Softly, as I Leave You (by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley)
Growing up with a mom who loved Elvis, I’ve long been fascinated by the Presley family. I thoroughly enjoyed Priscilla’s first memoir, Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock’n’ Roll (1985), as well as Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough’s From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir. So when Priscilla released Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis, I immediately placed a library hold.
In this candid follow-up memoir, Priscilla shares her personal journey of self-discovery, resilience, and reinvention after leaving her marriage to Elvis and life at Graceland. She writes openly about the challenges and triumphs she experienced as a single mother, businesswoman, actress, and woman determined to build her own identity beyond the shadow of her famous past. The book is an intimate exploration of love, loss, grief, joy, and the quiet strength found in starting over.
I really enjoyed Softly, as I Leave You. Priscilla briefly recaps the key facts of how she met, dated, and married Elvis before moving into the story of his sudden death and her life afterward. She reflects on her relationships, her children and grandchildren, her various business ventures (including clothing, bedding, and perfume lines), her acting career, her time on Dancing with the Stars, and her work as an animal advocate. She is especially transparent about her relationships with her children, Lisa Marie and Navarone, including the difficulties they faced with addiction and other struggles.
Having previously read Lisa Marie’s memoir, it was particularly interesting to hear Priscilla’s perspective on their mother-daughter relationship. While Lisa was not always flattering about Priscilla as a parent, Priscilla offers her own side with grace and makes it clear that her love for Lisa never wavered.
The audiobook version I borrowed through Libby was excellent—Priscilla narrates it herself, which always adds a special layer of authenticity and emotion to a memoir. In her eighties, she sounds vibrant, reflective, and remarkably resilient.
If you’re drawn to stories of personal growth, celebrity culture, or the Presley family, Softly, as I Leave You is a worthwhile and heartfelt read.
You can find my reviews of the other books mentioned in this blog post linked below.
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