Forever our Princess...whether she wanted to be or not

I honestly wish I could say that Carrie Fisher's THE PRINCESS DIARIST was super incredibly awesome and made me love her more than ever, but the truth is that it was quite disappointing. Considering the title, I hoped for and expected all these wonderful behind-the-scenes stories about the making of our beloved STAR WARS. Instead, Carrie waxed philosophical--especially in regards to her affair with Harrison Ford she refers to as "Carrison"--and mentions Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and George Lucas just often enough to make this memoir related to the time of her life when STAR WARS was filmed. 

The book as a whole is good and I'm glad I read it. I, like millions of others, have always loved Princess Leia. Carrie Fisher herself is real and down-to-earth and as lovable as she is misguided. She is brutally honest without holding anything back, but yet doesn't delve deep enough into the world of STAR WARS to satisfy my craving for all things STAR WARS.

I am incredibly saddened by her death as well as by the death of her mother just one day later. In spite of Carrie Fisher's lack of self-esteem, she made a huge impact on millions of people both as Princess Leia and as herself. As someone who has experienced severe depression and anxiety, Carrie helped make it "okay" to talk about such things as well as to admit to them. I mean, if Princess Leia herself was bipolar and managed to save a whole galaxy, then I can strap on my big-girl panties and function day-to-day, right? Of course, right.

So while THE PRINCESS DIARIST is not going on my list of "greatest books," I am very glad I read it and I will forever miss Carrie Fisher.