Oprah: A Biography

(THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)...Kitty Kelley is known as one of the most controversial writers in American history as she often writes about celebrities without their consent, publishing books that are unauthorized. Having written works on Nancy Reagan, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor, Kitty's new book is sure to receive some negativity as its subject matter is one of the greatest American icons and treasures of all-time.

In "Oprah" Kitty documents the life of the one and only Oprah Winfrey. Having researched the book for over three years, Kitty performed over 800 interviews with people who have known Oprah, some of whom did not want their names disclosed. Kitty interviewed Oprah's father Vernon, and a cousin who stated that Vernon Winfrey is actually not Oprah's bilogical parent. Here, we finally get to see the real Oprah, from her humble beginnings in Mississippi to becoming the most famous talk-show host in the world.

Kitty discusses how Oprah was raped at the hands of a cousin when she was young, the birth of her child that died in infancy, how she never knew her mother, her turbulent relationship with her dad, her years in school where she displayed impressive intelligence with academics, her thirst for being on television, and her eventual rise to stardom on a local Chicago TV station on an early morning talk show that went national and made her into the world's first African/American billionaire.

We also get to see the Oprah that we all love and know, witnessing her admiration of children and her hours of dedication in helping kids, especially girls, in obtaining an education which resulted in her developing a school in Africa for underprivileged youth. Kitty discusses Oprah's personal life and why she has never married, a question everyone has wondered about. One of the most shocking statements is Oprah's love affair with former "Entertainment Tonight" co-host John Tesh who had a relationship with Oprah in the 1970's. It is revealed that Tesh ended the affair because he had a hard time dealing with interracial issues.

Thought-provoking and extremely well-written, "Oprah" has come out at a special time in American history as Miss Winfrey has decided to wind down her talk show after 25 years of broadcasting, so this gives the reader that special volume of info that they can cherish for all time.