La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family

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I know that many people stay away from this book fearing that it's full of lies but that is not entirely true. Although La Toya claimed after of her divorce from her abusive husband that she didn't approve this (auto)biography, she wrote this book herself, and although Jack Gordon edited some of the stories to push his agenda of demonizing Joseph and Katherine Jackson, much of what she tells in this book is confirmed by Jermaine's ex-wife, Margaret Maldonado, in her book "Jackson Family Vaults" (Book I recommend reading!! Michael was a second father not only for Tito's children, also for the sons of Jermaine and others. Respect!)

What La Toya intended in writing this was to reveal the truth, her truth. Her truth about the Jackson family. She opened the gates that were carefully closed (until 1991) and detailed the struggles of the Jacksons. For the most part, she seemed to be genuinely honest, aside from exaggerations here and there.

Most of her stories are absorbing; some of them are sad, others are humorous, pleasurable and intriguing. She vividly described her relationship with her parents and siblings, her childhood, the Jackson 5 phenomenon, Michael Jackson's magnificent solo music career, her own music career, her quest for independence, and finally her 'sham' marriage to her then Manager Jack Gordon. she revealed in the book the main reason for marrying him (In later years she told, how Jack Gordon brainwashed her from start to finish and turned her against her family; She was an easy target because she was an abused child. After Gordon made sure he had her, he started moving her around like a puppet. At first she went with him until he started to get too far. When she started refusing, the physical abuse started and the rest is history)

Her most beautiful stories are those with/about Michael and they abound in the book. Note that all of her false revelations about Michael come two years after this book was released. This book contains nothing disrespectful about Michael, it's actually full of lovely stories about him as a brother/son, as an artist and as a human being.

Enjoy.