In Pieces

In Pieces is a 2018 memoir by American actress Sally Field. In her book, Field reflects candidly on her tumultuous upbringing as the child of divorced parents and an abusive stepfather, revealing the trauma that impacted her personal and professional development.

Field traces the development of her early career, showing how her personal life affected her professional choices and her preference for intimate discussions over show-business gossip. By focusing on the dissonance between her on-screen performances and her life, Field develops several themes: The Personal Reality Behind the Public Image, The Legacy of Family Relationships, and The Psychological and Emotional Impact of Trauma. She illustrates how resilience, determination, authenticity, and self-growth helped her succeed as a person, mother, and artist.

This study guide refers to the 2018 Grand Central Publishing eBook edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of child abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual violence and/or harassment, rape, substance use, illness or death, pregnancy loss or termination, disordered eating, addiction, and mental illness.

Summary

Field reveals that her love affair with acting began at an early age, and she recalls two of her memorable school performances, hinting that her mother’s approval was important to her. She then traces her maternal family history, beginning with her grandmother, Joy, whose difficult childhood was marked by a decade in a children’s home in Alabama. After reuniting with her biological father as a young woman, Joy attended secretarial school, allowing her to provide for her mother, Mimmie, and her sister, Gladys, and begin a new life in California. Joy’s daughter (and Sally Field’s mother), Margaret Morlan, became an actress.

When Field was four years old, her parents divorced; Field lived with her mother in her grandmother Joy’s cottage and saw her father, Dick Field, on the weekends. Field was close with her mother but hated seeing her dad, who largely ignored her. After her divorce, Field’s mother soon married a stunt actor named Jocko and gave birth to their daughter, Princess, the next year. Their family life changed immensely, as they moved into a large luxury home where Jocko became an increasingly controlling step-parent to Field and her brother, Ricky.

Margaret and Jocko’s acting careers began to flounder, and Margaret escaped through drinking. Field was now in her early teens, and Jocko began to sexually abuse her, causing her to live in perpetual fear. At school, Field did not fit in well with her peers and struggled to make friends, but thrived on the stage. As a young woman, Field finally stood up to Jocko, and her boyfriend, Steve, provided emotional comfort. She decided to pursue her one love, acting, and at age 18 was surprised to be cast as the star of a new TV show, Gidget.

Field reflects on her young adulthood. Her mother and stepfather’s careers and marriage continued to deteriorate, while her own career was taking off. Gidget was a modest success and led to Field’s next show, another situational comedy, The Flying Nun. Field struggled to free herself from the domineering Jocko, whose advice led to fear-based decisions. Her regular TV work catapulted her into the position of breadwinner for her family, further complicating her relationships with her parents and sister, Princess.

Feeling bored and limited on her show, Field began to attend the Actors Studio, an acting workshop led by method acting coach Lee Strasberg. Meanwhile, Field loved Steve but struggled to feel committed to the relationship. After Steve gave her an ultimatum, Field decided to marry him and soon gave birth to her first son, Peter. Field began a new chapter in life as a working mother and breadwinner to her growing family, asking her own mother, Margaret, to care for Peter.

Field then discusses the major upheaval she experienced when The Flying Nun ended after three seasons and she had her second son, Elijah. Field and her husband divorced, further complicating her home life. Feeling the pressure of her status as breadwinner, but determined to succeed as a real actor, Field fired her managers and was unemployed for two years, training in acting workshops under David Craig and Lee Strasberg. Her persistence paid off: She won a lead role in Stay Hungry. She soon earned the title role in the TV movie Sybil. Field next starred in a western movie with Burt Reynolds, and the two began a toxic, dysfunctional romance in which Field erased her own identity and goals to serve his needs.

Field recalls how her Emmy-winning performance in Sybil earned her new attention and respect from critics and audiences, undoing years of typecasting. While Field wilted in her relationship with the controlling Reynolds, she continued to blossom professionally under the guidance of director Marty Ritt, the director of the drama Norma Rae. Field’s performance as the Alabama factory laborer won her acting’s highest honors: the Palme d’Or and the Academy Award. This launched her career to new heights and made her a household name. Field glosses over years of professional success in countless Hollywood films, fast-forwarding to how her career slowed down when she was in her late fifties.

As the star of ABC’s Brothers and Sisters, Field struggled to balance her demanding TV schedule with her role as a mother of young adults and caregiver for her elderly mother, Margaret. Unhappy with her professional and personal life, Field sought therapy, soon making profound realizations about how her traumatic childhood experiences had influenced her relationships and decisions. She overcame her negativity and self-doubt and chased the role of Mary Todd in Steven Spielberg’s film Lincoln, winning the part she had longed to play for years.

Field’s journey of self-discovery and healing led her to confront her mother about her abusive childhood and reveal her stepfather’s repeated abuse. These difficult conversations led to peace and closure for Field. She reflects on her mother’s passing and acknowledges that, despite her flaws, her mother was a constant source of love and support for her, which she still deeply appreciates.