the book review  

Reviewer: PJ

Audrey Hepburn was beautiful, not just in the attractive to look at sense (although she was) but also in spirit, helping raise the profile of UNICEF as she did towards the end of her life and this book, full of beautiful photographs and written by her son Sean Hepburn-Ferrer captures that beauty and spirit perfectly.

Hepburn-Ferrer (product of Hepburn’s marriage to fellow actor Mel Ferrer) focuses of course on his own relationship with Hepburn but also manages to tell the story of his mother’s life too.

Born in 1929 (4 May) in Belgium and growing up in war torn Holland before moving to England, Audrey was always going to be a star, appearing first in a few British films before making it big in Hollywood.

Married twice, first to Mel Ferrer and then to Andrea Dotti, Hepburn  devoted much of her post movie life to her role as a spokesperson for UNICEF, helping impoverished children worldwide and helping raise the profile of UNICEF in the process.

Highlights of this wonderful book have to be the photographs of the always photogenic Hepburn (all of the stills have illuminating accompanying text from Hepburn-Ferrer) and also the many family documents (such as Hepburn’s first passport and some of her early artwork) that pop up throughout the book.

Audrey Hepburn died of bowel cancer in early 1993 but the work she set in progress still goes on, Hepburn-Ferrer set up the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund ( http://www.audreyhepburn.com ) to help continue her ideals. Hepburn-Ferrrer’s proceeds from this book will go to that organisation.

Not only was Audrey Hepburn a beautiful actress she was also, on the basis of this book at least, a nice person and there are not many “stars” you can say that about these days.