Memoir delves into history of ‘Days of our Lives’

To say Ken Corday’s life was like a soap opera wouldn’t be too far from the truth.

The premise behind “Days of our Lives” was developed by Ken’s parents, Ted and Betty Corday, and over its 45-year span, there always has been a Corday at the helm of this enduring television show.

In his new memoir, “The Days of Our Lives: The True Story of One Family’s Dream and the Untold History of ‘Days of our Lives,’ ” Ken Corday tells the story of how his mother and father created and developed the show, how his mother took over the production after his father’s early death, and how Ken himself left his career as a musician to become the executive producer of the television show that is his family’s heritage.

This book is first, and foremost, a memoir of the Corday family. Corday tells of his mother and father’s experience in the broadcasting industry in New York City and of how they took a chance on moving to Los Angeles to produce a new type of soap opera, a chance that would prove successful but challenging at times.

Corday also shares his older brother’s struggles with mental illness, brought on by a tragic event during his younger years that scarred him for life. It would be one of Corday’s lingering regrets that his brother couldn’t enjoy the success of the family.

Also included in the book is an insider’s look at the making of “Days of our Lives,” the history behind the storylines, and a look at how some of the characters were developed, and how the actors who played them were chosen.

Corday’s memoir will be a fascinating read for fans of the daytime soap, as well as for anyone interested in the early history of television.

As long as there is a Horton or Brady fighting for love and goodness and a DiMera or Kiriakis stirring up trouble, “Days of our Lives” will carry on the Corday family tradition.

“Like sands through the hour glass, these are the days of our lives ...”