Sarah Falter, Anthony Goff, Amanda Kain, David Lamb, Tom Louie, Michele McGonigle, Monica Oluwek, Adam Schnitzer, Cisca Schreefel, and Rick Willett, as well as Alan Samson, Maura Wilding, and Simon Wright at Orion Publishing Group in the UK, and the wonderful Cynthia Daniels and her team at Monk Music Studios for the audiobook version.
Finally, between 1963 and 1986, the years that this book encompasses, there were so many people who touched our lives. Many of them are mentioned in the book, but to have referenced them all would have made it twice the length. That said, I would like to acknowledge a few who are not referred to by name but who nevertheless played an important role in our lives during those nearly three decades:
Richard Adams
Jack Bear
Peter Bratschi
Trish Caroselli
Junius Covington
Joe Cranzano
Nicole David
Carrie Dietrich
Hedi Donizetti
Dorothy Drake
Jackie Fabitore
Judee Fraser
Linda Friedman
Setzi Ganev
Paul Glass
Jamie Gosney
Dwight Hemion
Leoni Hürlimann
Lynni Hutton
Mike Kaplan
Chris “QP” King
Buz Kohan
Kim LeMasters
Audrey Loggia
Walter Ludi
Arlene Ludwig
Ginny Mancini
Stan Marin
Michael Oliver
D.W. Owen
Patricia Poirier
Mary Prappas
Theodor Romang
Richard Rosenberg
Sol Rosenthal
Gene Schwam
Gary Smith
Jack Stevens and Reg Allen
Syri Stoll
Rosemary Taylor
The family Von Siebenthal
Bob Wells
Ken and Mitzi Welsh
Michael Wolf
Susan Wolf
JA & EWH
Sag Harbor, 2019