Hope Solo talks about her upcoming autobiography, "Solo: A Memoir of Hope," and the process of opening herself up to share her life stories.

What follows is an excerpt from "Solo: A Memoir of Hope," the upcoming autobiography of U.S. women's soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo, co-written by Ann Killion, on sale on Aug. 14, published by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright 2012 HarperCollins Publishers.

Chapter One: Life Behind the Smiley Face

My first memories are a kaleidoscope of happiness: A small red house surrounded by a wooden fence; my free-spirited mother, Judy; my big, outgoing father, Gerry; my older brother, Marcus; and me, Baby Hope.

On the outside of the fence, for everyone passing by to see, was a giant yellow smiley face. On the other side was a yard with a sandbox and a jungle gym. An English sheepdog named Charlotte. Rabbits and turtles and kittens. Out back we played Red Light! Green Light! and had Easter-egg hunts and birthday parties. Inside the house, my mother, a budding photographer, set up a darkroom to develop film, as well as a workout room where she practiced karate. I snuggled with my parents in their bed and watched TV. The cozy kitchen was where we had family spaghetti dinners.

Smiley face on the fence, happy people in the house.

But as with so much of my life, the truth is a little more complicated. Clutterplastic toys, yard equipment, bikes, an old jalopyfilled up our side yard. The neighbors complained, so my parents were forced to put up a fence to hide all our crap. My mom didnt like thinking the neighbors had won some kind of victory, so she painted that garish yellow happy face as tall and as wide as the fence would allow. The smiley face wasnt a reflection of internal happiness. It was a big (expletive)* you to our neighbors.

II.

How did we all arrive there, in a tract house on Marshall Street in Richland, Washington?

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Hope Solo gets personal in autobiography