Memoirs

For more than 40 years, Nana Mouskouri has been a global singing sensation. Her fascinating story ranges from her earliest childhood memories of mid-1930s Greece to her unstoppable rise to the summit of her profession. She tells of life as a child, experiencing the horrors of war and privation, victimized by bitter parental discord, and stigmatized by her father's fatal addiction to gambling. She was a shy inhibited teenager with a passion for singing, a girl compelled to choose between her love of classical music and her fascination with popular song. As a highly successful adult, she has been racked by uncertainty and the torments of love, a woman struggling to balance music with her role as wife and mother. Here she describes life from her beginnings in the nightclubs of Athens to her triumphs on the world's most glittering stages. Nana launches us into her international tours, taking us to Canada, the United States, Japan, and Australasia as well as every country in Europe. She describes how she fought to win over audiences everywhere. Hers is a rich and astonishing life, studded with exceptional encounters and friendships. The incomparable trumpeter Quincy Jones, a musician Nana had secretely worshipped since childhood, introduced her to the United States and became her producer. Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, and the Empress Farah Diba of Iran are among the galaxy of extraordinary figures who played a vital part in Nana's career. Intimate and rich in humanity and music, like a spotlit global tour, Nana's book is an event.