Didn't We Almost Have It All

A candid exploration of the genius, shame, and celebrity of Whitney Houston a decade after her passing—now in paperback!In the decade since Whitney Houston’s passing, the world has mourned her death as a once–in–a–generation talent and queen of the pop charts. Didn’t We Almost Have It All is an exploration of Whitney’s life as a woman in the spotlight. This is the story of Whitney’s whole life, told with grace and honesty.Gerrick Kennedy deftly peels back the layers of Whitney’s story and pulls the narrative apart into the key elements that informed her life—growing up in a famous family; her relationships with Robyn Crawford and Bobby Brown; her connection to her own Blackness and the Black community; her drug addiction; and, finally, shame. Kennedy takes readers back to a time when someone like Whitney could not simply be and explains the myriad ways in which her fame could not protect her. A sweeping look at Whitney’s life, Didn’t We Almost Have It All contextualizes her struggles against the backdrop of tabloid culture, mental health stigmas, and racial divisions in America. It explores how and why we lost a beloved icon far too soon.