Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Delta Goodrem, Simon & Schuster, $39.99.
Award-winning Australian singer, songwriter and actress Delta Goodrem has been an inspiration since she signed her first record deal at the age of 15. The internationally acclaimed, multi-platinum artist has spent much of her time overseas over the past two decades, creating an unrivalled body of work.
Still calling Australia home, this talented multi-hyphenate has added yet another string to her bow – with her first book. She shares a rare, intimate glimpse inside the process behind her sixth studio album (of the same name) and how each track was brought to life. The album was released alongside the autobiographical book, containing the emotional stories behind Delta’s sixth studio album.
In October 2018 she faced one of the biggest challenges of her life. After having surgery to remove a salivary gland, she woke up to discover she could no longer control her speech. “But I’m nothing if not a fighter, and I saw this chapter of my life for what it was: a rebirth.”
“All of my albums so far have been about a chapter in time, but every song on Bridge Over Troubled Dreams is a single page pulled from each of those chapters. It shares my stories of lessons learnt, love, family, highs and lows, patience, freedom, faith, hope and survival, and times when failure has been my reward.”
She speaks candidly about love, family, highs and lows, patience, freedom, faith, hope and survival, and how she uses lessons learned to drive herself forward.
Delta’s heartfelt stories are accompanied by never-before-seen-pictures from her personal collection: candid behind-the-scenes shots, unreleased tour photos and even personal snaps from her childhood. She considers herself to be fortunate, as she had “lived a few lifetimes by a young age”.
