Dotan writes with vivid scenecraft and in-the-moment excitement, telling her story in a brisk, engaging series of incidents. Chance encounters with the famous and notorious (Buzz Aldrin, Stephen Stills, Jerry Rubin, more than one prince, and many more) are memorable and often funny, while Dotan often draws sharp insights from her anecdotes, such as how the “Los Angeles hierarchy … felt like the social structure of high school all over again.”

No sooner does she come to that conviction, though, than she’s befriended, at the Santa Monica stables where she trained horses, by Jill Ireland, who welcomes Dotan into her exciting life with husband Charles Bronson. Dotan’s accounts of their jokes, routines, and caring for each other, especially during Ireland’s cancer treatments, are both moving and, when appropriate, hysterical. (One revelation: Bronson’s love of Murder She Wrote.) This epic-length book lacks a strong narrative throughline, but it bursts with life and fascinating stories, including the tragedy of Dotan’s brother, of Saldana’s strength and resilience, and of Dotan’s late-in-life re-bonding with her father. The Billy Graham story is a knockout.

Takeaway: Touching account of a surprising life and inspiring friendships.

Comparable Titles: Jill Ireland’s Life Wish, Theresa Saldana’s Beyond Survival.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A