Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis--A Memoir

＂A heartfelt record of stepping into one’s own.＂ --Publishers Weekly

The long-awaited memoir by Priscilla Presley chronicling her difficult, inspiring journey beyond the walls of Graceland and behind the elegant image the world sees.

Priscilla Presley’s divorce from Elvis left his fans incredulous. How could she leave the man every woman wanted? From the outside, life in Elvis’s mansion looked glamorous and enviable, and in many respects, it was. But inside the mansion, her husband was constantly surrounded by a male entourage while at the gates, lines of beautiful women waited hopefully for an audience with the King. From the time she was seventeen years-old, that life was all Priscilla had known. During her ten years with Elvis, it became painfully apparent that she had no idea who she was outside Elvis’s world. The only way to find herself was to leave that world and seek a new life of her own, because leaving was the only way to survive, for herself and for her daughter.

Softly, As I Leave You, is the deeply personal story of what Priscilla lost and what she found when she walked away from the man she loved. Despite the legal separation, their love for one another transformed into a touching and tender dynamic that endured until Elvis’s untimely death four years later. Shattered by Elvis’s passing, she had to reinvent herself a second time as the single mother of a talented, often headstrong daughter who never really recovered from her father’s death. Priscilla’s dedication to motherhood was enriched by the birth of her second child, and she gradually found her footing as a businesswoman, actress, designer, and legislative advocate. She transformed Graceland into an international destination and helped guide the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises. But the unexpected, shattering loss of three immediate family members years later brought Priscilla to her knees. She shares her journey with a quiet dignity that will comfort and reassure anyone who has suffered - and survived - seemingly unbearable loss.

A passionate, compassionate, and inspiring story of finding your place in the world, Softly, As I Leave You, is a sweet Southern melody that will take the reader with Priscilla on her long road home.

Priscilla Beaulieu Presley is a businesswoman, author, designer, producer, and actress best known for her roles in the television drama Dallas and the Naked Gun movies. As the cofounder and former chairperson of Elvis Presley Enterprises, she is credited with turning Elvis Presley’s mansion, Graceland, into the second most visited historic home in the United States. As a key architect of the Elvis Presley legacy, she has curated and produced albums, books, films, and concerts honoring the late music legend. She lives in Los Angeles near her son and grandchildren, where she continues her lifelong commitment to animal advocacy.

Mary Jane Ross is an award-winning college professor and writer, honored with the NAACP Image Award for Best Biography or Autobiography, with Ray Charles Robinson. Her collaborations span subjects as diverse as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Piper Laurie, Mafia hitman Roy DeMeo, and Congressmember Nancy Mace. Softly, As I Leave You, with Priscilla Presley, marks her ninth memoir. Her body of work also includes poetry and an online grammar textbook for second-language students. She lives in her native Southern California.