The Face That Changed It All: A Memoir

In this entertaining memoir, supermodel Johnson tells of her rise to success—from her youthful work in a fashion store to juggling college and modeling and then on to taking the fashion world by storm. Johnson became the first black cover model of American Vogue 1974 then continued to model for decades. She also struggled with difficult marriages, drug addiction, financial exploitation, and custody arrangements for her daughter before finally reaching some measure of peace. Johnson details every part of her life, leaving nothing out, and the reward for readers is an intimate look at the world of modeling and the grit and glamour of the 1970s and ’80s. She recalls Bill Cosby attempting to assault her, and reflects on how she had the strength to talk about it after other women came forward. While the memoir sometimes jumps in time, making it difficult to follow, the vignettes are clear. Johnson’s memoir ends on a note of personal growth (that is, when Johnson decided to get clean and sober). While the writing is lackluster, fans of her career will find much here to interest them. (Aug.)