Book ~ "Toni Tennille: A Memoir" (2016) Toni Tennille and Caroline Tennille St. Clair

From Goodreads ~ Since bursting onto the scene in the mid ‘70s, the pop duo Captain and Tennille have long defined the sparkling optimistic idea of everlasting love, both in their music and through their image as a happy and, seemingly, unbreakable couple. They were an irresistible pair to millions of fans all over the world, further underscored by the rousing “yes, we can!” gospel of their biggest hit, “Love Will Keep Us Together.” 

But underneath the image was an entirely different story that the fans never saw: a woman who fought a lonely struggle against the controlling and often bizarre behavior of her emotionally inaccessible husband. 

"Toni Tennille: A Memoir" is a visceral account of Toni Tennille’s life from her childhood in the segregated South to her thrilling rise to fame in the world of pop music to where she is now: no longer one-half of a famed couple but a stronger woman for all she has experienced - both the good and the bad. Toni hopes that her story will help anyone who feels trapped in a toxic relationship realize that it is never too late to break away from it.

I wasn't a huge fan of Captain & Tennille but I like reading memoirs so I thought I'd check it out. Toni starts with her childhood being raised in an affluent household in the South. Her father had run the store that had been in the family for generations. But he was an alcoholic who would go on binges and it wasn't pretty. They eventually lost the store and moved to California to start over. Toni had always been musical and eventually met Daryl Dragon. They got together and formed a duo. Toni was in love with Daryl but he was a strange guy and she was determined to fix him. More than 30 years later in 2014 she finally gave up and divorced him when they were in their 70s.

I thought Toni had interesting stories and I liked the writing style. I find it amazing that she spent so many years with a cold husband who didn't treat her well. He was controlling and she let him. He had weird eating habits and she adapted to his. They travelled a lot and instead of experiences the different cultures, she allowed him to dictate what they ate. She wasn't young when they met and had been married and divorced ... I would have bailed on him once I found out what he was really like. She seems like a nice person and I'm glad she finally found her way.