Unexpectedly affecting
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and his famous mother offer a memoir that speaks to the reader on a personal level.
WHATEVER you think you’ll find among the pages of this motherand-son dialogue, it’s best to leave your expectations at the door: this is a book that will hit you in indescribable ways.
I choose the word “hit” deliberately. I began to read The Rainbow Comes And Goes with certain expectations that stemmed from the fact that one of the authors is a well-known heiress, socialite and artist, and the other a renowned journalist.
Perhaps more people will have heard of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper than of his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt.
The latter is a 93-year-old who has been bathed in the spotlight since birth and, despite a life strewn with tumultuous hardship and struggle, has managed to sustain a glass-half-full outlook on life.
It was Cooper’s idea to begin an e-mail correspondence with his mother as she approached her 91st birthday.
He realised that he knew very little about her life and so endeavoured for them to share their stories, insights and philosophies – which, in their frankness, draws the reader into two overlapping worlds that paint a beautiful, intensely complex and, at times, heart-wrenching picture.
In bringing their personal stories to each other, you can’t help but feel a sense of longing to openly share your own with those closest to you, and for them to do the same in return.
This is a book that proffers a simple life lesson that is, sadly, so often ignored: there’s so much more to our loved ones than the roles they play.
Cooper felt a burning desire to know more about the woman he calls his mother, especially given her proclivity for privacy. With a rocky childhood and immense tragedy in later life, you come to appreciate the mould in which she was shaped. On the other hand, it’s impossible to avoid empathy for the child so desperate to connect to the woman behind his mother.
In the book, Cooper writes, “My mom wasn’t the kind of parent you would go to for practical advice about school or work. What she does know about are hard-earned truths, the kind of things you discover only by living an epic life filled with love and loss, tragedies and triumphs, big dreams and deep heartaches.”
Vanderbilt certainly received some of life’s most hard-hitting lessons.
As a child, she found herself at the centre of a very public custody trial between her mother and aunt, who battled over the young girl and control of her US$5mil trust fund in the 1930s.
In 1978 , when Cooper was 10 years old, her husband died. Ten years later, her other son, Cooper’s older brother Carter, committed suicide, jumping from an apartment ledge in the presence of his mother.
Despite the trials and tragedies, Vanderbilt – lauded as an early developer of designer blue jeans – retained her indomitable spirit and optimistic disposition, while Cooper grew up to become more of a cynic (his words) as the harsh realities of life made themselves known to him, both on personal and professional terms.
While this particular motherand-son pairing differ so many ways in character, it’s obvious as the correspondence unfolds that there are many shared qualities that further strengthen the bonds of love.
Regardless of the occasional heaviness and sober reflections, the book isn’t without its humorous, heart-warming, and relatable moments, making it all the more captivating and enjoyable to read.
The Rainbow Comes And Goes offers intimate insights into the lives of two public figures and the rich shared experiences that join the dots of their relationship. It’s also a book that spoke to this reader on a personal level, in a manner that was at once unexpected and profoundly affecting.