This Is Living is actress Lynn Redgrave’s fascinating autobiography, the inspirational account of her journey to self-acceptance confidence, and fulfullment—and of her victory over the weight problem that once dominated her life.

Born into one of Britain’s most famous theatrical families, Redgrave was a shy girl who grew up in a storybook atmosphere complete with devoted nannies, elegant country estates, gala opening nights, even meetings with royalty. But this childhood came with a storybook villain, too: an inner voice that Redgrave called “Fat Ogre,” a voice that urged her to take comfort in food whenever she felt sad or hurt or insecure, a voice that was not silenced even by her acting successes, her happy marriage, or the birth of her own children.

With candor, grace, and warmth, Redgrave evokes both the exhilaration of acting in a hit film and the heartache of being trapped in a dangerous cycle of yo-yo dieting, bulimia, and diet-pill abuse. Then comes the triumphant turning point: the decision to change her life, to banish forever the whisperings of Fat Ogre and to learn to live healthfully and joyfully.