My Life to Live by Agnes Nixon

Completed just a couple of days before she died in September 2016 at age 93, Agnes Nixon’s autobiography is a fascinating narrative about her relationships and her work. It is, of course, well written, as she was a master storyteller. Famous for being the creator and head writer of soap operas that aired for more than 40 years, the author herself has an intriguing life history. Her autobiography encapsulates a couple of eras that have now come to an end, including a childhood in post-Depression America, and young adulthood during World War II, and an adulthood that spanned the second half of the 20th century. Her parents had a great influence on her, both for good and for ill, shaping her aspirations. She was burdened with the feeling of having to prove herself long after that should have been a non-issue. Agnes Nixon used her unique platform to tell stories that demonstrate how much people influence and are influenced by those closest to them. If you are curious about serial storytelling from the time of 1940s radio through the television soap-opera era, or about how a person’s background might lead them into such a field, you will enjoy this book. It is highly readable and engaging, and you will come away with an admiration for a determined yet gracious woman who made her way through a family and in a world which were not particularly welcoming but which both came to value her for who she was and what she offered, on her terms. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.