Riley Keough Details Completing Mom Lisa Marie Presley’s Memoir: “It Was Incredibly Painful”
on Sep 26, 2024
Actress Riley Keough took on the bittersweet task of finishing her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir.
The book, From Here to the Great Unknown, set to release on October 8, promises to offer an intimate look into the life of Elvis Presley’s daughter. The same day, an exclusive interview with Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keough, and Oprah Winfrey will air on CBS, offering viewers a glimpse into one of America’s most legendary families.
Riley will also be going on a book tour to support the memoir. Her first stop will be in New York City on October 9.
RELATED: Riley Keough Says Finishing Her Mom’s Memoir Is Bittersweet and Therapeutic
Fulfilling A Promise To Her Mother
Following Lisa Marie’s untimely death in 2023, Riley, now 35, stepped up to honor a promise she had made to her mother. As the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate and the owner of Graceland, Riley immersed herself in her mother’s recorded memories, navigating through her own grief to bring her mother’s story to life.
During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Riley explained the motivation behind the memoir:
“Because my mother was Elvis Presley’s daughter, she was constantly talked about, argued over, and dissected. What she wanted to do in her memoir, and what I hope I’ve done in finishing it for her, is to go beneath the magazine headline idea of her and reveal the core of who she was.”
Unveiling The Real Lisa Marie
The memoir aims to paint a multifaceted portrait of Lisa Marie, moving beyond the public persona to reveal the woman behind the headlines. Riley describes her mother as:
“The best mother, a wild child, a fierce friend, an underrated artist, frank, funny, traumatized, joyous, grieving, everything that she was throughout her remarkable life.”
Through the book, Riley hopes to give voice to her mother in a way she couldn’t during her lifetime.
A Journey Through Lisa Marie’s Tapes
To complete the memoir, Riley listened to numerous tapes of her mother’s recollections. These recordings covered a wide range of topics, from Lisa Marie’s thoughts on Elvis to her romantic relationships, the joys of motherhood, the devastating loss of her son Benjamin, and the redemptive arrival of her granddaughter, Riley’s daughter Tupelo.
An excerpt from From Here To The Great Unknown reads:
“I got the tapes of the memoir interviews she’d done. I was in my house, sitting on the couch. My daughter was sleeping. I was so afraid to hear my mother’s voice…I began listening to her speak. It was incredibly painful, but I couldn’t stop. It was like she was in the room, talking to me. I instantly felt like a child again, and I burst into tears.”
Reflecting on the experience, Riley shared:
“The tapes are an incredible portrait of the force of nature that she was. Depending on the day and her mood, she can sound locked-in or distracted, vulnerable and open or annoyed and closed off, hopeful, angry, everything. You hear her in all her complications.”
While the circumstances of Lisa Marie’s life were extraordinary, Riley hopes that readers will find relatable elements in her mother’s story. The memoir touches on universal themes of love, heartbreak, loss, addiction, and family.
“[My mom] wanted to write a book in the hopes that someone could read her story and relate to her, to know that they’re not alone in the world. Her hope with this book was just human connection. So that’s mine.”
RELATED: Riley Keough Opens Up About Her Relationship With Grandma Priscilla Presley
From Here to the Great Unknown is now available for preorder.
