Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keogh's memoir, "From Here to the Great Unknown" is the first book of 2025 for the Louisiana Inspired Book Club. The mother/daughter duo both share their perspectives on Presley's life.
While this pick may be a surprising choice, we like to switch things up a bit and believe this memoir has plenty to discuss. The virtual Book Club discussion will take place at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18. To join the book talk, go to www.youtube.com/live/1dTO8HQ5l2U?feature=shared.
We will also create a discussion guide in case you and your friends would like to hold your own in-person discussions.
This nonfiction selection is based on a draft originally written by Presley. A month before Presley died, she asked her daughter to help her finish her memoir. Keough is able to give context to her mother's perspective while using Presley's audio recordings to piece together more of her mother's narrative. Keough intersperses the manuscript with her own thoughts, explanations and memories.
"From Here to the Great Unknown" explores the universal themes of resilience, loss and self-discovery. The personal stories and challenges can foster empathy. The mother/daughter dynamic and telling/explaining of events creates relatable and thought-provoking fodder for discussions.
While Elvis Presley grew up in Mississippi and is widely associated with Memphis, he got his start and gained recognition in Louisiana.
The book uses different fonts to distinguish Lisa Marie Presley's perspective and telling from Keough's explanations. It's a technique that is surprisingly effective. The audiobook is just as captivating with Julia Roberts narrating Lisa Marie's words and Keough reading her own words.
Here is an excerpt from the memoir:
Presley: Danny came to find me.
"Let's talk," he said. "What happened?"
"Well, I said, "Michael (Jackson) asked me to leave you and marry him and have children with him."
"What did you say?"
"I said nothing."
"That's it, then," Danny said. "That's it. Forget it."
And then Danny packed his bags, got the dog, and drove out the da** gate.
Gone.
Keough: I was sitting on my mom's lap in a hotel room in Clearwater, Florida, when she told me she and my dad were getting divorced. I was hysterical, sobbing uncontrollably because I thought it meant that he wasn't my dad anymore.
"No, no, of course he is your dad," my mom said.
"That day, Ben found one of her bright red lipsticks and drew a long line all along the wall. He always loved to play with her makeup, but this time he was going to be in so much trouble.
"I'm going to tell on you," I said, and I did.
I remember hearing Ben being yelled at in the other room and him crying, and I felt so guilty. I carried that guilt, the guilt of being an older sibling, for years.
Ben could always break my heart.