Survivor

Succeeding Mommie Dearest and the novel Black Widow , which featured a character obviously based on her adoptive mother, Joan Crawford, this book continues the story of the author's life as a survivor. One's inclination is to sympathize with a woman who endured an abused childhood, an almost fatal stroke (1981), a divorce that left her seriously in debt and other traumas. But readers could be put off by the author's egocentric, self-pitying tone and complaints about the film based on Mommie Dearest , unsatisfactory accommodations and the stress of publicity tours, criticism from those who failed to grasp the purpose of that memoir as a weapon against a serious social problem, etc. There is much of interest, however, in descriptions of how the author fought against despair, finding hope and stability through a variety of spiritual experiences. Disappointingly, she neglects to mention her work as commissioner of Children's Services in Los Angeles or as a consultant-lecturer on family violence, despite the overriding importance of these subjects. 150,000 first printing; $150,000 ad/promo; author tour. (October)