PHASES

The actor and pop star takes a look at her life and career—especially the low points.

The title of Brandy’s memoir is taken from a North African folktale about a girl who is taught by the moon how to come to terms with her own sadness. One can see why the story appeals to Brandy; the actor and R&B singer’s own life and career have been marked by distinct phases and moments of intense sorrow. A native of Mississippi, Brandy and her family moved to a Los Angeles suburb when she was 4, and her early experiences in school there were rough: “It seemed like every kid in Carson hated Brandy Rayana Norwood,” she writes, recalling a string of bullies who made her life hell. At 10, she was determined to get a record deal like her idol and later friend, Whitney Houston, and her dreams came true four years later. Brandy balanced recording her self-titled debut album—which would spawn the hit singles “I Wanna Be Down” and “Brokenhearted”—at the same time she was starring in Moesha, the UPN sitcom that lasted six seasons; the stress led to an eating disorder and a nervous breakdown. Brandy writes about all of this with grace, and her anger is palpable when she tells of the relationship she had with Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris when she was 16 and he was 21: “I was a child. And he was an adult. And it’s time the world understood the difference.” Brandy concentrates more on her lows than her many considerable triumphs, which suggests that she wrote the book for girls and women who, like her, have had to deal with people who have sought to dim her light. Her candor and conversational prose will appeal to many.

A hopeful, honest memoir.