Instamatic Karma

February 15, 2008
As the personal assistant to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Pang earned the respect and love of the couple for whom she worked. This respect eventually turned into a complicated, though very clearly authentic, romantic relationship between Pang and Lennon. The relationshipwhich Pang claims was encouraged by Ono during Ono and Lennon's temporary separationis documented through several surprisingly candid photographs taken by the author during her time with the former Beatle. Of note is the fact that Pang was able to capture both the mundane (Lennon sailing with his son Julian and the author on Long Island Sound) and the monumental (Lennon signing the legal papers that would bring the Beatles to its official end), yet treat each moment with the same amount of affection and admiration with thoughtful, detailed anecdotes throughout the book. Through over 150 photographs, Pang captures a sense of both Lennon's love of America and her own deep affection for Lennon. The collection ultimately works as a heartfelt portrait and rare glimpse into the world of one of the most influential musicians in pop culture history. Highly recommended.Sybil Kollappallil, "Library Journal"

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2008
Lennon was famously requested by wife Yoko Ono to have an affair with the couples personal assistant, May Pang, while on sabbatical from the marriage. Apparently, Pang had a camera, but the biggest wonder is that no book of her photos appeared until now. The pictures show Lennon at a time of estrangement and personal excess (drink and drugs). The latter may be inferred from the cheery shot of Lennon with surprisingly fresh-faced Bobby Keys, who played the sax lead on the hit Tequila as a teen and became Keith Richards dedicated imbibing partner. Other photos touch on underappreciated facets of Lennons life: he and son Julian, then about 10, cavort in the water; Julian dresses up in Johns clothesall very homey, as are shots of Lennon and Pang exuding domestic bliss. Not out to foment scandal, Pang comments about Lennons recording activities and personal concerns of the time very gently. Great for fans and desirable if not essential for biographical reference. And finally, how can libraries go wrong acquiring anything about any Beatle?(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)