I first became aware of Carrie Fisher when I saw the movie “Star Wars” back in 1977 where she played the iconic Princess Leia. Instead of being a simpering wuss like so many princesses I grew up with, Princess Leia was totally bad ass, and I loved her for that. But Carrie Fisher was so much more than Princess Leia. She was also a talented script doctor and author, her first book being Postcards from the Edge, which was published in 1987.
Postcards from the Edge follows the story of one Suzanne Vale. Suzanne is an actress and as the book begins, Suzanne has had a drug overdose and is now drying out in a rehab center. There are several sections to Postcards from the Edge. The first part follows postcards Suzanne sends to members of her family while she’s in rehab. Remember, this book takes place in the 1980s and postcards were the way people could briefly communicate when a phone wasn’t available. In 2023, people would be communicating via emails or texts. But Emails from the Edge or Texts from the Edge doesn’t quite have the right zing. While in treatment, Suzanne also tries to keep up with journaling, writing about her experiences in rehab and coming to grips with her addiction. She also shares her flirtation with a fellow addict named Alex.
When Suzanne finally gets out of rehab, she starts dating a producer named Jack Burroughs. This part features dialogue between Suzanne and Jack. It also features Suzanne speaking to her therapist, and Jack speaking to his lawyer (who in a way is kind of a therapist).
The last three sections follow Suzanne’s life as she tries to revive her career and stay clean. She’s making a movie and living with her grandparents during filming. While filming, she’s constantly being hassled for being overly tense, and is chided for not chilling out enough. Later one, we follow Suzanne through her non-acting life, working out with her trainer, hanging out with friends, industry events, and various meetings related to her career. During this time, Suzanne meets an author, and later she develops a relationship with this author while also facing the anniversary of her overdose and her time in rehab. And in the epilogue, Suzanne writes a letter to the doctor who pumped her stomach when she overdosed. Interestingly enough, the doctor had sought her out. Suzanne lets him know that she’s still clean, on the mend, and doing so much better. The doctor even asks Suzanne if she’s seeing someone, and she can’t help but feel a little charmed by his interest. And though Suzanne knows her life is better than a lot of people’s, she still doesn’t quite feel at peace.
Postcards from the Edge isn’t a book that has a strong plot. It is more about Suzanne’s internal musings and facing her shortcomings and challenges. Suzanne is written in a way that is relatable. And Fisher gives her just the right humor to make Suzanne funny. Suzanne Vale is all too human, and Postcards from the Edge (despite the 80s of it-MTV showing videos, cocaine use) is still relevant today. I wish Fisher was still with us in 2023. We could really use her unique voice as a writer.
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