“[Natalie] came up with a bizarre ritual of carrying her stuffed tigers with her, believing they were talismans, a superstition similar to Mud’s gypsy magic. ‘I won’t fly without them…I also have people write notes to me when I fly—silly little notes. That, plus the tigers, constitutes my good luck charms.’”
-Excerpt from Natasha by Suzanne Finstad
I am currently reading Lana Wood’s memoir about Natalie and have already read the other two books, so I thought I’d give a mini review of the three. They’re all great reads and the only Natalie Wood books I recommend. I’ve skimmed through Gavin Lambert’s biography and what I did read was horrible and not completely accurate. And I refuse to read Warren G. Harris’s book about RJ and Natalie and will never pick up RJ’s autobiography. Out of all of these books that tell of Natalie’s life, Lana Wood’s, Suzanne Finstad’s, and Marti Rulli’s books are the best (although Rulli’s is about her death more than her life).
Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood by Suzanne Finstad
★★★★★
This is my number one choice and what I first recommend any Natalie lover to read. Finstad interviews numerous family members, friends, and acquaintances of Natalie and turned out the most accurate biography on Natalie that could be written. She stays completely unbiased, which gives her book legitimacy in my opinion. It begins with Natalie’s mother, Maria’s, journey from Russia to the United States and ends with the death of Natalie Wood.
Natalie: A Memoir by her Sister by Lana Wood
★★★★☆
Whether every little anecdote is true or not, Lana’s memoir lets us peek into Natalie’s life and gives us an idea of her personality. Lana tells about her own life in this book and intermingles that with how Natalie played a major role in it. I recommend this less for factuality and for more of a sentimental look in Natalie and Lana’s lives.
Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour by Marti Rulli and Dennis Davern
★★★★☆
Marti Rulli tells of her journey and Dennis Davern in bringing the truth of that fateful weekend out in the open. I personally thought Davern comes off completely idiotic in interviews, but after reading this I feel sympathy towards him. I choose to believe Rulli and Davern are telling the truth and also think Wagner killed Natalie. I got a lot out of reading this and highly recommend it.
