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Grace is Enoughx$9.14
  (16 reviews)
Best Price: $9.14
While actor Willie Aames (Eight Is Enough, Charles in Charge) was at the peak of Hollywood success, his future wife, Maylo Upton, was a teenage runaway, eating out of trash bins and living on the streets to escape the sexual crimes of her cult-ruined mother’s barbaric boyfriend. By the time Willie met Maylo, his star was falling because of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and family problems while her acting career was starting to rise. Together, they found God and got their messy lives clean, but the ghosts from their gritty past would duly roughen the road to victory. Grace Is Enough is their fascinating insider story of fame and infamy, spiritual regrets and renewal, and the ultimate realization that with God all things are possible. It will appeal to and greatly inspire everyone from pop culture fans to the traditional Christian nonfiction reader. Endorsements
"If you think this is just another Hollywood tell-all book, think again. This story is so much more; it will shock you, but most importantly, it will give you hope and remind us all that God is alive and still in the miracle business." — Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey, radio hosts, The Rick & Bubba Show “Willie and Maylo's honesty make this book a heartfelt read. It is inspiring to see a couple so devoted to each other and to their faith.” —Lori Loughlin, television actress, Full House "A fascinating true story that could only emerge from Hollywood. Grace Is Enough is honest, riveting, and unfolds in a compelling way that only a real-life drama can." —Tom Russo, president, Intermedia Television and former vice president of development, Paramount Pictures "Grace Is Enough offers an unflinching portrayal of both the grimmest of human nature and the most extraordinary of the human spirit. Willie and Maylo's story is an emotionally brutal one made utterly compelling by uncovering hope and dignity within the midst of fame, greed, lust, excess, and ultimate betrayal. The candid account of these two lives is both touching and disturbing, but in the end, one of the most remarkable and inspiring stories I have ever read." —Chris Maul, Grammnet Productions
“Willie and Maylo have been the main characters in their own exciting, action-filled, suspenseful, dramatic and sometimes tragic life story. Their devotion to God and to one another inspires us to reach past the pain and the obstacles in our own lives in order to come to the place where we can agree with them . . . grace is enough.”
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Customer Reviews
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better than I expected
By A2DK46SYUPS1LT on 2007-10-16
I have to admit I didn't know what to expect, but once I opened this book I couldn't put it down. I read through the whole thing in two evenings! It was honest, raw, and inspiring. Even if you are not a fan of Willie Aames, you will be moved by this book. I encourage everyone to read it and I will definitely buy several more copies to give out!
Stunning read
By A21NVBFIEQWDSG on 2008-01-18
Hollywood has long been known for its star-struck effect on those seeking fame and fortune. Sadly, many who seek these elusive states of abstraction are driven down hard on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. A number of those who pursue The Dream are broken before they even arrive.
Grace is Enough gives a harsh glimpse of what it can be like to grow up without a real childhood, without hope of dreaming of a "Hollywood" life. Grace depicts the lives of Willie Aames and Maylo Upton-Aames, shattered by the evils of less-than-well-intentioned family members in their upbringing and the continued challenge of overcoming addiction into their adulthood.
The book painfully describes the ancestry and contemporary family relationships the Aameses experienced, suffered through and survived. Though their plight sounds hopeless, their faith is not. Their deep and abiding faith in a Higher Power lifted them out of their lives of despair to a lives well-lived through the warmth and light of the love of God.
The Aameses overcame years of pain and dysfunction in their own lives, only to be tested by the paradigm Hollywood would have us believe: that fame and fortune bring a life of wealth and admiration. Through candid storytelling, the Aameses demonstrate a life lived through faith and belief awards more riches than celebrity status could ever offer. Their story is achingly heartfelt and surprising uplifting, reminding us in our darkest moments that there is a spiritual force beyond us. No truer words have been uttered...grace is enough.
Armchair Interviews agrees.
Expect the unexpected. Fascinating!
By A3OGLSO6RIZHO0 on 2007-11-27
LOVED this book! Not only did I enjoy all of the insider information on most of my favorite stars...but I was surprised to find myself laughing out loud and even crying in some places. Even though this was an easy read....(I finished it in under two days)......it was gritty and inspirational and I have purchased two more copies for my sister and my mother.
Hope in the midst of heartache!
By ABFHX51SVYAP0 on 2008-01-05
All I can say is WOW!! I just never knew. So many times we look to those in Hollywood as being privileged, special and some how immune from the heartaches that we "normal" people have to endure. After reading this book, I will never feel that way again.
I was so blessed and horrified by what these two "very normal people" had to endure to survive, behind the shadows of all of the glammer and glitz of Hollywood. I found, however, as I read their 'gut-wrenching' tell-all stories, that I could relate, in a small way to their very human reactions. The Hope that only God can give to one who reaches the end of oneself permeates every page, leaving the reader with a sense of enpowerment to live their lives by HIS GRACE too! His grace truly IS enough!!
It was a compelling and easy read, I couldn't put it down, although at times my heart was breaking as I read of the destable acts of cruelty forced upon them as young adults. If not for His grace...He certainly had a bigger plan for their lives!
I give this book a 5 star rating and would and do recommend it to anyone who has suffered and yet survived, knowing that it is only by HIS GRACE that we truly can live through anything!!
Willie Aames and Maylo Upton-Aames
By A34PBUJ2Z47C1C on 2008-02-20
I truly enjoyed Grace is Enough because Willie and Maylo pull no punches. I didn't read a word in the book that didn't seem to ring true. I admire them both--although I had only known Willie from Eight is Enough prior to reading this book. It should be required reading for anyone who feels fame or fortune or drugs is the answer to life's enjoyment. I'm proud of them both because it is not easy to tell your life openly in a book.
- The story within the story
By A2714WO5EC7NUQ on 2008-03-23
I originally bought this book with the hope of reading about Willie Aames transformation into Christianity. While his recollection of his life as an actor was interesting, I found myself trying to rush through his dialogue to get to Maylo. Her story, one of courage and determination, is both devastating and inspiring. Aptly named "Grace is Enough", this book focuses very much so on the need for grace within the Christian community, reminding us that we are all human with human flaws.
- Wonderful testimony
By A1JSP04AZTXLP8 on 2008-03-30
I had seen Willie and Maylo on Life Today with James and Betty Robison. I had wondered what happened to Willie after he left the Bibleman series. This book is wonderful. I quickly ordered it after seening them on the show. I couldn't sleep the other night so I read it in on sitting. So good. They are very humble giving all credit to our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is truly amazing that with all they have gone through that they have been married for over 20 years. They are a shining example that you can stay married, it is a choice, and a commitment not only to your spouse, but to God. Looking forward to reading Willie's new book.
- GREAT BOOK!
By A3QAK2YVBZMNAQ on 2008-04-02
I LOVE TO READ ABOUT GODS TRANSFORMING POWER IN PEOPLE'S LIVES. THIS BOOK IS EXACTLY THAT. GOD IS SO GOOD. YOU'LL ENJOY THIS READ.
- Not as good as expected
By A3R9W0AOLODA8Q on 2008-05-20
This book is okay as far a biographies go . . . I definitely felt compassion for the rough, sordid life that both Willie Aames and Maylo Upton-Aames endured and admire them for rising above it. However, I wouldn't call the book uplifting. Too many details were given about the bad things that happened to them (e.g. instead of just saying Maylo was raped repeatedly by her mother's boyfriend, lengthy specifics were given.) Willie Aames also says at the beginning that some people will doubt that parts of the book are true. I do admit--I question a three to four year old constructing a noose and trying to hang himself.
- Grace is enough
By A1P1OJGUYM140K on 2008-05-02
I loved reading this book. It is a light read and very spiritually uplifting!
- honest book
By A2E1MUJDMV5U74 on 2008-06-20
About fifty pages into this book, I started to put it down because the writing is uneven. But something prompted me to keep reading. Glad I did. It's raw, it's honest, and deeply inspiring because of these qualities. In the end, the content was way more important than the quality of the writing. Isn't that the way it should be? Maylo's story was so wrenching that at times, I was reading and crying and amazed that she could reach out to her younger brother and sister with love when she, herself, was in so much pain and enduring so much abuse. Willie's story was equally compelling toward the end. My life has been enriched by reading this book. I want to thank Willie and Maylo for sharing their human frailty so fearlessly and for living their lives with such integrity. God bless you both.
- A Great Read
By A3F3T49U3GOVE1 on 2008-05-31
I highly recommend this book. I could not put it down! I read it twice before passing it along to a friend. I purchased this book after having a stroke. It motivated me in knowing that if Willie and Maylo could get through all that they have, I can too!
- This book should be re-categorized to "fiction"
By A39INSPS0P4WQC on 2008-08-26
I'll give Willie the benefit of the doubt, which is more than he's given first wife Victoria, by saying all the drugs and alcohol have affected his memory. If he remembered what REALLY happened, he would've written that when he and Victoria split up, he left her and their son, Christopher, with nothing. Willie was never left alone with his son as he states in the book. Willie gave no child support, nor did he spend a heck of a lot of time with Christopher growing up. Thanks to the beautiful person that Victoria is, with her parents and sister, Christopher grew up to be a very fine person who would make any parent proud. I don't know about Maylo's story, or the rest of Willie's, but this terrible inaccuracy puts their whole book in question.
- Grace is more than enough
By AWK0WYXRA4T4H on 2008-05-18
Generally, I'm not big on biographies / autobiographies. Amazon recommended this as a result of an earlier purchase, Eric Clapton's EC. I watched the Eight is Enough show plenty of times and really enjoyed it. However I suspected some of its stars had issues that evaded that public's eye. This book is full of surprises/hurts. Some of those hurts are quite painful and I'm sure quite familiar to some of us "regular" folks. Paints another portrait of pain/shame in the celebrity world of fame. Willie's family history and business associates (actors/actresses) are quite notable. Worth reading even if you're not a fan of Eight is Enough. Quite uplifting.
- GREAT BOOK!
By A3PHGRWNSU3NBC on 2008-07-24
I enjoyed reading this book, learning how Willie was treated in hollywood was back in the 70's/80's and how things can get out of hand. I'm so happy he found true love with Maylo and got his (and her) life back in order.
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