Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth

Gerry Anderson is Pamela Anderson’s brother, who is four years younger than she is. Anderson fondly recalls her childhood memories of playing with Gerry outside their cabin in Ladysmith, British Columbia. Some of her earliest memories are of sitting with Gerry outside, waiting for their parents to stop fighting. As the eldest child, Anderson felt a sense of responsibility toward her younger brother. She writes, “Times like this, I’d take Gerry outside and sit on the stairs” (31). Anderson recalls how her brother was affected by their father’s abuse of their mother, and she blames these experiences for his interest in drugs and drinking at a young age. Anderson recalls being frightened and outraged when her brother was admitted to the emergency room after overdosing as a teen. She remembers, “Our lives flashed before me like a sad dream. Maybe he wanted a way out” (49). Anderson’s sense of protectiveness over her brother continued through his adolescence, and she wanted to help him get a fresh start in life. She remembers, “Freeing yourself is mandatory before you can help to free others. And I always knew when I got on my feet, I’d come back for Gerry” (53).