Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of legendary rock and roll icon Elvis Presley, led a life that many would envy on the surface. However, her posthumous memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown,” uncovers the deeply personal struggles that lay beneath her fame. Revealing intimate details about her life, including her journey into motherhood and her experiences with love and loss, the memoir serves as a poignant reminder that even those who seem to have it all are often grappling with profound issues.
One of the most striking revelations in Presley’s memoir is her reflection on a past abortion, which she referred to as “the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.” This admission highlights the complicated emotions surrounding such personal choices. Presley candidly shares her longing to redeem herself, explaining that she had actively planned to conceive with her then-boyfriend, Danny Keough, on a cruise ship. This desperate attempt to reclaim a sense of control in her life illustrates her yearning for motherhood and the emotional turmoil she faced after her previous decision.
Presley’s account of speaking to the lost child she aborted, asking for forgiveness, is heartbreaking. It paints a picture of a woman grappling with regret and the profound connection she felt, even before becoming a mother. Her determination to have a child emerges not only from a desire for motherhood but also from a quest for atonement.
The memoir also delves into Presley’s marriage to Keough, whom she describes as being “trapped” by her pregnancy with their daughter, Riley Keough. Such language illuminates the complexity of her relationships and foreshadows the struggles that would ensue in her later life. Married from 1988 to 1994, the couple had their ups and downs, navigating the challenges that come with young parenthood and the pressures of fame.
The memoir reveals that Presley experienced deep grief following the death of her son, Benjamin Storm Keough, who died tragically in 2020. Riley has publicly stated that her mother died from a “broken heart” after losing her son. This underscores a painful cycle of loss in Presley’s life and hints at the emotional bedrock that informed her actions and choices as she navigated motherhood.
Furthermore, Lisa Marie’s past marriages to high-profile figures like Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage—each without children—add another layer to her complex narrative. While these unions were short-lived, they reflect the anxiety and searching that defined her personal life. Her connection to her mother, Priscilla Presley, after Elvis’s death, and her experiences following Benjamin’s death, reveal the deep familial bonds that both supported and constrained her throughout her life.
“From Here to the Great Unknown” serves as a window into Lisa Marie Presley’s heart, revealing the vulnerabilities that existed alongside her herculean public persona. By sharing her story, Presley not only seeks forgiveness for her past but also invites readers to reflect on the intricate tapestry of motherhood, loss, and redemption. Ultimately, this memoir stands as a testament to a life marked by both turmoil and moments of profound love.