Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit Paperback – Illustrated, April 5, 2005

Sean Ferrer shares a lovely collection of photographs and memories that honor the life of his beautiful mother, Audrey Hepburn. Some of the photos were taken by professional photographers and others were taken by family and friends in informal settings. There are also some very early photos of Audrey from the 1930’s, artwork made by Audrey as a child, and pictures of Audrey’s old passports. Fortunately, someone had the foresight to save them all. Sean also provides narrations and recollections in the seven chapters that summarize his mother’s life. Most touching is the final chapter that includes a picture of a smiling Audrey and Sean in front of her beloved home a few days before her passing and memories of her funeral that had 25,000 people lining the streets of the small village where she lived. I recommend this book for fans of Audrey Hepburn.

Before purchasing this book, I purchased the one called "Audrey in Rome" by Audrey's other son, Lucca Dotti. Lucca's book was very boring, uninspiring, and frankly, I didn't get the concept of the book other than it showed Audrey walking on the street in Rome, getting on/off a plane in Rome, walking up the stairs in Rome, walking down the stairs in Rome. So I guess the book title was not deceiving and the fault lies with me for thinking that it would have any "meat". THIS book by her other son, Sean Ferrer, is a wonderful view into her private life and public life. He tells just-enough about her, yet refrains from any salacious tidbits. When done, it really evokes a feeling of how the author loved her and what a wonderful mom she was. It consists of great photos and lots of narrative by Sean that talks about her, their life, her movie life, etc. It starts at her youth and ends with her death. I never knew that she did meet-up with her father when she was famous and what an odd, devoid, empty person he was. This book is chock-full of great photos with detailed captions (unlike the Lucca Dotti book). All-in-all, if you are an Audrey Hepburn fan, this book should be in your library. It makes you long for elegant actresses who dress beautifully off-screen, without tattoos, without rubber flip-flops, and who have respect for others as well as themselves. Sigh......

If there is a polar opposite to Christina Crawford's scathing poor-me memoir, "Mommie Dearest", it has to be this loving tribute to Audrey Hepburn from her eldest son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer. Rather than being an exhaustive biography on the legendary film star (and enough of those exist anyway), it is more a very attractive coffee table book with remembrances from her colleagues, family friends and most importantly, Ferrer himself. It is a testament to Hepburn that all these books, especially this one, have been nothing less than respectful and at times downright reverential. There is no getting around the fact that she was well loved by those closest around her and certainly by her fans, me included. That she comes across as such a giving person merely validates what we all want to believe about her, and this becomes especially clear in Ferrer's account of her later years making goodwill trips to Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Somalia on behalf of UNICEF. And while as a fan, I was disappointed about her long absences from films from the late sixties until her death in 1993, Ferrer makes it clear how important motherhood was to her and how imperative it was for her to stay at home with her sons during those years. Just from the treasure trove of family photos, this book clearly shows that her dedication to them was and continues to be reciprocated.The perspective of this book is understandably biased but fresh, and obviously Ferrer's access to his mother's personal belongings - family snapshots, paintings and drawings done by her, even her passports - builds an intimate story. I have to admit I was taken aback by the more familiar photos of Hepburn during her Hollywood glory years (especially the glamorous Cecil Beaton pictures) and amazed at how lovely she continued to look in the professional photos taken a year or so before her death. Not surprisingly, the most moving part is Ferrer's account of her final weeks when she took one last flight from California to what looks to be a most idyllic place, her home La Paisible in Switzerland. This should be the final word about her, but that is unlikely as she continues to fascinate. Somewhere Joan Crawford must be eating her heart out.

This beautiful book personifys her . Well written with lot of beutiful photographs it's a book that fits her style and image .It is not a typical biography but has to be seen more as a narration by a son about what he saw in his iconic mothers life .

Lovely, very touching tribute to the late great beautiful inside and out actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn by her beloved oldest son, Sean Ferrer! The description of her last moments on the day she passed is exceptionally moving, will bring tears to your eyes! Worth buying and reading! Thank you Sean~