Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark

Written by Cassandra Peterson

Narrated by Cassandra Peterson

The woman behind the icon known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the undisputed Queen of Halloween, reveals her full story filled with intimate bombshells—told by the bombshell herself. 

On Good Friday in 1953, at only 18 months old, 25 miles from the nearest hospital in Manhattan, Kansas, Cassandra Peterson reached for a pot on the stove and doused herself in boiling water. Third-degree burns covered 35% of her body, and the prognosis wasn't good. But she survived. Burned and scarred, the impact stayed with her and became an obstacle she was determined to overcome. Feeling like a misfit led to her love of horror. While her sisters played with Barbie dolls, Cassandra built model kits of Frankenstein and Dracula, and idolized Vincent Price.

Due to a complicated relationship with her mother, Cassandra left home at 14, and by age 17 she was performing at the famed Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Run-ins with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Tom Jones helped her grow up fast. Then a chance encounter with her idol Elvis Presley, changed the course of her life forever, and led her to Europe where she worked in film and traveled Italy as lead singer of an Italian pop band. She eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she joined the famed comedy improv group, The Groundlings, and worked alongside Phil Hartman and Paul "Pee-wee" Reubens, honing her comedic skills.

Nearing age 30, a struggling actress considered past her prime, she auditioned at local LA channel KHJ as hostess for the late night vintage horror movies. Cassandra improvised, made the role her own, and got the job on the spot. Yours Cruelly, Elvira is an unforgettably wild memoir. Cassandra doesn't shy away from revealing exactly who she is and how she overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. Always original and sometimes outrageous, her story is loaded with twists, travails, revelry, and downright shocking experiences. It is the candid, often funny, and sometimes heart-breaking tale of a Midwest farm girl's long strange trip to become the world's sexiest, sassiest Halloween icon.

Instant New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller

A New York Times Best Books to Give This Season selection

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Sep 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781549155932

Reviews for Yours Cruelly, Elvira

[benjaminthelibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 Stars

It was fascinating to read about both Cassandra's and Elvira's beginnings, and all of the things they achieved, endured, and overcame. I really liked Elvira before reading this book, but now I admire her.

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting but a good chunk of the book is much more of a tell-all which I guess I didn't expect. I didn't know much about Ms. Peterson except she's Elvira, a vegan, and recently came out regarding her long-term relationship with a woman but, wow, she's been in show business forever and done a lot!

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Autobiography of Elvira. Follows her life from her birth and early life. Then on to her marriage and subsequent divorce. And of course her career thus far as Elvira.

[mstrust · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Her autobiography of growing up in Kansas and Colorado with a nice father and abusive mother. You've likely heard that this book was Peterson's coming out, where she revealed that she's been with a woman for twenty years. After all the things she reveals about her life, that's the least surprising. Who knew the Elvira make-up covered up extensive burns on her face and neck from an accident when she was a child, or that she began go-go dancing in her bra at fourteen. Her parents lost control of Peterson at a young age and her teen years sound like hormones gone berserk, leading to her being a seventeen year-old topless showgirl in Vegas. Throughout the book she discusses a brief relationship or one night stand with some pretty famous guys. There's also an extensive listing of all the small gigs and extra work that got her through years of barely scraping by, and that includes after she was playing Elvira.
This book would appeal to the Elvira fan and it shows how much work went into making this iconic character, but the book would also appeal to anyone looking into show biz types of the 70's, because they are here. She met anyone who was anyone in Vegas or rock music in general, including Elvis and Tom Jones.

[lbswiener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark is an autobiography that details Cassandra Peterson's difficult life. Cassandra chose a difficult career (singing, dancing and acting) for herself beginning when she was 14 years old. Through many years of perseverance, as a Las Vegas show girl, starving actress, Groundlings, etc Cassandra never gave up and finally found the character who for 40 years supported her; Elvira the Mistress of the Dark. Four stars were awarded to this book.

[sublunarie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a difficult review to write. Cassandra has had an incredible, nearly unbelievable life. She's created a life around her with her strength, talent, and wit. She has spent a life standing up for really imporant things and being a 'strong yet sexy' role model long before society was ready to accept a woman being both of those things.

The book is also very well written, engaging, and funny. The woman can set a scene!

All this being said, and even though it in all encompassed a small amount of the book, there are multiple instances of incredibly uncomfortable fatphobia. Additionally, in a powerful chapter about sexual assult, she outright states that it's impossible for a woman to assult a man, which is so far from correct. I would be lying if I said that didn't boil my blood, and I almost put the book down permanently.

In the end, I am glad I finished the book. I am glad to know more about her life. These issues did impact how much I enjoyed the read. I'm choosing to mention them perhaps as trigger warning, or perhaps because I am just the kind of person that but can't help but point out this type of behavior when I see it.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark, Cassandra Peterson chronicles her life from her childhood in Manhattan, KS and Colorado Springs through her work as a Vegas showgirl, seeking out acting roles, travelling through Italy, joining an improv troupe, and finally creating and maintaining her Elvira persona over the last forty years. She never holds back about the hardships she’s faced or some of the negative experiences from showbiz, but her spirit and sense of humor come through even in the dark times. The result is an honest and uplifting memoir that has the tone of a lifelong friend confiding in the reader (and, for some readers including this one, Elvira has been a beloved character our whole lives). A treat for fans and a great book to read in these uncertain times.