Reviewed by Leonard Smuts for Readers' Favorite

Life can be exciting, challenging, or dull, but for Sandy Pearl, it was always eventful. She shares her story in Then the Phone Rang: My Journey from Hitchhiking Hippie to the Hollywood High Life. She begins by taking readers back to the family dinner table in Santa Barbara in 1959, aged 8 years old. She had two older brothers, a distant father, and a mother who tended toward narcissism. She dropped out of college in 1971 to travel overseas, with its adventures and misadventures. She returned to the USA to become a hostess at a restaurant in Los Angeles, meeting famous people. A receptionist position at Atlantic Records on the famed Sunset Boulevard followed, before being promoted to Publicity Department Assistant. Finding romance in the office, she resigned but stayed in the thriving music, television, and movie industries. She moved in with her eccentric partner, but with no prospect of marriage, they split after 12 years. She underwent therapy and revisited her relationship with her mother. The vibrant music scene of the ‘70s and ‘80s is described in fascinating detail, with all its glamour and shadows exposed. The author does not set out to make startling disclosures about the celebrities that she encountered, remaining tactfully silent, but telling some interesting anecdotes. The celebrities that Sandy mingled with certainly were an eclectic bunch. The ringing phone always preceded change, generally for the better.

Sandy Pearl shares life-changing moments, such as being diagnosed with pneumonia after collapsing at the age of 58. This forced a change of pace and a shift to freelance work. Romance eluded her at times, and she went through both marriage and divorce, followed by more therapy. Friends and family members died or moved on. The short, punchy chapters unfold in rapid succession. The style is candid, chatty, and amusing. There is never a dull moment, making for easy and enjoyable reading. The book is illustrated with family photographs that bring the players to life. A bonus is a retrospective update as to what became of the main characters. Then the Phone Rang illustrates that life can have its synchronicities, although sometimes you have to use your contacts. Sandy shares her resourcefulness and vivacious character to the full, reflecting that a career in the music, television, or advertising world is not for the faint-hearted. This is a thoroughly entertaining memoir that is both charming and insightful.