Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke

The Star--The public saw her as a gifted child??star: the youngest actor to win an Oscar for her role??as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and the??youngest actor to have a prime-time television series??bearing her own name. The Nightmare--What the??public did not see was Anna Marie Duke, a young girl??whose life changed forever at age seven when??tyrannical mangers stripped her of nearly all that was??familiar, beginning with her name. She was deprived??of family and friends. Her every word was??programmed, her every action monitored and criticized. She??was fed liquor and prescription drugs, taught to??lie to get work, and relentlessly drilled to win??roles. The Legend--Out of this nightmare emerged??Patty Duke, a show business legend still searching??for the child, Anna. She won three Emmy Awards and??divorced three husbands. A starring role in??Valley of the Dolls nearly ruined her??career. She was notorious for wild spending sprees,??turbulent liaisons, and an uncontrollable temper.??Until a long hidden illness was diagnosed, and her??amazing recovery recovery began. The Triumph--??Call Me Anna is an American success??story that grew out of a bizarre and desperate??struggle for survival. A harrowing, ultimately??triumphant story told by Patty Duke herself--wife,??mother, political activist, President of the Screen??Actors Guild, and at last, a happy, fulfilled woman??whose miracle is her own life.