From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Lisa Marie Presley planned to write a memoir for several years before her death. She began recording the stories that shape most of this book, supplemented by her daughter Riley Keough. Mother and daughter were obviously close, a constant in each other’s lives. Living in the reflection of Elvis, a rock and roll idol, shaped both women’s lives.

Lisa Marie discusses her childhood at Graceland, as well as being pulled back and forth between her father and mother after their divorce in 1973. The loss of her father at such a young age was no doubt the force that determined many of her life choices. Lisa Marie talks about her multiple marriages, including to Michael Jackson, and the deep love she had for her four children. She talks about her addictions and how they affected her and her family. Her son’s death by suicide was shocking, and as a mother, I found it heartbreaking.

Here’s where I was going into this book:

Elvis fan? Not especially, but I can appreciate how he shaped the rock and roll world. I don’t dislike him, but I’ve never bought or sought out any of his music. I remember where I was when he died in 1977, and my mom and aunts crying.

Lisa Marie? Sure, I liked her although she didn’t have a long musical career. I remember thinking she looked and sounded so much like her famous father. I even bought a couple of her CDs.

Riley? I knew that she was Lisa Marie’s daughter, an actor, and starred in Daisy Jones & the Six, which I still haven’t seen even though I loved the book/audiobook by Taylor Jenkins Reid. (Note to self: you definitely want to watch this!)

Did this book change my opinions on the Presley clan? I found this to be a touching and poignant memoir of a woman who was never going to have a normal life. Lisa Marie’s father’s celebrity was both a blessing and a curse, influencing how others treated her and how she looked at the world. I hope that daughters Riley, Finley, and Harper find a balance in life that their mother never did.

And I may just put on a little Lisa Marie Presley music on my drive home.