Literary Quote of the Month

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

Monday, September 29, 2025

Memoir Monday... Softly I Leave You by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley


 
Their love story mesmerized the world... or at least every girl who wished they were Priscilla. Imagine being plucked out of the audience of your favorite pop star because he chose YOU to love?! But the fairy tale turned to something else. We were all sad for Priscilla, we all wondered how could she leave him? And now we can read in Priscilla Beaulieu Presley's own words how life was after Elvis. This is her story...

Softly, As I Leave You by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley... "Priscilla Presley’s divorce from Elvis left his fans incredulous. How could she leave the man every woman wanted? From the outside, life in Elvis’s mansion looked glamorous and enviable, and in many respects, it was. But inside the mansion, her husband was constantly surrounded by a male entourage while at the gates, lines of beautiful women waited hopefully for an audience with the King. From the time she was seventeen years-old, that life was all Priscilla had known. During her ten years with Elvis, it became painfully apparent that she had no idea who she was outside Elvis’s world. The only way to find herself was to leave that world and seek a new life of her own, because leaving was the only way to survive, for herself and for her daughter.

 Softly, As I Leave You, is the deeply personal story of what Priscilla lost and what she found when she walked away from the man she loved. Despite the legal separation, their love for one another transformed into a touching and tender dynamic that endured until Elvis’s untimely death four years later. Shattered by Elvis’s passing, she had to reinvent herself a second time as the single mother of a talented, often headstrong daughter who never really recovered from her father’s death. Priscilla’s dedication to motherhood was enriched by the birth of her second child, and she gradually found her footing as a businesswoman, actress, designer, and legislative advocate. She transformed Graceland into an international destination and helped guide the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises. But the unexpected, shattering loss of three immediate family members years later brought Priscilla to her knees. She shares her journey with a quiet dignity that will comfort and reassure anyone who has suffered – and survived – seemingly unbearable loss.

A passionate, compassionate, and inspiring story of finding your place in the world, Softly, As I Leave You, is a sweet Southern melody that will take the reader with Priscilla on her long road home."

In the basement of my best friend, Liz, we loved Elvis week! It was the week all of Elvis's movies were on TV. I'm pretty sure it must have been during the summer, because I don't remember having to worry about school. But we made sure we were in front of that TV in Liz's basement when the movies started. I wasn't a huge Elvis fan, I was more into the Beatles, but there's something special and mysterious about him. And Priscilla is an interesting person in her own right. So, when I heard about this book, I had to read it. 

Published recently on Sept. 23rd, 2025 by Grand Central Publishing, you can find this on the shelves of your local bookstore or library. Grand Central Publishing graciously sent me an ebook and I am turning the pages on it as we speak and enjoying it. Come back to see my full review...

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