Sourced by friends, colleagues, and witnesses to all stages of Fisher's life, this work is an affectionate and even-handed portrayal of a woman whose unsurpassed honesty is a reminder of how things should be. Weller traces Carrie Fisher's life from her Hollywood royalty roots to her untimely and shattering death after Christmas 2016. We follow Fisher's acting career, from her debut in Shampoo to the role in Star Wars which catapulted her to instant fame. We explore her complex relationships with singer/composer Paul Simon and with talent agent Bryan Lourd, as well as her leap from actress to bestselling author. Fisher lived with serious bipolar disorder and an inherited drug addiction. Despite crises and overdoses, her work as an actor, a novelist and memoirist, a script doctor, a hostess, and a friend create a portrayal of a woman who was a feminist heroine. -- adapted from jacket

Introduction: famous for simply being herself -- Hollywood baby -- A complicated childhood -- From Broadway to Beatty to Britain -- Princess Leia becomes the toast of young New York -- The fabulous life of the girl in the metal bikini -- "She burned like a bride" -- A writer who acts -- "When I love, I love for miles" -- "I am mentally ill. I can say that" -- The warrior in the war zone -- Working through anything -- A year from hell, a year of final kindness.