Bayou Pages | “Madonna: A Rebel Life”by Mary Gabriel

REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“If it’s possible to be fearless and vulnerable at the same time, she was. It was the thing that made her unstoppable. And very disarming.”

It’s hard to not have some opinion of Madonna, a star whose career has spanned generations. So, when I heard about the new biography by Mary Gabriel, I wanted to find out what I didn’t already know and how a noted biographer might define such an impactful career. Though a heavy 880 pages, the book seems almost tiny compared to the iterations of Madonna we’ve witnessed over the years. Born in 1958, Madonna Louise Ciccone (yes, Madonna is her real name!) lost her mother (also named Madonna) at only 5 years old, and her life seems dictated by this tragic loss. Raised by her Italian Catholic father, Madonna resisted conformity – in her looks, her choices, and her rejection of gender roles. Corralling a slew of brothers in her mother’s absence, Madonna made her own rules, and when she dropped out of the University of Michigan to pursue dancing in NYC, she expected the world to abide her self-determination.

The first third of the novel, when Madonna is roughing it in NYC, is the most compelling part of the book. For years, she survived on nothing, as her father refused to support her not finishing school. But her ferocious spirit and star quality transcended any rumblings of vocal range. Madonna knew she was a star, and if one person didn’t get it, she moved onto the next person who did. Gabriel covers Madonna’s life in meticulous detail (at times more than I wanted), including her bevy of romantic relationships – from the “love of her life” Sean Penn to playboy Warren Beatty (Yes, how did I miss this?). If shock value is Madonna’s brand, philanthropy is her passion. Her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and tireless pleas for AIDS awareness is impressive – Madonna lost countless friends and co-creators to the disease. 

Love her or hate her, Madonna personifies America’s cultural experience, and she redefined music for women, paving a path of self-determination unencumbered by gender. Gabriel impresses upon Madonna’s work ethic, almost to a fault. Every push of the envelope is an exploration of how far she can move the culture forward. I would recommend this book to Madonna enthusiasts, as it provides a play-by-play of her life, impressive in that Gabriel never actually interviewed the star. I don’t know Madonna’s opinion of the biography, but I do feel like I know Madonna, a more well-defined version that can’t be articulated by one era. 

“She wanted to be loved, but not more than she wanted to be heard. She had something she needed to say.”