Restless Souls
The Sharon Tate Family's Account of Stardom, Murder, and a Crusade for Justice
by Brie Tate
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Restless Souls
I left my sister’s house one night . . . and life was good.
Then I woke up to another day and life had changed so very,
very dramatically as our world just fell apart and I
realized that it’s never ever going to be the same.
—Patti Tate
Patti August 9, 1969
“My God, Sharon’s been murdered.” Barely able to get the words out, my mother collapsed against the scarred door frame and then to her knees. I looked up from my favorite cartoon in time to see the first tear spill from her eyes.
Paralyzed by her emotion but not understanding it, I could only stare at her while the seconds passed, waiting for an explanation. Her lips fluttered, but there was no sound. Leaning forward, I strained to hear. Then, in a scarcely audible whisper, she said, “My baby’s dead.”
As if floating to me in delayed time and space, her words eventually reached my ears, forever altering the stability of my life.
The morning hours preceding that moment began as so many others had in my eleven years, with only Mom and me in the kitchen. My oldest sister, Sharon, moved out years ago, Dad, an army intelligence officer, was stationed in San Francisco, and my sister Debbie was hibernating in her room because despite how mature she felt, we were the enemy who reminded her she was only sixteen. Unlike my relationship with Sharon, I felt distanced from Debbie. She was too young to be a role model, and too old to be a friend.
With the clang of the last dish placed on the breakfast table, the phone rang. Assuming it was Sharon, I nudged my ear next to Mom’s. “Doris, have you talked to Sharon this morning?” the voice asked.
I felt Mom’s body stiffen. “Why?” she asked.
“Turn on the radio. They’re reporting some trouble in Benedict Canyon.”
“What kind of trouble?”
Thoughtful silence, then, “I’m not sure. I have to run.” The click of disconnection.
Just north of Beverly Hills, Benedict Canyon winds its way through the Santa Monica Mountains in a labyrinth of entangled and unmarked roads. A quarter of a mile before Benedict Canyon Road ascends the mountain, is Cielo Drive, a narrow road that abruptly climbs the hillside. Without the benefit of a street sign, Sharon’s cul-de-sac is an inconspicuous left turn off the main path. Though her address is 10050 Cielo, it is often confused as an outstretch of Bella Drive, the marked road directly opposite.
Always one to overreact with worry, Mom simultaneously turned on the radio and dialed Sharon’s number.
On the radio, a newscaster was mid-story: “Reports of a possible fire or landslide first came over the police-band radios at 8:30 this morning. Our correspondent at the site reports that at least three people have perished in this disaster on Bella Drive in the Benedict Canyon area.
The Sharon Tate Family's Account of Stardom, the Manson Murders, and a Crusade for Justice by Alisa Statman and Brie Tate. Copyright C 2012 by Alisa R. Statman and Brie Tate. Reprinted by permission of It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Restless Souls
Rising star Sharon Tate was pregnant and married to director Roman Polanski at the time she was viciously murdered by Charles Manson and his “family” of deranged misfits. In Restless Souls, Brie Tate recalls the decades-old crime against her aunt and, with family friend Alisa Statman, presents a startling, behind-the-scenes account of the family’s torment. Here they reveal the rage retired army intelligence officer Paul Tate struggled to suppress when, after playing a dramatic role in apprehending Manson, he came face to face with the killer; the threats and menace that extended beyond prison walls; and how each family member coped in the tragic aftermath of a crime so heinous it still defies belief forty years later. Photos.
Hardcover : 400 pages
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers ( January 24, 2012 )
Item #: 13-520540
ISBN: 9780062008046
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 x 0.94inches
Product Weight: 15.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Restless Souls. 
May 02, 2012
I'm so glad I read this book, I too have a new founded adoration for Doris Tate. The woman is a hero. It must have been heart wrenching to have to attend those parole hearings over and over again. There were so many incidents in the book that the public did not know about. One in particular that struck me was the arrogance of the original homeowner who squawked at Sharon's father because of the so-called condition of the property after the ordeal, how sick was that, people are so cruel, not to mention that even though the death penalty had been overturned, they should have made an exception for the death penalty to be carried out in this situation. These people showed no remorse whatsoever for what they did, & they should never ever have even been entitled for parole, life without parole....PERIOD! I found it very moving & commend her family for having the courage & stamina to go on & fight for the rights of victims! A difficult book to read not just because of the crimes committed with Cielo Drive and numerous others with Manson's family, but also other crimes that had happened to other people. I've always been partially against the death penalty for the simple reason that there might be a chance that the accused is found innocent, but in this case, the only innocent victims were the ones at the hands of these merciless killers!
Reviewer: Amber H
Each victim grieves in different ways! 
March 29, 2012
Many years ago, Sharon Tate briefly attended the same high school as I did. She was a a year or two older, so I didn't know her personally, but I'll never forget how beautiful she was. I also remember the shock of her murder, and the fantastic story of the Manson Family who murdered her, and a number of others. Thus, I was anxious to read this book as soon as it was published. It was different than I expected, but in many ways much better than I imagined. While I didn't learn a great deal more about the murders or the Manson killers, I learned a great deal about her family and how they each grieved in their own ways. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Grief Therapist, who worked for many years in Hospice with dying patients and their families, I am well aware that we each grieve in our own ways. But the survivors of crime victims have a unique
road to follow, and this book shows clearly how this family managed this. My respect for all the Tates has grown tremendously, but especially for Sharon's mother, Doris. I recommed it for anyone interested in this particular crime, and to anyone working with those who grieve.
Reviewer: Pam
Well written pain of the the Tate families pain
March 17, 2012
Every action has reaction and the reaction effects so many people in so many ways-- forever. This is the story of the Tate families pain and how they work to keep those responsible behind prison walls. The story ties up a lot of loose ends for those that remember the tragedy from the start. Great book
Reviewer: Kathy L
February 29, 2012
This book is very well written. It shows us how one families life is forever changed due to this crime. We as a society should not make heroes out of criminals.
Reviewer: Rhonda R
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