Rowan's Reviews > Love, Pamela

Confession: my first celebrity crush was Pamela Anderson. I was six years old and thought CJ from Baywatch was great. I wanted to be her friend. I later discovered Pamela had endured her share of adversity, but didn’t realise the full extent - until now.

“We lived off food stamps and powdered milk. I’ll never forget the chalky taste. I dreaded my cereal in the morning.”

Love, Pamela is the story of someone taking back their narrative. There are no ghost writers here. It begins with fourteen pages of free verse poetry. I knew this was going to be a unique memoir. Pamela writes on her own terms - always something to admire. Her poetry is weaved throughout and captures her warm personality and kind soul.

The first half explores her childhood and early years on Vancouver Island. It was harrowing to read of the abuse and domestic violence she endured. Sadly, this would feature in many of her adult relationships too. It would have been easy for her life to take another direction. But it was inspiring to learn how she overcame these struggles and created a fulfilling life for herself.

“I could not have survived my adult life without the strength I learned to muster early on.”

Pamela writes with honesty and vulnerability – particularly the first half. Certain sections gave me anxiety. There are many vivid characters too. People seemed fictional yet real. One moment I was smiling, the next feeling a sense of doom as another relationship turned sour.

I found myself amazed at how well-read she is. Pamela’s passion for art, poetry and knowledge is infectious. It was interesting to read about the origins of her veganism and activism, and how she catapulted into fame.

“No matter how I tried, the image was bigger than me and always won. My life took off without me.”

Pamela writes with self-awareness, particularly in regards to formative relationships. The second half, however, lacked some of this initial depth, and skimmed the surface. In her own words, she was stuck between protecting others and blurting out the truth. The book suffered because of this.

A subtle insecurity began to manifest across the pages in these latter sections. It was like Pamela was caught up trying to convince readers of her intelligence, parenting skills, and ability to make the world a better place through her various causes. At times, it felt more resume than memoir in its delivery.

Despite this, I was captivated by Pamela’s story and empowering way she poured herself into this memoir. It’s always good when you finish a book with greater respect and admiration for the author. Congrats on taking back your story, Pamela, and for doing so with grace and humility.

“You can think your way out of living.
This is when I learned
To flip the script—
When you change your thoughts,
you change your life.”