Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Gisele Bündchen, Allen & Unwin, $29.99.
A work of candid revelation, Lessons exposes the inner life of a very public woman.
Supermodel, entrepreneur, activist and philanthropist, Bündchen’s journey began in southern Brazil, growing up with five sisters, playing volleyball and rescuing the dogs and cats around her home town.
When she was aged 14, fate suddenly intervened in the form of a modelling scout who spotted her in Sao Paulo. Four years later, her spectacular career was launched after Gisele’s appearance in Alexander McQueen’s memorable rain-soaked London runway show in spring 1998.
While we know the picture of Gisele’s public life, what we realise in Lessons is that it has very little connection to who she really is. “…or what matters most to me, or what I believe in and want to give back to the world. The irony is that though I’m known for my work as a model, I’ve never felt that the person on the runway or in the magazines and TV commercials was me.”
“In school in Brazil I’d been mocked by my classmates for my height and my weight and my appearance. I don’t believe any level of success as an adult completely changes how you saw yourself as a child.”
“The lessons in this book are not rules. As someone who has always questioned the status quo, I certainly don’t want to become anyone’s status quo. Some of these lessons may come across as common sense or familiar. My goal is simply to interpret specific beliefs in the context of my own life and experiences.”
In Lessons, she divulges for the first time who she really is and what she’s learned to help her live a meaningful life. It’s a journey that takes us from a childhood spent barefoot in small-town Brazil to an internationally successful career, motherhood and marriage to quarterback Tom Brady.
