Hope Donahue seemed to have it all: beauty, wealth, social status. She was an only child who grew up with the best private schools, debutante balls, and a home in Hancock Park, Los Angeles's old-money enclave. But beneath her family's facade of keeping up appearances, Hope hid a host of ugly truths, including an insecure, competitive mother, a family friend's sexual advances, and a father who gave in to the demands of his wife and coolly reserved parents. Hope became addicted to a quest for physical perfection in place of her self-esteem - and by the age of twenty-seven she had undergone seven plastic surgeries. Hope recounts her downward spiral that alienated her family and friends, and led her to theft, bankruptcy, and a sadistic relationship before she began her recovery.A response to a culture obsessed with extreme makeovers and risky procedures that promise flawlessness, Beautiful Stranger is a timely, cautionary tale. Read Less