Audrey Hepburn: A Life of Beautiful Uncertainty

Santopietro (“The Way We Were”: The Making of a Romantic Classic) has penned a well-researched and photo-filled biography of actor and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn (1929–93), written with Jeffrey Banks. Act One discusses Hepburn’s early life as the daughter of Baroness Ella van Heemstra and Joseph Ruston. Hepburn was sent home to the Netherlands from her English boarding school when World War II broke out, only to experience the horrors of war and malnutrition during the German occupation. Working as a ballet dancer, she was discovered by French author Colette and cast in the lead role in the stage adaptation of Gigi. Act Two discusses her rise to fame in films such as Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and My Fair Lady. Act Three examines the second half of her personal life and career and her status as a timeless fashion icon. Acts Four and Five chronicle her work with UNICEF, helping impoverished children around the world, and details her untimely death at age 63 and her lasting legacy.