You're watching...
Melissa Francis talks about her honest and provocative memoir and how she made peace by leaving family behind.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
I again welcome to fox 411 I'm Laura -- so glad that you're here with us today one of the reporters here.
At Fox News Channel I look forward to hearing from you on Twitter there's my handled down -- Asked Laura Ingle and joining me here on -- want to get right to it.
Because and so thrilled to have the opportunity even though -- -- in the same building don't get this opportunity often Melissa Francis is here.
From Fox Business Network you know -- lover you see here on TV all the time.
And now we have not only to show to talk about but your new book.
Former child star of course and you've got the new book -- that break I think we actually that we have their -- nice yeah okay.
Diary of -- stage mother's daughter so I have been.
Reading the excerpt that as it is on foxnews.com by the way we want people to tune in to batter click on to that and check it out such an interesting read.
Started to begin watching right this book and how did you write this book I was asking -- now started I don't even know where you would start with such a career.
Cat -- where it would start is actually they accept -- -- that you're looking at your screen right now that is on foxnews.com.
It is the very first thing that I wrote for the book and when I went to go talk to an agent about it had been quite as always wanted to be a writer and I've tried -- couple different things and I went to see an agent and I talked about doing a project.
And I pitched a bunch of different things and he's that you should really do a -- -- -- at home now I mean.
Know my story is so personal aaron's.
You know there's a lot of tragedy and it just.
-- isn't piercing to reveal yourself -- -- review of your life and especially.
The tragedies that in the that it happened in your life and and you know everything that's vulnerable about yourself.
He asked me to write.
In one scene and -- -- it doesn't have to be the beginning middle and just write a scene that's vivid to you in your memory that tells her story and I wrote the very first scene and the whole book and it is the excerpt that's up on the web -- right now.
And it talks at a time you know something we used to happen in my family all the time I had the Hollywood version of -- tiger mom a very intense.
Pressure packed overbearing mom who pushed my sister -- to perfection.
And also ruled with an iron fisted in Hollywood it's called the stage mother and something that would happen all the time was.
She would throw us out of the car on the side of the road.
-- -- at a very young age -- very young age and I had seen happen in my sister.
A million times you know countless times.
And she -- over the -- around and say get out you know you discussed when you don't need to be part of our family any longer.
You know and and and then drive away.
And I knew one day that my day would come this what happened to you as well and my day finally came I was eight years old and she pulled over the -- -- to get out you know find your -- way home finding new home unless you anymore.
And when she pulled away you know my sister always sort of stumble along the side -- -- -- and -- so pathetic.
Well we circled around and finally got -- -- -- would take longer and -- every time.
Then with me you know when she pulled the way I had about this for a long time as -- watch it so much tonight -- an issue is out of sight I ran up on the golf course and I hit it.
Because I said.
I'm different you know this isn't going to be the same thing.
And this is the scene that I wrote at the beginning of the book what happens from -- and how I get out of it because of course there's this immediate -- of victory when I see her pull around and not -- union and sort of panic.
But then there's the question I mean -- -- -- -- from there right you know how might I I wasn't running away didn't have any money at and have a jacket I didn't I was eight years old Biden have -- plan.
So you have to sort of figure out what to do from there that's.
That's the beginning of the book and when I called it the two page challenge just read the beginning and keep it grabs you and if it doesn't you know while on -- here many back pattern -- Why I did read the two pages and I can't wait to read the book now -- -- and you know you read something like that in the way that -- treat him turning out outside of rodents getting you know and to the point where it's getting dark.
Nowadays you know child -- services.
Would be on your iPad was it was that anything they know it it's pretty nice and.
Say that because I remember it was maybe five years ago we were in the news we hear all these stories and I remember hearing history in a bomb was arrested for doing that -- and I thought to myself boy that's just the tip of the iceberg you know I mean not sort of just the beginning of what went on in my house.
But I remember you know somebody -- and people the times and he said oh my mom did that and I thought I've got a lot more than that that you know I could -- and now it now it's on a book but.
You know at the end of the day.
I think what's what's interesting about the story is that it's not.
You know a terrifying story of abuse -- -- it like everything else it's nuanced you know we had our -- we had -- happy times.
You know -- my mother poured all of her energy her life everything into my six that's -- and she mean he's someone who was driven and focused and I push myself you know nothing less than an -- -- was ever acceptable in my house and that mean you really -- person and also mean somebody who got into Harvard so it's not you can't.
Necessarily pass judgment on all these things and I think in the book I try not to do that but rather to tell my story.
If it sounds incredible again I can't wait to read it through and I wanted to obviously -- if you are you're joining us and clicking on and you don't know obviously.
You used to be on Little House on the Prairie.
That was one of -- big but -- -- and tons of commercials and -- as well.
That's right that's what's called diary misty and -- daughter I yeah I started the business when I was six months old.
I was plopped into a bath -- as -- as for Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo commercial that was kind of off to the racist American.
More than -- commercials and TV shows and movies and all kinds of things and and you know like so many kids that you read about on -- it was all driven by a stage mother by somebody who made all that happened and to be clear you -- have cut highest.
I have today there are failing at the end of the bucket it builds to a crescendo and our whole feeling sort of -- -- -- as shocking an explosive and and and what happens at that point and from there.
You know I reach a point in my life -- -- have to make a decision about being healthy happy -- having my own feeling and what that means and and at that point you know I sort of tried to reset the relationship with my mom and and you read how that was definitely came and.
Very interesting cannot wait to read it Melissa Francis because of money with Melissa Francis on -- and our sister network.
So good to have you here they already know is they want -- aren't happy.
You know the courage to come forward and talk about this but tired -- talk about this and here we see on foxnews.com.
The op Ed and you can find out more about Melissa her book.
And her career on foxnews.com.
Melissa thanks thank you day all right so we're gonna move.
