Julie Andrews Revisits Her Hollywood Years in New Memoir 'Home Work' — See the Cover

Julie Andrews’ first memoir, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years, is so moving, it’s as if her singing has been converted to prose. Eleven years later, she’s written the sequel, which follows the star’s story after her arrival in Hollywood.

On Wednesday, Andrews, 83, gave PEOPLE a first look at the cover of Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, which will be published on Oct. 15 by Hachette Books.

“Not only does [Julie Andrews] discuss her work in now-classic films and her collaborations with giants of cinema and television; she also unveils her personal story of adjusting to a new and often daunting world,” reads the press release, “dealing with the demands of unimaginable success, being a new mother, the end of her first marriage, embracing two step-children, adopting two more children, and falling in love with the brilliant and mercurial Blake Edwards.”

The Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winner has achieved huge success — both with her acting and with her numerous children’s books. But Andrews’ life has also been plagued with difficulty. In Home, Andrews candidly explores her childhood in war-ravaged Britain with her loving, but troubled mother and abusive stepfather. (When she was 14, Andrews’ mother revealed that her biological father was not Ted Wells, the man who had raised her, according to a review in The New York Times.)

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“My mother was terribly important to me, and I know how much I yearned for her in my youth,” Andrews writes, per the Times, “but I don’t think I truly trusted her.”

The book also reveals how Andrews first became known as a singer and performer on the stage. Home Work picks up the story with Andrews’ arrival in Hollywood, giving readers long-awaited details about her earliest films like Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, according to the press release. Beyond the ups and downs she’s experienced in the film industry, Andrews writes about her blended and beloved family.

The star had daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, who co-wrote Home Work, with ex-husband Tony Walton, a set and costume designer. Andrews then married filmmaker Blake Edwards in 1969, who had children, Jennifer and Geoffrey, from a previous marriage. Together they adopted two children, Amy and Joanna. Edwards passed away in 2010 at the age of 88.

“I never thought about age, but since my husband passed away I’ve become much more aware of my mortality because of his,” Andrews told PEOPLE in 2012.

Despite her hardships, Andrews continues to approach life — and writing — with strength and grace.

“Hopefully, I brought people a certain joy,” The Sound of Music star told PEOPLE in 2007, when reflecting on her career. “That would be a wonderful legacy.”

Home Work is available for pre-order now.