Monday, July 13, 2009

"A love letter to friendship": Publisher announces Alana Stewart's book about Farrah Fawcett


"Ryan O’Neal... was so positive and so supportive.
‘You have to do it’, he said emphatically.
'There will be lots of people writing books about her.
Yours will be the truth, and it will be
a wonderful tribute to her. You have to do it!’"
--quote attributed to Alana Stewart in press release

We told you on July 5th that Farrah Fawcett's friend Alana Stewart was the first among the tragic actress' inner circle to cash in with a book based on her proximity to Farrah in her final days.

Now, eighteen days after Farrah's passing, with this press release from HarperCollins Publishers, the cat is officially out of the bag:

10 East 53rd Street

New York, N.Y

10022-5200


News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

William Morrow to Publish Alana Stewart’s
Tribute to Farrah Fawcett and the Actress’
Valiant 3-Year Fight Against Cancer

New York, NY (July 13, 2009) – William Morrow, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, today announced that it will publish the diary of Alana Stewart, actress, former model and close friend of Farrah Fawcett. A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to The Farrah Fawcett Foundation to support cancer research. Stewart, a friend of Fawcett for more than thirty years, spent much of her time caring for Fawcett during her three year battle with cancer, which tragically ended Fawcett’s life on June 25, 2009. Stewart helped capture Fawcett’s tireless struggle against cancer in the documentary, “Farrah’s Story”, where Stewart worked as both a videographer and producer.

In the book, titled MY JOURNEY WITH FARRAH: A Story of Life, Love, and Friendship, which goes on sale August 11, 2009, Stewart shares her personal diaries from her three years by Farrah’s side. A celebration of their incredible bond, the power of Farrah’s spirit, and the memories from their thirty years together, this book is a tribute to the award-winning actress and pop culture icon. Containing never-before-seen photos and deeply intimate revelations on life and spirituality, MY JOURNEY WITH FARRAH is a love letter to friendship, filled with the honesty and emotion of their three decades together.

“When the idea to do this book was presented to me, I thought long and hard about it,” says Stewart. “In fact, I agonized over the decision. Now, was I doing the right thing by sharing many of our private moments? Farrah had originally encouraged me to write this book. It was her idea. However, while I was contemplating my decision, her health took a turn for the worse, and I could no longer seek her advice. So I turned to Ryan O’Neal. He was so positive and so supportive. ‘You have to do it’, he said emphatically. ‘There will be lots of people writing books about her. Yours will be the truth, and it will be a wonderful tribute to her. You have to do it!’ My hope is that people will find this book to be a heartfelt tribute to my friend of thirty years and her valiant fight against cancer. I also hope that it will be helpful and supportive to all of those people who have loved and cared for someone close to them with a lingering illness. I realized while I was putting it together that it was a way of keeping Farrah’s memory alive, not only for me but for everyone who reads this book.”

“There is nobody better able to tell this story of life, love, and friendship than Alana Stewart,” says Lisa Sharkey, Senior Vice President & Director of the Creative Development Group for HarperCollins. “What Alana learns after putting her life on hold to help Farrah will forever teach us that gratitude and selflessness are more important than anything else. This book will touch the hearts of millions of Farrah's fans, leaving a lasting impression about why compassion is the greatest gift a friend can give.”


The book was acquired by Lisa Sharkey, who bought world rights through Frank Weimann of The Literary Group International. Matt Harper, Editor in the Creative Development Group for HarperCollins, will edit the book.

2 comments:

  1. A book by her "friend" rushed out in such unseemly haste. Poor Farrah.

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  2. My guess is every photo will have SCARCROW STEWART IN IT-
    It is ALANA'S WORDS, OR IS IT ? Farrah rejected Judith Regans quest to have Farrah write her mem's and now this.
    Oh well alana was the one we all know suffered, and we just stood by. I was her friend for more than 30 years. THIS WILL BE ALANA STEWARTS BEST ACT TO DATE !
    Grade B- pathetic !

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