In the realm of memoirs, the recounting of eccentric and abusive childhoods has become a subgenre. Think Jeannette Walls and Augusten Burroughs, think horrific events retold with sharp insight and even wry humor. Actress and writer Wendy Lawless has now added to this collection with her tragic yet darkly entertaining memoir, CHANEL BONFIRE. It is a slim book and a quick read but packs an enormous emotional punch.
Wendy and her younger sister, Robin, were raised by a mother who seemed, at first blush and in her early years, like a glamorous and sophisticated socialite. But Georgann hid many dark