Found by Tatum O'Neal

Found is the sequel to Tatum O'Neal's first autobiography, A Paper Life.

It centers on the years after the release of the first book, and how examining your life through a 'tell-all' book doesn't exorcise the demons or repair relationships.

She deals frankly with her addictions, raising her children, and trying to reestablish a relationship with her actor father, Ryan O'Neal. He was absent for most of her life, leaving her and her brother to fend for themselves. In her teens, he left her again for Farrah Fawcett. His view is that Tatum made him choose between them, and he chose Farrah. She was married to John McEnroe for many years, and when that ended, she moved back to L.A. to begin acting again.

Having been the youngest person to win an Oscar for Paper Moon at the age of 8, there is a sense of never living up to that peak.

Tatum and Ryan filmed a docuseries called "The O'Neals", where they examined their relationship. It didn't bring them together as she hoped. They continue to write each other out of their lives, even though you can see they each want a connection. She came up with the optimistic title of the book before she wrote it, believing that at the end there would be closure and the beginning of a healthy relationship. Refreshingly, this book has no happy ending, just movement forward and continuing management of addiction.

I found this very frank and open. At each turn, she is trying her best to open the doors, to look honestly at both sides. When she is caught buying crack on the street, she can see the issues that prompted it and deals with the situation well. This is an honest and emotional look at a turbulent life and the road leading towards the future. She has a lot of insights that apply to family relationships and hit the nail on the head.

I feel like I know her, sympathize with her, and support her.

2011 / Hardcover / 304 pages