Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Autobiographies by showbiz personalities who are Christians often can't decide whether they should be biogs crammed full of the minutiae of managers, TV shows, record contracts and endless name checks of fellow celebs or Christian testimony books full of graphic accounts of that mysterious inner dynamic of conversion and spiritual growth. In fact 'Walking Back To Happiness' tries to be both and succeeds fairly well. Whether the average purchaser of 'The Pearl' wants all that detailed stuff not just of the Norrie Paramor hits of the 50s but all those creatively fallow years of cabaret and pantomimes is doubtful as too is what the average pop music nostalgist will make of Helen's lengthy observations on the truth of Messianic Christianity. But I found her account of survival in the gruelling world of showbiz never less than interesting while her Christian conversion genuinely moving. Worth a read.