Editorial Review:

She opened for jazz great Billie Holiday, shared the set with Marilyn Monroe, and flirted on-screen with Jack Lemmon. In her dream role, Gene Roddenberry beamed her aboard the Starship Enterprise as Yeoman Janice Rand in the original "Star Trek" series. But a terrifying sexual assault on the studio lot and her lifelong feelings of emptiness and isolation would soon combine to turn her starry dream into a nightmare.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Yeoman Rand Gets Her Due:

I remember when I first laid eyes on Grace Lee Whitney. It was an airing of the Star Trek episode "The Man Trap". At the time the only woman I know who's on the show was Uhura, so I thought she was one of those girls-of-the-week guest stars. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was a recurring character in the show's early episodes..in fact, one of the main characters. I never understood why her character disappeared and it was a shame, as Yeoman Rand character certainly added a lot to the show,... more info

The Longest Recovery:

It would be easy to ignore "The Longest Trek" as perhaps being the least significant of Trek biographies, but that would be a mistake. Yes, it's a biography of a minor original Trek actress who lasted only one season and in a rather "fifth wheel" role at that, but fortunately for readers the stories of Grace's pre-Trek Hollywood days are damningly interesting, while her post-Trek days are interestingly damning.
As has been noted elsewhere while the book is an autobiography, its main purpose is to serve... more info

A study in addiction:

Grace Lee Whitney writes this book for "Star Trek" fans, certainly, but what she says to addicts -- and those whose lives are affected by them -- is far more powerful. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Whitney and reviewing this autobiography for The Detroit News when the book was first released. I was struck by her graciousness and kindness, but I was also struck by the gritty strength she conveys in this book. Frankly describing incidents like her hit-and-run on Grand River Avenue in Detroit, and her... more info

the lady deserves an editor:

Grace Lee Whitney sounds like a warm, charming, witty, delightful person, and I enjoyed her cautionary tale of substance abuse in the life of a working film actress (not a "star"). In addition, it was great to read a female account of the Star Trek phenomenon NOT written by a woman hell- (or heaven!) bent on proving she is a better man than any or all the men in the known universe.
I think Ms. Whitney was mis-served by her publisher or, perhaps, her collaborator, however. Her book is choppy,... more info

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