Send Yourself Roses

Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles

By: Kathleen Turner, Gloria Feldt

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Kathleen Turner is one of the most admired actresses of her generation, but she's led a very private life. Here is the bestselling candid and humorous account of her personal and professional life—including the truth about her recently-ended marriage, her inspiring recovery from rheumatoid arthritis, and her award-winning return to the stage.

From her film debut as the sultry schemer in Body Heat to her award-winning role as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, actress Kathleen Turner's unique blend of beauty, intelligence, and raw sexuality has driven her personal and professional life. Now, in this gutsy memoir, the screen icon tells us of the risks she's taken and the lessons she's learned—sometimes the hard way.

For the first time, Turner shares her childhood challenges—a life lived in countries around the world until her father, a State Department official whom she so admired, died suddenly when she was a teenager. She talks about her twenty year marriage, and why she and her husband recently separated, her close relationship with her daughter, her commitment to service, and how activism in controversial causes has bolstered her beliefs. And Turner reveals the pain and heartbreak of her struggle with rheumatoid arthritis, and how, in spite of it, she made a daring decision: to take a break from the movies and relaunch her stage career.

Along the way, Turner describes what it's like to work with legends like Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, William Hurt, Steve Martin, Francis Ford Coppola, John Huston, John Waters, Edward Albee . . . and, with characteristic irreverent humor, shares her behind-the-screen stories of dealing with all types of creative, intimidating, and inspiring characters.

Kathleen Turner has always known that she would play the lead in the story of her life. It's impossible not to take her lessons on living, love, and leading roles to heart. And it won't be long until you'll be sending yourself roses!

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2008 Kathleen Turner (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Through all of her roles—personal, professional, and in service to others—Kathleen Turner stays true to herself, and I admire that. Send Yourself Roses is an intimate and fun read about an exceptional actress who is also a very gutsy, out-there woman."—Jane Fonda

"Kathleen has always told it like it is. She has good insight, a great sense of humor and Send Yourself Roses is an enjoyable read."—Michael Douglas

"Turner's vision of life's many possibilities—even as she gets older—is surely inspiring."—Publishers Weekly

Exceptional and World-Class!

Absolutely brilliant book! I highly recommend listening to Turner tell her own story. she is funny, articulate, intelligent, and inspiring.

Thank you

Thank you for the timeless advice and encouragement. I have always thought that you were a sassy human and I’m glad I was right. Keep it up pushing envelopes and bring you.

Loved it!

I love Kathleen Turner. The first movie I watch of her is the war of the roses, after that I searched for all the other movies in which she acted. I love them all and I loved this book. It shows the parts of the story that we as audience do not know about the actors we admire.

Thank you.

Kathleen Turner the Person and Professional

I saw Kathleen Turner perform as Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” The performance of Kathleen Turner, Bill Irwin, David Harbour, and Mireille Enos left a lasting impression on me. I knew they were all giants (or were well on their way). To see Kathleen (as Martha) and Bill (as George) dance around and around singing, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” made me believe they were little kids playing with glee. They transformed themselves into children through performance.

To gain some more insight into Kathleen Turner as a person has been most inspiring. Honesty, vulnerability, pride, and humbleness - it’s all in this book. Thank you, Kathleen, for sharing yourself with us to pass on knowledge and wisdom. You are indeed inspiring us to push further not only in acting, but also in life. (And, as a woman, I am inspired by Kathleen’s strength, longevity, and endurance.)

I am happy to hear about her advocacy and commitment to others. I do the same in my work in my profession and I believe in the good in people. Good wins over evil.

Best wishes to everyone this Christmas Eve! (This is my first ever review, folks! I’m usually hidden, but I felt as though I had to speak.)

/s/ Lee Kim - human, actress, public policy wonk
December 24, 2021 #leekimart

So lovely to hear this woman’s story

My perception of Kathleen Turner was limited to the films I had seen. How utterly delightful it was to hear her fascinating history. I appreciate her willingness to share the difficult times and the less flattering moments. I’m now a fan of the woman not just her movies. Thank you.

More potatoes than meat, but I'm a vegetarian.

As a people-pleaser, I went out of my way to love this narcissistic soliloquy.

Festooned with sagacious gems throughout, once you sluice through some self-congratulatory sludge. There are several unexpectedly vulnerable moments to unroll your eyes and remember why you were listening in the first place.

Let her voice fill the room while you do something unrelated.

I recommend it, one chapter at a time with a few days or weeks between. As Sarah Silverman says, "make it a treat".

Thank you for sharing your life with us.

I like your term “actively happy.“ Something I have always worked at. I have always loved your acting and your movies and this was a wonderful book. Inspiring and spiritual and funny and you’re just a pretty cool person. And yes I have a a different connection with you and that is when I was 10 years old I got juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. So I have nothing but admiration for what you went through to overcome. It is a very painful disease. Again thank you for sharing all the love and joy of your life.

Honesty to the bone.

Amazing story of a professional, hard working actress who shares with us her passion and her craft, as well as many different and difficult experiences in her life.

A engaging and satisfying listen overall.

I’m glad she included the afterword. It gave a sense of perspective that I think was badly needed, and she sounded very humble and likable. To be honest, there were times in this book when she was going on about her acting, her passion, her skill, her values, etc. when, iN frustration, I cried out loud, “Oh please stop! Enough already. We get it.” But having said that, I have to say that overall I really enjoyed almost all of this book, found it entertaining, insightful, and very worthwhile. I loved her straightforward style, her very NOT politically correct use of old-fashioned profanity, which reminded me so much of how I heard people talk when I grew up and still do hear, usually with great pleasure on my part. I think the book could have used a tighter editing, at least to cut back on some of the “virtue signaling,” but I feel it was well worth my time and then some.

A remarkable woman

I love memoirs and this is definitely up there with some of my favorites. I wasn't a huge Kathleen Turner fan before reading this and mainly know her from her early work in Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile. But she definitely made an impression. I ended up reading an article in a random health magazine a number of years ago about her battle with Rheumatoid Arthritis which made me think this memoir might be interesting.
I wasn't disappointed. What I didn't expect, was how strong, insightful and just downright amazing she is. I saw a number of reviews complaining about her self-congratulating or boasting in the book - which I just don't get. People complain about the patriarchy - but really - insecure women are the worst. They have difficulty with confident women - which Kathleen Turner definitely is. Well - she's confident in what she knows she is exceptionally at - and very transparent about her many weaknesses - isn't that how we all should aspire to be?
I am 48 and she wrote this when she was around 54. I wasn't expecting to feel inspired and like I was sitting next to a woman who has really embraced and understands the value of midlife for a woman. I got so many inspirational and thought-provoking nuggets out of this that I think I'm going to read it again shortly.
I also really enjoy her frankness. Granted this was written in the late 2000's before the obsession with making sure every race, color, gender identity is constantly acknowledged in a book - but I suspect, even today, she wouldn't be inserting constant comments to show how "accepting" she is of everyone's many preferences. Can't we just be accepting without constantly saying so? She's strong, forthright, and straightforward and very genuine without seeming coarse. I relate to her a lot in that area.
Thank you so much for writing this, Kathleen, you really touched me!