Grace Is Enough

by Maylo Upton, Willie Aames, Carolyn Stanford Goss

Book Overview

While actor Willie Aames (Eight Is Enough, Charles in Charge) was at the peak of Hollywood success, his future wife, Maylo Upton, was a teenage runaway, eating out of trash bins and living on the streets to escape the sexual crimes of her cult-ruined mother's barbaric boyfriend. By the time Willie met Maylo, his star was falling because of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and family problems while her acting career was starting to rise. Together, they found...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805443797
• ISBN13: 9780805443790
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: B&H Books
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Willie Aames and Maylo Upton-Aames

I truly enjoyed Grace is Enough because Willie and Maylo pull no punches. I didn't read a word in the book that didn't seem to ring true. I admire them both--although I had only known Willie from Eight is Enough prior to reading this book. It should be required reading for anyone who feels fame or fortune or drugs is the answer to life's enjoyment. I'm proud of them both because it is not easy to tell your life openly in a book.

Stunning read

Hollywood has long been known for its star-struck effect on those seeking fame and fortune. Sadly, many who seek these elusive states of abstraction are driven down hard on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. A number of those who pursue The Dream are broken before they even arrive. Grace is Enough gives a harsh glimpse of what it can be like to grow up without a real childhood, without hope of dreaming of a "Hollywood" life. Grace depicts the lives of Willie Aames and Maylo Upton-Aames, shattered by the evils of less-than-well-intentioned family members in their upbringing and the continued challenge of overcoming addiction into their adulthood. The book painfully describes the ancestry and contemporary family relationships the Aameses experienced, suffered through and survived. Though their plight sounds hopeless, their faith is not. Their deep and abiding faith in a Higher Power lifted them out of their lives of despair to a lives well-lived through the warmth and light of the love of God. The Aameses overcame years of pain and dysfunction in their own lives, only to be tested by the paradigm Hollywood would have us believe: that fame and fortune bring a life of wealth and admiration. Through candid storytelling, the Aameses demonstrate a life lived through faith and belief awards more riches than celebrity status could ever offer. Their story is achingly heartfelt and surprising uplifting, reminding us in our darkest moments that there is a spiritual force beyond us. No truer words have been uttered...grace is enough. Armchair Interviews agrees.

Hope in the midst of heartache!

All I can say is WOW!! I just never knew. So many times we look to those in Hollywood as being privileged, special and some how immune from the heartaches that we "normal" people have to endure. After reading this book, I will never feel that way again. I was so blessed and horrified by what these two "very normal people" had to endure to survive, behind the shadows of all of the glammer and glitz of Hollywood. I found, however, as I read their 'gut-wrenching' tell-all stories, that I could relate, in a small way to their very human reactions. The Hope that only God can give to one who reaches the end of oneself permeates every page, leaving the reader with a sense of enpowerment to live their lives by HIS GRACE too! His grace truly IS enough!! It was a compelling and easy read, I couldn't put it down, although at times my heart was breaking as I read of the destable acts of cruelty forced upon them as young adults. If not for His grace...He certainly had a bigger plan for their lives! I give this book a 5 star rating and would and do recommend it to anyone who has suffered and yet survived, knowing that it is only by HIS GRACE that we truly can live through anything!!

Expect the unexpected. Fascinating!

LOVED this book! Not only did I enjoy all of the insider information on most of my favorite stars...but I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud and even crying in some places. Even though this was an easy read....(I finished it in under two days)......it was gritty and inspirational and I have purchased two more copies for my sister and my mother.

better than I expected

I have to admit I didn't know what to expect, but once I opened this book I couldn't put it down. I read through the whole thing in two evenings! It was honest, raw, and inspiring. Even if you are not a fan of Willie Aames, you will be moved by this book. I encourage everyone to read it and I will definitely buy several more copies to give out!