I fell in love with this style of writing. The book tells the life story of Joni Mitchell through a series of essays. It covers so much of her life - her youth, her years in Laurel Canyon, her relationships and last by certainly not least her songwriting. I always loved her music but this book brought it all to life. Learning the stories behind individual songs - Little Green, The Circle Game, etc. It is also fascinating to see her influence on other songwriters - Graham Nash, James Taylor, David Crosby, etc. I strongly recommend this book if you enjoy books about artists, songwriters, Joni Mitchell, or just like a biography told in a series of essays. Love this book so much!

I have to say that the title was misleading; I expected to find actual photos in the book. So sad to find none. But, I really enjoyed the book and, especially, Alford's somewhat breezy and humorous writing style.
No great reveals; most aspects of Joni's life, both personal and professional, have been very public. Nor was it a surprise how surly and mercurial she could be. But, having been a huge fan of Joni's since the early '70s, I appreciated Alford's voyeuristic peek into her world. Who on earth DIDN'T she sleep with? And, really, Leonard Cohen? I'm trying to imagine what his orgasms sound like...
One glaring mistake, as far as I'm concerned, was Alford's claim that brain aneurysms are caused by high blood pressure. Being a survivor, I can tell you that's not the case. High blood pressure (and a four-pack-a-day smoking habit) can exacerbate them, but the cause is a weakness in an arterial wall that, often, is genetic in origin.
This book will make a great gift for those of us in the Boomer generation for whom Joni was a goddess, a poet, and a partner in heartbreak and insecurity. Too bad it won't be out for Christmas, as we all bond with Emma Thompson while watching "Love, Actually".