Meant to Be

by Walter Anderson

Book Overview

Published to strong reviews and major media attention, this heartfelt and inspirational rags-to-riches memoir by the highly regarded CEO of Parade Publications tells the emotional story of how he came... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060099062
• ISBN13: 9780060099060
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 243 Pages
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

self discovery

Sad at times,but unable to put it down. The book draws you in...knowing/feeling the courage this person has. He reveals the truth about his life and tells this inspirational story..and you must read it.Also recommended: Nightmares Echo,Courage To Heal,Lucky

In Awe

I am completely in awe of this author and this book Meant To Be. So many lessons,teachings and above all courage through out this bookI want to also recommend Nightmares Echo. It also has courage and determination.

An Incredibly Powerful and Inspirational Memoir

If, as the old saying goes, the past is never really past, 59-year-old Walter Anderson proves in MEANT TO BE that you do not have to be imprisoned or destroyed by your past and that people can overcome the secrets of their lives --- no matter how painful --- through love, compassion and the truth.This is an incredibly powerful and inspirational memoir that is already being called a "coming-of-age classic." On the surface, Anderson's life appeared to be the classic "rags to riches" tale. Raised literally on the wrong side of the tracks in an impoverished section of town, Anderson suffered horrific violence and abuse at the hands of an alcoholic father. He dropped out of high school at 17, joined the Marines and began an improbable climb from the tenements of his childhood to the executive suites of modern American journalism --- first as editor for 20 years of the largest circulation magazine in America, Parade, and now as chairman and CEO of that publication.But it's the secret lying beneath that surface that makes this book so important. This is not simply the story of yet another victory march. It is the story of a bewildered and deeply hurt child. "I found myself becoming increasingly angry," he writes of his childhood. "Undoubtedly, much of my rage grew out of the abuse and fear I lived with every day at home. But I had a deeper frustration: I didn't seem to belong anywhere...I was different. And the aching feelings of loneliness and doubt, which I kept to myself, hurt more than my father's frequent beatings."Haunted by that doubt, the 21-year-old Anderson asked his mother a question on the day of his father's funeral in 1966: "The man we just buried...Was he my father?" She confessed that his real father was a man named Albert Dorfman, who she fell in love with during World War II when her husband was in the service. He further learned that his real father was Jewish, and he had a stepbrother alive somewhere.Anderson's mother, Ethel, is the real hero of this book. Fearing for her child's life if her husband ever learned the truth, she immediately ended the affair and eventually broke off all contact with the love of her life. The passage where she takes her infant son to meet his real father in Grand Central Station is poignant and heartbreaking. But Ethel also acted as a buffer between young Walter and her husband, putting her body between them and trying to deflect the older man's violence whenever possible. Fearful of the impact the truth would have on Walter's older brother and sister, she made him promise to keep her secret for as long as his siblings lived. He also promised not to seek out his real father.Anderson kept his word and ended up having to wait 35 years before seeing a picture of his real dad, who, ironically enough, died the year before the man he thought was his father. Once his mother freed him from his promise, he began a search that led him to his older stepbrother Herbert, who, he learns, has lived an eerily "parallel

Absolutely Inspiring

This book is truly, truly inspiring. I could not put it down! Every person in America should read this book. The lessons gained by reading this book could be life-changing. Mr. Anderson amazes me with his candor in telling his story. The lesson I learned is that no matter how bad your circumstances might be, you CAN rise above it all. What a beautiful memoir. Praise God for the "Mrs. Williams" of the world that impact us as children. Everyone needs a "Mrs. Williams". I absolutely loved this book and I'm telling everyone to read it. It blessed me.

Another Meaning of the Author's Journey

I won't write a review. After all, I know the author. Oh, I haven't visited his home, and I don't see him often, but way back when, he offered me my current job as a columnist: I write the "Ask Marilyn" column for Parade magazine. Still, I hope to point out to readers an aspect of this book that they might miss otherwise. In reviews, you'll surely read that the book contains an inspiring story of a successful man in search of his roots, no matter where he finds them. And find them, he does: The author learns that he is the love child of a brief wartime romance between his mother and a father he never knew--both were married to others at the time. But what you may not read is that in the telling, this journey amounts to a lifelong valentine to his mother. It barely occurs to the author to forgive her: He sees little to forgive. Less understanding sons might have found fault. Instead, he is so warmed with empathy that he loves her even more. Despite the youthful trials he must have put her through, I'm sure that most mothers would dearly love to have a son like this.