American Girl, American Dreams

For the first time, music legend Tom Petty’s spouse and muse of 25 years opens up about their intimate, shared lives in this memoir filled with personal anecdotes, and bittersweet reminiscing.

Inseparable from their first kiss playing Spin the Bottle, Tom and Jane Petty were rock and roll monarchs cruising around the country on wild band tours and spreading their musical magic. But before heading to Hollywood, or “Hollyweird” as Jane refers to it, she and Tom were just two lost and confused teenagers from Gainesville, Florida whose lives became completely intertwined the minute they met. 

At the age of 13, Jane’s younger sister Robin was killed by a car while in her care, and Jane’s world shattered. Her mother threw herself into the church, leaving Jane to struggle with her grief and guilt. Meanwhile, in another part of town, Tom was suffering abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father, as his passive mother watched. As a result, both Jane and Tom found peace and solace in their teenage romance and the growing bond between them. Jane’s abrupt loss of childhood had turned her into a caretaker and protector, something Tom desperately needed. She’d continue to inspire and challenge him through their decades together. Many of Tom’s greatest hits, including “Here Comes My Girl,” “Listen To Her Heart,” and, of course, “American Girl” were written for Jane.

With Tom on the road and holding down the fort while raising their two daughters, Jane had Tom’s back through their shared drug abuse, bankruptcy, a devastating house fire (which inspired the hit “I Won’t Back Down”), until her battle with depression and his disappearance into hard drugs split them up after 25 years of marriage.

Complete with a Foreword by respected music journalist, David Wild, and exclusive photos, American Girl, American Dreams rounds out a complete portrait of the All-American girl who was Runnin’ Down a Dream.