Prior to reading this, I didn't realize just how few movies Tippi was actually in. The bulk of her life revolved around her work rescuing big cats and later other zoo animals as well. Since I am always up for reading about cat antics, I found the memoir fun to read but if you go into this looking for an actor's take on their career, you will be disappointed.

I also had no idea how her life basically just fell into her lap. If I wanted to be a top fashion model or a successful actor then I'd be so irritated reading about her blind luck. At 13, a stranger walked up to her & handed her a business card, telling Tippi to come that weekend with her mother so she could be hired as a model. Boom. That's it. Hello Eileen Ford and top modeling career. Then in her twenties, her agent calls her to tell her that a top Hollywood director wants to cast her as the lead in his movie. Even though she has zero acting experience and never desired to act! Hello Hollywood acting career.

For all her profession of love for her daughter Melanie Griffith, Tippi was in actuality a terrible mother. Melanie was neglected and spoiled at the same time. She was her mom's "best friend". Ugh. Which explains why there was no pushback when Melanie - at 14!!! - started dating divorced twenty-something actor Don Johnson and then at 15(!!!) moved in with him. I mean, I realize it was the 70's but still. Melanie's later drug addiction makes total sense after reading this memoir.

The big cat parts were fun to read but again, Tippi's total lack of rational thought and executive functioning stood out. She did a slightly better job raising lion cubs than she did raising Melanie but it was still touch and go a lot of the time. Tippi is not someone you would want as a close friend or family member even though she seems nice. Her flaky behavior would drive me nuts.