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My Father's Daughter: A Memoir
An engaging and largely sympathetic portrait of life in the Sinatra household by daughter Tina focuses on the his marriage to Barbara Marx Sinatra and his later years. 400,000 first printing.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
July 27, 2015
Oh my. The claws come out scratching in this one. YES! This is why we read celebrity memoirs! You go, Tina! I want to buy another exclamation point!
There are dozens upon dozens of books about Francis Albert Sinatra, but if you can start with Frank: The Voice, which tells us about his early life, then segue into Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra, which provides us the middle years, and then end with this dilly from Tina Sinatra, you would have all you need. I gobbled this volume right up, as Frank's youngest daughter presents a life in three acts. Success, anguish, decline.
First, we get the brief overview of Sinatra's beginnings, followed by the multiple marriages but always loyal first wife and offspring...and then it becomes King Lear as the famous crooner loses his way. Ooooh! Sinatra's fourth wife makes her appearance and she is the epitome of the evil stepmother. Maybe she even had a magical mirror in her Beverly Hills mansion (which she had her husband buy for her). Tina is very loyal to her father and I don't doubt her story, as I worked in the industry during his last years and the lots were abuzz about how the greatest entertainer of the 20th Century was being controlled by a Brothers Grimm character (who tells her side of the story in Lady Blue Eyes: My Life with Frank).
I will always have a soft spot for Frankie. As a teenager in the 1980s, I saw a book about model trains at a library sale. I bought it and sent it to him. Complete stranger. Two weeks later, I received a handwritten two-page letter telling me how much he appreciated the book and how it helped him update his model train layout. After that, I would receive twice-yearly calls from his office, asking me if I would be interested in attending one of his Vegas shows. There was always a front-row table and an attentive waiter. All because I sent him a book. The man was marvelous. It hurts that he lost his bearings in old age and became a tragic figure manipulated by a gold digger.
'Scuse me while I disappear
Book Season = Summer (take out the old turntable)
There are dozens upon dozens of books about Francis Albert Sinatra, but if you can start with Frank: The Voice, which tells us about his early life, then segue into Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra, which provides us the middle years, and then end with this dilly from Tina Sinatra, you would have all you need. I gobbled this volume right up, as Frank's youngest daughter presents a life in three acts. Success, anguish, decline.
First, we get the brief overview of Sinatra's beginnings, followed by the multiple marriages but always loyal first wife and offspring...and then it becomes King Lear as the famous crooner loses his way. Ooooh! Sinatra's fourth wife makes her appearance and she is the epitome of the evil stepmother. Maybe she even had a magical mirror in her Beverly Hills mansion (which she had her husband buy for her). Tina is very loyal to her father and I don't doubt her story, as I worked in the industry during his last years and the lots were abuzz about how the greatest entertainer of the 20th Century was being controlled by a Brothers Grimm character (who tells her side of the story in Lady Blue Eyes: My Life with Frank).
I will always have a soft spot for Frankie. As a teenager in the 1980s, I saw a book about model trains at a library sale. I bought it and sent it to him. Complete stranger. Two weeks later, I received a handwritten two-page letter telling me how much he appreciated the book and how it helped him update his model train layout. After that, I would receive twice-yearly calls from his office, asking me if I would be interested in attending one of his Vegas shows. There was always a front-row table and an attentive waiter. All because I sent him a book. The man was marvelous. It hurts that he lost his bearings in old age and became a tragic figure manipulated by a gold digger.
'Scuse me while I disappear
Book Season = Summer (take out the old turntable)
December 30, 2014
This book, written by Frank Sinatra’s youngest child, is a fascinating insight into the man behind the music. It’s also a book of two halves. In the first half, Tina describes life as a young child, with a loving but often absent father – Frank having left Tina’s mother Nancy for Ava Gardner, while Tina was a baby. Although clearly very close to her mother, Tina speaks well of Gardner, and even better of her father’s third wife, Mia Farrow, with whom she became good friends.
In the second half of the book, things take a sombre turn, as Frank marries his fourth and final wife, Barbara Marx, who was formerly married to Marx brother Zeppo. The difficulties between Barbara and Frank’s children – Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina herself – have been fairly well documented, but here, any gaps are filled in, and Tina lets rip at Barbara. (I have read Barbara Sinatra’s book, 'Lady Blue Eyes', which tells the story from the other side. I didn’t enjoy that book anywhere near as much as those, or take to the author, and given the stories which were flying about within the industry while Frank and Barbara were married, I tend to believe Tina’s side of the story, although obviously only those who were there know the full truth.)
Tina describes how her mother and father remained close and loyal friends for the rest of Frank’s life, and how they often talked about getting back together. It is sad to read about the troubles within the family upon Frank’s fourth marriage, and occasionally Tina makes a few assumptions about Barbara’s motives or actions, but it certainly appears that Barbara intentionally made life difficult for the Sinatra children, and caused a rift between them and their father. Toward the end of his life, Frank Sinatra suffered from various illnesses, and was also diagnosed with dementia, and there is a real sense of tenderness in how Tina talks of her father. His death and funeral were beautifully described, by a daughter who clearly loved her dad very deeply.
I would certainly recommend this book to any fans of Frank Sinatra – it’s an interesting and engaging read. It’s not the book to read if you want to find out more about his career; it’s definitely a very personal memoir concentrating on Frank’s private life, but all the more enjoyable for it.
In the second half of the book, things take a sombre turn, as Frank marries his fourth and final wife, Barbara Marx, who was formerly married to Marx brother Zeppo. The difficulties between Barbara and Frank’s children – Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina herself – have been fairly well documented, but here, any gaps are filled in, and Tina lets rip at Barbara. (I have read Barbara Sinatra’s book, 'Lady Blue Eyes', which tells the story from the other side. I didn’t enjoy that book anywhere near as much as those, or take to the author, and given the stories which were flying about within the industry while Frank and Barbara were married, I tend to believe Tina’s side of the story, although obviously only those who were there know the full truth.)
Tina describes how her mother and father remained close and loyal friends for the rest of Frank’s life, and how they often talked about getting back together. It is sad to read about the troubles within the family upon Frank’s fourth marriage, and occasionally Tina makes a few assumptions about Barbara’s motives or actions, but it certainly appears that Barbara intentionally made life difficult for the Sinatra children, and caused a rift between them and their father. Toward the end of his life, Frank Sinatra suffered from various illnesses, and was also diagnosed with dementia, and there is a real sense of tenderness in how Tina talks of her father. His death and funeral were beautifully described, by a daughter who clearly loved her dad very deeply.
I would certainly recommend this book to any fans of Frank Sinatra – it’s an interesting and engaging read. It’s not the book to read if you want to find out more about his career; it’s definitely a very personal memoir concentrating on Frank’s private life, but all the more enjoyable for it.
February 18, 2015
Very sweet tribute from a daughter to her titan of a father. My partner's mom gave me this as we share a love of film/music bio and it was a quick read. Such a warm and sweet book in almost every way. Most biographies have a hard time humanizing someone as big as Sinatra. His daughter has no such trouble. You can truly see the humanity of such a bigger than life person through his daughter's eyes. At the same time, you find out what an interesting person the daughter is too. Tina Sinatra manages to write a book that brings out a side of the chairman of the board that most people would never imagine. She does not sugar coat his flaws as a father or a husband, but she clearly forgives them and sees her dad as a whole person while still adoring him. I think I learned more about Sinatra the man from this book than any other book I have ever read that involved him. He was such a different person with his family than he was with anyone else in the world. You see the human, you see the conflict within him from religion, to infidelity, to his career ups and downs and his very sad and twisted final marriage(seriously --you want to talk wicked stepmother? look no further than Barbara Sinatra. ) That is probably the main "juicy" component to the book. I personally just found it very sad. To think of such a powerful and talented man, becoming dominated by this terrible and honestly incredibly typical gold digger is extremely sad. Thank goodness he had such a loving family and support system--despite his last wife's attempts to shut them out. Really good read.
July 26, 2012
I am a HUGE Sinatra fan, so I was excited to come home one day and find this book had arrived in my mail. I devoured it. Tina Sinatra writes in a very accessible style and presents her relationship with her father, siblings, mother, intimate friends, and her father's last wife, Barbara. This is not a "dishy" book; Tina describes her father warts and all, yet preserves his dignity with the respectful eye of a true reporter.
I felt sad throughout the book. Frank Sinatra seemed like a haunted man. He certainly enjoyed the high life, but there was a pervasive, underlying sense of depression during his life. His home life as a boy was probably emotionally damaging, and then of course the trappings of fame and unbounded wealth... I kept wishing he had stayed with his first wife. They seemed so well-suited and certainly his children would have benefitted. Frank was handsome, gregarious, famous, talented, feted worldwide, admired, wealthy - and unhappy deep down.
My favorite part of the book was the description of Frank's funeral. Tina wrote so vividly and tenderly I could really picture the church, the flowers, the music - aah, the music. It must have been a beautiful send off. RIP, Frank - there will never be another one like you.
I felt sad throughout the book. Frank Sinatra seemed like a haunted man. He certainly enjoyed the high life, but there was a pervasive, underlying sense of depression during his life. His home life as a boy was probably emotionally damaging, and then of course the trappings of fame and unbounded wealth... I kept wishing he had stayed with his first wife. They seemed so well-suited and certainly his children would have benefitted. Frank was handsome, gregarious, famous, talented, feted worldwide, admired, wealthy - and unhappy deep down.
My favorite part of the book was the description of Frank's funeral. Tina wrote so vividly and tenderly I could really picture the church, the flowers, the music - aah, the music. It must have been a beautiful send off. RIP, Frank - there will never be another one like you.
November 25, 2023
I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated. Partly I enjoyed learning how, despite his larger than life personality, Frank Sinatra was just as unsure of himself and as vulnerable as any one of us with the same worries and regrets. The other side was how I could relate to his daughter watching her father get old and suffer from Dementia and heart disease. The similarities brought tears to my eyes right down to his love of grapes and Oreos!
September 27, 2016
Definitely a must read for any fellow Sinatra enthusiast. Very moving and not sugar coated, yet very insightful and informative.
June 9, 2008
Third wives are not to be trusted!
January 5, 2022
From Tina’s perspective, this is her side of the story. She wrote this book to show us how much she loved her father. But, this book also showed us how much a father Frank was not in anyway perfect and also how it affected Tina and her siblings as they grew into adulthood.
Frank was Frank and that was that. He was his mother’s son just as much as Tina was her father’s daughter. Frank and Tina were carbon copies of personality. Tina made every effort in her own mind to protect Frank. How much she did so was negligible when all was said and done.
Frank was his own man. But, he used his exalting demeanor with everyone to hide his vulnerability. He was an unstable man who was fearful, scared, and at times unhinged. He was always tried to compensate for his bad behavior by buying people off with gifts of money or charity. He was always trying to find “love” or a semblance of that emotion to fulfill what never got from Dolly, his own mother. His upbringing left an permanent mark on him. As a result he was always looking but never finding what he needed.
He knew by the time he was too old to do anything about his life that he had failed his first wife and their three children. Always trying but never succeeding. Tina wrote what she saw from child’s eye, then from a teenage prospective and finally from her adulthood lens. All three were exactly the same view. Her father was there but want really there. He didn’t know how to be.
The Sinatra family was famous and as dysfunctional as every family out there. Being an Italian one at that was no field trip either. Lots of drama. Tina participated to the bitter end. She held her step mother Barbara in contempt the entire time she was married to Frank. Frank made his bed and slept in it.
This book showed how a entertainer of world renowned was nothing more than a man who was just as screwed up as anyone else. But, the one thing that allowed him to have the power and control that he had was the unbelievable amount of money he had and continue to make it almost until he died.
But, as they say money can’t buy happiness and you can’t take it with you. Frank just did it his way blows and all.
Frank was Frank and that was that. He was his mother’s son just as much as Tina was her father’s daughter. Frank and Tina were carbon copies of personality. Tina made every effort in her own mind to protect Frank. How much she did so was negligible when all was said and done.
Frank was his own man. But, he used his exalting demeanor with everyone to hide his vulnerability. He was an unstable man who was fearful, scared, and at times unhinged. He was always tried to compensate for his bad behavior by buying people off with gifts of money or charity. He was always trying to find “love” or a semblance of that emotion to fulfill what never got from Dolly, his own mother. His upbringing left an permanent mark on him. As a result he was always looking but never finding what he needed.
He knew by the time he was too old to do anything about his life that he had failed his first wife and their three children. Always trying but never succeeding. Tina wrote what she saw from child’s eye, then from a teenage prospective and finally from her adulthood lens. All three were exactly the same view. Her father was there but want really there. He didn’t know how to be.
The Sinatra family was famous and as dysfunctional as every family out there. Being an Italian one at that was no field trip either. Lots of drama. Tina participated to the bitter end. She held her step mother Barbara in contempt the entire time she was married to Frank. Frank made his bed and slept in it.
This book showed how a entertainer of world renowned was nothing more than a man who was just as screwed up as anyone else. But, the one thing that allowed him to have the power and control that he had was the unbelievable amount of money he had and continue to make it almost until he died.
But, as they say money can’t buy happiness and you can’t take it with you. Frank just did it his way blows and all.
January 24, 2023
What a fascinating insight into the life of a legend, seen through the eyes of his youngest child. I found myself interested in Tina’s life too, not just her father’s, and I really admire her bravery at being so open, honest, and in touch with her feelings. Incredibly moving, and unflinchingly and refreshingly real—this book really touched me.
February 8, 2024
3.5 stars.
February 24, 2008
This is a wonderfully written book, written by the youngest of the Sinatra children. In this book Tina, tells a wonderful story about her father, and what it was like growing up as one of the children of what was probably the best known man in the world. She also put 86 wonderful pictures into the book, most of which are from private Sinatra family albums, and would have never been seen by the general public otherwise. However it's not all Wine And Roses, she also tells stories of how hard it was on her and her family when he divorced Nancy, and what he was like during his much later years, and his ultimate decline. There are also many stories in the book that otherwise never would have left the Sinatra family. Perfect, if you want many stories that you would never hear otherwise, and pictures you would never see otherwise and a warmly written memoir.
October 2, 2018
I’m a big fan of Frank Sinatra’s music but knew little about him, outside of what I read in Ava Gardner and Betty Bacall’s biographies. I wanted to dip my toe into his story without committing to, what seems to be the one that sets the Frank Sinatra biography standard with, James Kaplan’s Frank:The Voice.
This memoir completely fit the bill! I learned quite a bit more about the performer but felt like I got to really know the man too, as seen through Tina’s eyes.
The father and daughter bond is a very special one and it was so beautiful to read through theirs. What a shame Barbara Sinatra drove a deep wedge through that bond but, while it sure bent, it was beautiful to read that their bond did not break as it sometimes does in other families.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone looking to kick off their journey into the life of F.S.
This memoir completely fit the bill! I learned quite a bit more about the performer but felt like I got to really know the man too, as seen through Tina’s eyes.
The father and daughter bond is a very special one and it was so beautiful to read through theirs. What a shame Barbara Sinatra drove a deep wedge through that bond but, while it sure bent, it was beautiful to read that their bond did not break as it sometimes does in other families.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone looking to kick off their journey into the life of F.S.
August 19, 2013
Tina was previously the least known of the Sinatra offspring. Now that I read of the artistic (mini series biopic) and business trust The Chairman of the Board put into his youngest casts her in a new light. A harsh light is cast on Barbara Sinatra, Zeppo Marx's ex- and Frank's final wife. Apparently more of a parasite than a companion, she became a wedge between Frank and his family in his final years and emerged the successful gold digger with money and booty.
April 23, 2010
Written by the youngest of the Sinatra clan, this book gave much insight into Frank Sinatra's life. I came out of the book with a better understanding of him as a person, and realizing that the public front was not everything to be seen. Sometimes that is hard to remember with someone so huge in the public imagination.
August 13, 2010
Enjoyed this - remembered I read it a while ago, now that I'm about to read another take - this one from his personal assistant. The preview at Google wetted my appetite . . . with lots of bizarre and idiosyncratic characters which seems to be the norm in Tinsel Town.
November 10, 2020
This book is the sort of memoir that no one wants to be on the wrong side of. Tina Sinatra, by no means the most famous of the Sinatras, given that her brother and sister both had successful musical careers and her father a very successful career in film and music, had a well-earned reputation as one of the defenders of the well-being of the Sinatra family estate, which featured some drama because of the bad relationship between the Sinatra children and the last wife that Frank Sinatra had. And while this book is by no means a tell-all memoir, in that it does not tell as much as one might have hoped about the author's own life, but it does give a feeling of what it was like to grow up in a broken household where the father was simply unable to be content with a wife at home and kept on having to break things up because he wanted a professional woman, but not one who was too professional that she was unable to keep things solid at home. The author appears to have a shrewd understanding of her father, and the story told is a somewhat harrowing one.
This book is about 300 pages long, and it contains the sorts of contents that the author thought worthwhile in expressing her own relationship with her siblings and mother and father in the midst of a famous and famously dysfunctional family. In this book, the author expresses why her father was a simp for believing that he had to be married, even though he was not the best-suited person to marriage and made some terrible relationship choices. There are quite a few photos from the Sinatra's own family collection and also some obvious score settling, as the author expresses her frustration at the political struggles that Sinatra faced and the way that he was frequently investigated for supposed mob ties despite never having any criminal connection, and paying his debts through music performance rather than anything of an improper nature. And it should be noted that while this book is by no means a completely candid memoir, it certainly makes it plain the way that fame and fortune have divided the Sinatra family against each other, and that is a real shame.
This is the sort of book that has an ingrained bias and perspective in it because the author is openly seeking to settle scores. Some of the jabs that the author makes are rather darkly humorous, as when she points out the ways that the Kennedys took advantage of her father for political support from the mob and then cast him aside as soon as they got what they wanted with JFK in the White House, or the way that her razor wit flashes when it comes to the repercussions of Sinatra's search for an annulment without understanding its full repercussions on his first wife and children, who were left to wonder if the Catholic Church considered them illegitimate or what. And while the book is clearly written with a perspective and a bias, and therefore there are certain things about it that may not be written with the sort of neutrality one would expect in a history, as a memoir about the relationship between a famous and estranged and bungling father and a fiercely loyal daughter, this book is well worth reading. Admittedly, this is a book that will likely be easier to read and appreciate if one is already a fan of Frank Sinatra's music as well as his family life, but someone interested in the intersection between music and politics and family and business will find much to reflect on here.
This book is about 300 pages long, and it contains the sorts of contents that the author thought worthwhile in expressing her own relationship with her siblings and mother and father in the midst of a famous and famously dysfunctional family. In this book, the author expresses why her father was a simp for believing that he had to be married, even though he was not the best-suited person to marriage and made some terrible relationship choices. There are quite a few photos from the Sinatra's own family collection and also some obvious score settling, as the author expresses her frustration at the political struggles that Sinatra faced and the way that he was frequently investigated for supposed mob ties despite never having any criminal connection, and paying his debts through music performance rather than anything of an improper nature. And it should be noted that while this book is by no means a completely candid memoir, it certainly makes it plain the way that fame and fortune have divided the Sinatra family against each other, and that is a real shame.
This is the sort of book that has an ingrained bias and perspective in it because the author is openly seeking to settle scores. Some of the jabs that the author makes are rather darkly humorous, as when she points out the ways that the Kennedys took advantage of her father for political support from the mob and then cast him aside as soon as they got what they wanted with JFK in the White House, or the way that her razor wit flashes when it comes to the repercussions of Sinatra's search for an annulment without understanding its full repercussions on his first wife and children, who were left to wonder if the Catholic Church considered them illegitimate or what. And while the book is clearly written with a perspective and a bias, and therefore there are certain things about it that may not be written with the sort of neutrality one would expect in a history, as a memoir about the relationship between a famous and estranged and bungling father and a fiercely loyal daughter, this book is well worth reading. Admittedly, this is a book that will likely be easier to read and appreciate if one is already a fan of Frank Sinatra's music as well as his family life, but someone interested in the intersection between music and politics and family and business will find much to reflect on here.
December 6, 2022
Tina is the one offspring I am least familiar with. Tina’s siblings have been in the spotlight, but always seemed reserved. Tina, on the other hand is the feisty one, and not afraid to speak up. She writes about a man that most of the world idolizes, and talks about his personal relationship with his family. A side no one has ever seen. I thought this was a very candid account of her relationship with her father. To me, she seemed restrained when discussing Barbara, the 3rd wife. I never liked that one. I truly thought she was a gold digger, and after what Tina wrote, there is no question. I believe Gene Kelly also had a similar situation happen in his declining years too.
Tina’s words show how very human a man he was off the stage. There is no doubt the man had charisma, but he also had weaknesses when it came to the ladies. It is so easy for people to think that some have it all, and wonder why problems happen. Talent and skill do not always overcome emotions and behavior, especially if the person does not realize there might be a problem. I did cringe at many of Tina’s observations about her father. There were times, as she admitted, she also didn’t react or think the way she wished she had after a situation. I wish the book was longer. When I hear Frank’s music, I listen with a new appreciation…..and I wish somebody could have obliterated Barbara out of the picture!
Tina’s words show how very human a man he was off the stage. There is no doubt the man had charisma, but he also had weaknesses when it came to the ladies. It is so easy for people to think that some have it all, and wonder why problems happen. Talent and skill do not always overcome emotions and behavior, especially if the person does not realize there might be a problem. I did cringe at many of Tina’s observations about her father. There were times, as she admitted, she also didn’t react or think the way she wished she had after a situation. I wish the book was longer. When I hear Frank’s music, I listen with a new appreciation…..and I wish somebody could have obliterated Barbara out of the picture!
August 9, 2021
A memoir on the life of Frank Sinatra by his daughter. She obviously loves her father and her family very much. Her father is larger than life in her eyes and she doesn't offer much on the darker side of her father's life, for instance his involvement with the mob in Las Vegas. She skims over much of it and doesn't seem to believe the rest. Aside from that it was interesting to get an insider's view of her father's personal life and his first 3 marriages. Then we come to his last marriage. She portrays the fourth wife as a golddigger who tries to shut out everyone in the family so she can have the man and his money all for herself. While reading the book I wondered if their wasn't another side to the story. But then after finishing the book I saw that there was a book by the fourth wife called Lady Blue Eyes. After reading the Goodreads reviews for this book I think the daughter did not exaggerate her opinion of this horrible person. I read that the wife did not even mention Frank's children in her book and instead focused on the famous people she knew and how much money she had and complained about everything. So I would say skip the wife's memoir and read this one by the daughter instead.
February 18, 2020
When we think of Frank Sinatra, we remember a man with a voice--an entertainer who was in a class by himself. Tina Sinatra, however, remembers a man she called 'dad'. Obviously, there were many sides to that skinny kid from Jersey and it wasn't all delightful. I found this book to be eye-opening and it certainly did not paint a perfect picture. Tina (and her siblings) loved their father--flaws and all. He could be kind, selfless and just as quickly turn angry and mean. His relationship with his children was complicated, but he did love them. His lifestyle, however, prohibited him from being a full-time father. Their mother, Nancy, was long-suffering and stayed loyal to the man she married throughout her long life (she died in 2018 at the age of 101). Tina did not paint a nice picture of her father's last wife, Barbara Marx, but she claims to have liked Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow. Regardless, my take on this book was that Mr. S was looking for what he already had in his first marriage--someone who was devoted to him. A sad life for a talented man who gave so much of himself to the public that there was little left over for those who truly loved him.
March 12, 2022
After reading the book by Frank's last wife, Barbara, it was suggested that I read the book by his youngest daughter. What a shocking difference between the two. I have never been a huge fan of Frank Sinatra, but do enjoy his music/movies and always enjoyed seeing old videos of "The Rat Pack" and wanted to learn a little more about his him. This book gives a very good view of life inside the world of a superstar and it is not always pretty.
Tina is very devoted to her father and appears she would have been very willing to share his affection with Barbara, but it seems that Barbara wanted him all to herself as well as most of his $$. Tina seemed fond of Frank's other wives, all of which Frank always kept tabs on and helped out when they might have needed it. Frank's first wife and the mother of his children always held a place in his heart. Another tidbit that touched me was that for years, Frank talked to his children every night, even into adulthood. Family was everything to him.
This is an enlightening view of Frank Sinatra, his life, both with its ups and downs, and his family. This book also reinforces the old saying that success and Hollywood can eat a person up.
Tina is very devoted to her father and appears she would have been very willing to share his affection with Barbara, but it seems that Barbara wanted him all to herself as well as most of his $$. Tina seemed fond of Frank's other wives, all of which Frank always kept tabs on and helped out when they might have needed it. Frank's first wife and the mother of his children always held a place in his heart. Another tidbit that touched me was that for years, Frank talked to his children every night, even into adulthood. Family was everything to him.
This is an enlightening view of Frank Sinatra, his life, both with its ups and downs, and his family. This book also reinforces the old saying that success and Hollywood can eat a person up.
March 21, 2021
I liked this book more than I thought I would. I've long been a Sinatra fan and had read other books about him, so I didn't expect much new, but having recently read Barbara's book, I was curious about this one. It really showed a different, very loving side of Frank. I was not aware of how close he and first wife Nancy were for his entire life.
My father was a HUGE Sinatra fan. He died when I was 20, and reading Tina's words about her own father's death brought tears to my eyes. It was like I was experiencing my own loss all over again.
As for Barbara: I'd read her own memoirs, as I mentioned, and was stunned by how mercenary she came across. A woman writing the story of her own life is likely to present herself in the best possible light; can it be that Barbara was unaware of how shallow and unfeeling she appeared? and presumably really was? Tina's book only reinforced what I already suspected from Barbara's book: that the latter did all she could to get a fortune out of Frank and to eliminate his children from his life.
My father was a HUGE Sinatra fan. He died when I was 20, and reading Tina's words about her own father's death brought tears to my eyes. It was like I was experiencing my own loss all over again.
As for Barbara: I'd read her own memoirs, as I mentioned, and was stunned by how mercenary she came across. A woman writing the story of her own life is likely to present herself in the best possible light; can it be that Barbara was unaware of how shallow and unfeeling she appeared? and presumably really was? Tina's book only reinforced what I already suspected from Barbara's book: that the latter did all she could to get a fortune out of Frank and to eliminate his children from his life.
July 16, 2018
I am left kind of speechless after finishing this book. I do feel we see one side here. Can the last wife be that awful? Just curious if we will ever know. And not from this book. I wanted a more uplifting book about Frank Sinatra. I guess this wasn't a good pick for that. Written by his youngest daughter, it is pretty one sided. I'm not saying it wasn't interesting, but just not a complete picture. And to top it off, the day after I finished reading the book, Frank's first wife, Nancy, passes away. That was some strange timing there. She was 101. And, of course, in this book, she had no shortcomings or sins of her own. That can be totally true. I don't know anything about her other than how she was portrayed in her daughter's book. I hope that Frank and Nancy truly had the amazing connection that is referred to often in this book. They are together again......
October 3, 2017
Written by the youngest daughter of the Sinatra clan, Tina, this book presented a different insight into Frank Sinatra's life and career. Having just finished his third wife, Barbara’s book, “Lady Blue Eyes," I reached the conclusion that perhaps Tina’s book provided me with a better understanding of him as a person, and realized that the public front as written by the wife was not everything to be seen.
As I was reading the wife’s book, I wondered why this book made no mention of Frank's girls. Had they had been erased from his life? By reading Tina’s book, she paints a full picture of his life . . . warts and all, and lets the reader find a better understanding of this man/family behind the voice.
As I was reading the wife’s book, I wondered why this book made no mention of Frank's girls. Had they had been erased from his life? By reading Tina’s book, she paints a full picture of his life . . . warts and all, and lets the reader find a better understanding of this man/family behind the voice.
June 15, 2018
This wasn't really what I was expecting. It was so depressing, honestly! Frank Sinatra is one of my favorite singers and I knew that his personal life was tough at times, but wow.
Was his last wife really that horrible? I can't imagine it. But what I also couldn't believe was that Tina devoted about half of her book to that whole debacle. I'm sorry, but it got old, pages and pages about lawyers and doctors and what Barbara said or did. It was just a mess and I got tired of reading about it. I feel like it detracted from what this was supposed to be: a daughter's memoir about her dad.
I also thought it was so sad that Frank always seemed to regret what happened with Nancy. I wish they could have made things work...it would have made everyone happier, it seems.
Was his last wife really that horrible? I can't imagine it. But what I also couldn't believe was that Tina devoted about half of her book to that whole debacle. I'm sorry, but it got old, pages and pages about lawyers and doctors and what Barbara said or did. It was just a mess and I got tired of reading about it. I feel like it detracted from what this was supposed to be: a daughter's memoir about her dad.
I also thought it was so sad that Frank always seemed to regret what happened with Nancy. I wish they could have made things work...it would have made everyone happier, it seems.
April 1, 2021
Part memoir/autobiography, and biography.
Written by Franks youngest of three children, Tina (born 1948)
I’d say it’s mostly about their relationship, ups and downs.
His acting and music career are detailed here and there, so are his children Nancy and Frank, the latter of whom he didn’t see eye to eye with in that father son way.
Also apparent is the strained and at times turbulent relationship between Tina and Franks fourth wife Barbara that’s laid out in depth.
Overall a solid 4 star effort that paints him as loving, doting and flawed like any man star or not.
If you’re looking for a light, well written, easy read about the man you’ve found it.
If you want a full length biography look elsewhere.
Written by Franks youngest of three children, Tina (born 1948)
I’d say it’s mostly about their relationship, ups and downs.
His acting and music career are detailed here and there, so are his children Nancy and Frank, the latter of whom he didn’t see eye to eye with in that father son way.
Also apparent is the strained and at times turbulent relationship between Tina and Franks fourth wife Barbara that’s laid out in depth.
Overall a solid 4 star effort that paints him as loving, doting and flawed like any man star or not.
If you’re looking for a light, well written, easy read about the man you’ve found it.
If you want a full length biography look elsewhere.
July 12, 2018
I found this book left at an Airbnb apartment in Dublin. I read it very quickly and found it to be quite engaging. Her gushing over her father gets to be a bit tiresome, but she desperately struggled for his attention his whole life and he gave her about 10 hours every 6 weeks. So she's got issues, but was given literally anything she could ever want and an amazing life by her Dad. Probably the worst sentence is when she said to the effect of "I believe people choose their parents and I couldn't have chosen better".... (Tell that one to Dave Peltzer!!).
Frank Sinatra of course was a bigger than life and fascinating man. Interesting insight of his life from a different perspective.
Frank Sinatra of course was a bigger than life and fascinating man. Interesting insight of his life from a different perspective.
December 29, 2020
What is up with many famous male entertainer/singer/actor or even billionaire has these embedded cliche on their forehead “That once i am successful and popular, i would dump my wife and pursue more desirable woman out there”. Frank Sinatra is one of these men, unfortunately. I know that Tina Sinatra’s Mother which the author’s mom and Frank Sinatra’s ex wife just tolerating his bullshit for the sake of her kids but God, reading this book from cover to cover is so infuriating. I have had enough of this
notion of “he was an asshole husband but he was a good father”. Okay, sure, noted. I know that he is a womanizer but i did feel that he treated his first ex wife horribly (I am pretty sure people will also say that at least she got money and all from Frank Sinatra which is quite distasteful tbh). The disrespect and the bitterness, she has to endure, from cheating while they still married to silently support him while marrying Mia Farrow with at that time , more than 20 years old age gap. Sure, the relationship remains amicable and good until the end of his life but if i could sum it up in one word is women were built with high tolerance. We have been tolerating patriarchy and oppression since the beginning of time so whats that to compare with the spouse infidelity and an absent father most of the time. I know Tina Sinatra adored and idolized his father. It showed in her writing but i cannot for the life of me saw this man in a positive light. Of course none can be taken away from
his legacy, he was a great performer, true artist and an incredible icon. He was vocal about racial discrimination and a staunch democrat supporter. He supported Kennedy before their alliances broke out and he got betrayed. Even then, he mourned when JFK got shot as he still loved him as a friend. Towards the end of his life, i did felt somewhat pity towards this man. Probably because how Tina Sinatra describe the helplessness and the fragility of his father is resonated with how we see our grandparents especially when they were left alone behind as they lose their close friends one by one due to sickness and old age. The loneliness started to creep into his life and the degradation of his health were also obvious to the point his family just tried their best to accommodate it. His last wife, Barbara Sinatra came into his life after Frank Sinatra almost gave on the prospect of marriage. After all, he did fail in upholding marriages in quite few times. Tina Sinatra revealed what she felt about Barbara Sinatra. There’s a huge animosity between them. Barbara Sinatra came into Frank’s life and almost broke up his family. She was a classic gold digger and ruthless woman who knew what she wanted from Frank. At least that’s what i can summarise of what Tina Sinatra wrote of her father’s last wife on few chapters towards the end of the book. Overall, I did enjoy readings this book. Just like the title stated, it was truly an experience of seeing Frank Sinatra through Tina Sinatra’s eyes. His kindness, his flaw, his temper and his talent are all encompassed throughout the journey. I would recommend it if you are a fan of this legendary icon.
notion of “he was an asshole husband but he was a good father”. Okay, sure, noted. I know that he is a womanizer but i did feel that he treated his first ex wife horribly (I am pretty sure people will also say that at least she got money and all from Frank Sinatra which is quite distasteful tbh). The disrespect and the bitterness, she has to endure, from cheating while they still married to silently support him while marrying Mia Farrow with at that time , more than 20 years old age gap. Sure, the relationship remains amicable and good until the end of his life but if i could sum it up in one word is women were built with high tolerance. We have been tolerating patriarchy and oppression since the beginning of time so whats that to compare with the spouse infidelity and an absent father most of the time. I know Tina Sinatra adored and idolized his father. It showed in her writing but i cannot for the life of me saw this man in a positive light. Of course none can be taken away from
his legacy, he was a great performer, true artist and an incredible icon. He was vocal about racial discrimination and a staunch democrat supporter. He supported Kennedy before their alliances broke out and he got betrayed. Even then, he mourned when JFK got shot as he still loved him as a friend. Towards the end of his life, i did felt somewhat pity towards this man. Probably because how Tina Sinatra describe the helplessness and the fragility of his father is resonated with how we see our grandparents especially when they were left alone behind as they lose their close friends one by one due to sickness and old age. The loneliness started to creep into his life and the degradation of his health were also obvious to the point his family just tried their best to accommodate it. His last wife, Barbara Sinatra came into his life after Frank Sinatra almost gave on the prospect of marriage. After all, he did fail in upholding marriages in quite few times. Tina Sinatra revealed what she felt about Barbara Sinatra. There’s a huge animosity between them. Barbara Sinatra came into Frank’s life and almost broke up his family. She was a classic gold digger and ruthless woman who knew what she wanted from Frank. At least that’s what i can summarise of what Tina Sinatra wrote of her father’s last wife on few chapters towards the end of the book. Overall, I did enjoy readings this book. Just like the title stated, it was truly an experience of seeing Frank Sinatra through Tina Sinatra’s eyes. His kindness, his flaw, his temper and his talent are all encompassed throughout the journey. I would recommend it if you are a fan of this legendary icon.
February 22, 2023
Tina Sinatra is a devoted grieving daughter. I found the first half of this book to be an enjoyable, loving tribute to her famous father and indeed to their entire family. The second half though, struck me as kind of an axe she had to grind against Frank’s last wife. I totally get how awful that feels, from personal experience (a fiancèe of my dad’s) and while I can sympathize… I wouldn’t force anybody to listen to my extensive grievances out of spite, and to be honest I wish I hadn’t spent as much time reading about Tina’s as I just did.
March 29, 2019
This was interesting. Nice to hear a lot of the inside day to day functioning of a famous family. I felt early on that there was a significant amount of angst directed towards the third wife. Wow. All children want their immediate family to remain intact, my Tina was horribly biased about Barbara, who was her fathers wife for 22 years. The story remained interesting but I felt that the negativity overshadowed the man.
August 5, 2017
Having just read Lady Blue Eyes by Barbara Sinatra, Frank's third wife, this balanced it out beautifully. I wondered why the former book made no mention of Frank's children. It was like they had been erased from his life. Reading this book by Tina she paints a full picture warts and all and we get a better understanding of the man behind the voice.
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