Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Where Madness Lies by Lyndsy Spence

Posted July 10, 2024 by Stephanie in can't-wait wednesday / 6 Comments

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read.

 

 

Where Madness Lies: The Double Life of Vivien Leigh by Lyndsy Spence
Expected publication: September 5, 2024 by The History Press

Vivien Leigh was one of the greatest film and theatrical stars of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. Her Oscar-winning performances in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire have cemented her status as an icon of classic Hollywood.

From 1940 to 1960, Leigh was married to Sir Laurence Olivier, and together they were considered the royal couple of British theatre. Indeed, their romance and acting partnerships captured the imagination of the public around the world.

Behind the scenes, however, Leigh’s personal life was marred by manic depression which remained undiagnosed until 1953. Largely misunderstood and subjected to barbaric mistreatment at the hands of her doctors, she would also suffer the heartbreak of Olivier’s infidelity. Contributing to her image as a tragic heroine, she would die at the age of 53.

Unlike previous biographies, Where Madness Lies begins in 1953, when Leigh suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalised. The tragic story unfolds as she tries to rebuild her life, salvage her career and save her marriage.

Featuring a wealth of unpublished material, including private correspondence, bestselling author Lyndsy Spence reveals how Leigh fell victim to the draconian medical practices of the day and suffered due to her circumstances. It’s a timely look at just how far we’ve come since the early days of mental health treatment.

 

Today I’m featuring a biography about Vivien Leigh. I really like the sound of this book and would love to learn more about Vivien Leigh’s life which seemed quite tragic.

 

 

Are you also looking forward to this book? What do you think of it?
Leave links to your Can’t-Wait Wednesday post so I can stop by!

 

 

6 responses to “Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Where Madness Lies by Lyndsy Spence

Leave a Reply

(Enter your URL then click here to include a link to one of your blog posts.)