If I Knew Then

In If I Knew Then, which was first published in 1962, Debbie Reynolds makes her debut as an author, having already excelled in numerous other fields of expression-including appearing in motion pictures, on the stage, in vaudeville and on television, and selling more than a million copies of her record &quote;Tammy,&quote; from the movie Tammy and the Bachelor (1957).&quote;I'm Debbie Reynolds.&quote;Well, I'm not really Debbie; I'm Mary Frances. But if you like Debbie you can call me that. Or you can call me Sis, like my father, or Frannie, like my brother, or Mrs. Karl or-Whatever you want to call me, I'm pleased to meet you.&quote;Now let's get down to cases. Like the Case of Why Debbie Reynolds Is Writing a Book. That's one that even Perry Mason would have trouble solving.&quote;Me write a book?&quote;I can imagine the hubbub this will arouse in certain quarters&quote;People who know me well know I will not be swayed by flattery. I am going to write this book, anyway. First I'd better list what this book is not.&quote;1. It is not an autobiography of Little Me. The life and times of this belle will have to be written a few decades hence.&quote;2. It will not teach you how to play the piano in forty-five (45) days.&quote;3. It will not cure nervous tension, negative thinking or excess acidity.&quote;Then what is it?&quote;It is a book about the things I have learned, often the hard way. It was prompted by the people who have written me for advice on a variety of subjects, mainly personal. Why me, I don't know. But they write....&quote;-Debbie Reynolds