As the former wife of legendary rock star Elvis Presley, Priscilla Presley has lived a unique and intriguing life.
Now, the 79-year-old is unpacking her life story in a brand new memoir titled Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis.
Co-written by Mary Jane Ross, the book is centred on the “deeply personal story” of what she “lost and what she found” following her separation from Elvis in 1973.
“This book covers eight decades of my life,” Priscilla told People in a statement. “Writing it has been a learning experience on many levels. I have reflected deeply both on myself and on those I love.
“I have always loved and admired Elvis, but the more than four decades of living without him have taught me how rare and extraordinary he was as a human being.”
The memoir will not only touch on Priscilla’s life after divorce, but will also discuss how she found herself after Elvis’ death and will focus on her life as a mother to daughters Lisa Marie Presley and Marco Garibaldi.
“During her 10 years with Elvis, it became painfully apparent that she had no idea who she was outside Elvis’s world,” the book’s synopsis reads. “The only way to find herself was to leave that world and seek a new life of her own, because leaving was the only way to survive, for herself and for her daughter.”
Along with motherhood, the book will also explore her career and will delve into her experience with grief after the “unexpected, shattering loss of three immediate family members.”
“Reliving the trauma in my life has also been challenging,” Priscilla said. “I live with grief, and I have learned that it never goes away. I will never outlive it, but I move through it one day at a time. I carry every one of the people I have lost with me. I feel their presence, and I believe that my journey will eventually bring us back to one another.”
“[Priscilla] shares her journey with a quiet dignity that will comfort and reassure anyone who has suffered – and survived – seemingly unbearable loss,” the synopsis reads. “A passionate, compassionate and inspiring story of finding your place in the world, Softly, As I Leave You, is a sweet Southern melody that will take the reader with Priscilla on her long road home.”
Softly, As I Leave You: Life after Elvis releases on 23 September 2025 and will soon become available for pre-order.
In the meantime, you can read Priscilla’s first book, Elvis and Me. Grab your copy here.
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