Self Help Never Looked So Good: Thank Audrey Hepburn

A Los Angeles Times Bestseller, "How To Be Lovely" is proving that there is a viable market for positive role models.

(PRWEB) August 24, 2004 -- A blend of philosophy, biography and, of course, iconic style, HOW TO BE LOVELY: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life, (New York: Dutton, June, 2004) uncovers Audrey Hepburn as a role model for the ages. While this blend of nonfiction genres has booksellers across the country perplexed (depending on the store, you will find it filed in Self Help, Fashion or Biography), readers are finding the timeless appeal of Hepburn at the forefront of a new trend. Class is back.

Author Melissa Hellstern believes that women of all ages need role models to look up to, but is surprised to meet so many teenage girls at her signings across the country. "There's a large group of young women out there who need someone like Audrey Hepburn to admire. I think, in almost a reactionary way, people are looking to the past to find their way," Hellstern said.

And, no, Hepburn was not perfect, as we would like to imagine. While she is best remembered as a screen legend and a fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn was also a woman who survived an absent father, Nazi occupation, public divorce and miscarriages. Not to mention the pressures of fame. Still, she consistently handled herself with grace and kindness. From fame to fashion to her work as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, Hepburn is a prime example of a life well-lived.

By distilling Hepburn's philosophies of life into headings like "Attitude is Everything", "Wing It if You Have To" and "Love Your Mother Anyway," Hellstern showcases Hepburns thoughts on everything from marriage to motherhood, careers to friendship. Universal topics of concern to women the world over -- happiness, love, success, health, style and humanity -- are striking a chord with women of all ages -- from thirteen to eighty-two.

"She personifies class, but I'm not talking about her wardrobe," said Chicago hair stylist Sally Noblett. "She is one of the few positive role models for women."

A self-proclaimed Hepburn devotee, Hellstern certainly agrees. "Audrey Hepburn represents all that a woman can be -- kind and ambitious, strong and sexy, charming and genuine. No matter what she did, she was always a human being first. I can only hope that her example inspires women to make better connections with themselves, their families and their communities at large - just as Audrey did."

Published to coincide with her would be 75th birthday, HOW TO BE LOVELY makes clear that through it all, Hepburn's character is sure to stand the test of time. Based on five years of research, HOW TO BE LOVELY uncovers the real Audrey, in her own words.

While she would be the last to say so, Audrey Hepburn was an expert in the art of being a woman. Through Melissa Hellstern, HOW TO BE LOVELY imparts whatever wisdom and insights Hepburn found along the way to the millions who grew up, or will grow up, wanting to be just like her. Enhanced by rarely seen photographs, behind the scenes stories and the friends who knew her well, HOW TO BE LOVELY offers a rare glimpse into the woman behind the mystique and the definitive guide to living genuinely with glamour and grace.

An award-winning writer, Hellsterns thoughts on Audrey Hepburn have been featured in Ocean Drive, Pages Magazine, CS Magazine, The Chicago Sun Times, The Chicago Tribune and on WTTW-TV (PBS), WLS-TV (ABC-7), WGN Radio and Radio New Zealand, among others.

In 2005, HOW TO BE LOVELY will publish in Japan and Spain.

HOW TO BE LOVELY
The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life
by Melissa Hellstern

Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book and remembering -- because you cant take it all in at once."
- Audrey Hepburn

$17.95
ISBN 0-525-94823-6

A member of Penguin Group (USA) 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

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