THE WAY OF BEING LOST

A candid chronicle of determined self-transformation.

In 2011, one month before she turned 49, Price (Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography, 1999, etc.) realized, not for the first time, that she was miserable. Although she was a successful designer, living in Santa Fe with a woman she loved, she felt burdened by a “colossal workload and industrial-strength work ethic” that left her stressed and anxious. Desperately unhappy, she decided to leave behind her career and relationship to embark on a journey of self-discovery. As the author recounts her spiritual quest, she discovers that the only time she felt joy was when she traveled around the world talking with fans of her late father, the actor Vincent Price, and giving inspirational talks. “I felt the joy of adventure, new encounters, meaningful connections,” she writes. But that joy eluded her in everyday life. Reading inspirational books and attending a “transformational speaking workshop” taught her that she could generate joy through practice and sharing. Besides giving talks, she conveyed her message of joy through a blog that helped her to create “a community of fellow joy practitioners.” Much of this memoir focuses on Price’s parents, as she looks back to her childhood to examine the deep roots of her fears and self-doubt. She adored her doting father, whom she—and others—remembers as loving, generous, and joyful. However, her relationship with her exacting, demanding mother was far different. Her mother took every opportunity to demean her only child and make her feel unworthy and untalented. “I learned my fear of being not good enough from my mother,” she admits. When Price told her mother that she was a lesbian, her mother’s horrified response resulted in a three-year estrangement. Discovering the religious perspective of interspirituality proved to be decisive in Price’s growth and healing, and she offers a five-step process to help others “release qualities that may once have served us but no longer do.”

Heartfelt testimony of an arduous search for self-affirmation that will appeal to fellow seekers.