Audrey Hepburn’s elder son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, shares the memory, love and life of his mother in a beautiful children’s book.
By Imogen A. Rose
Little Audrey’s Daydream: The Life of Audrey Hepburn is an enchanting, empowering story, and a homage to the powerful legacy of a woman, icon and humanitarian whose memory continues to create positive change. Written by Sean and his wife, Karin Hepburn Ferrer, this charming fable meets fairy tale has a poignant timeliness given the current global pandemic.
Audrey Hepburn was extraordinary – a screen legend, a fashion icon, and above all, a mother and humanitarian. Her enduring and universal appeal has never wavered and continues to generate awareness of critical, humanitarian causes.
At only 23 years of age, she was the first actress to win an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for a single performance (Roman Holiday). She is also one of only 15 individuals to have earned an Emmy, a Grammy, an Academy Award and a Tony! Audrey had charisma and charm unlike any other. She didn’t just represent the magic of movies in a golden age but projected a warmth beyond the reel that made her feel real. What’s more she had the strength of spirit that enabled her to survive the Second World War – enduring tremendous deprivation – without bitterness for what she had lost, but rather with a genuine determination to live a good, grateful, generous and gracious life.
And it is her life that is her greatest gift. Following a magnificent career and the immense joy she found in motherhood, Audrey Hepburn devoted the final chapter of her life to UNICEF. Her sincere empathy and her unstoppable quest to end the devastating, immoral and preventable suffering of so many of the world’s children remain a cause that her family continues today.
Indeed, Sean has spent the past 30 years honouring her powerful legacy. His commitment has created significant change and he is now proudly passing his mother’s legacy on to his children. His most recent exhibition, Intimate Audrey, was launched in 2019, in Brussels, Audrey’s place of birth, in celebration of what would have been her 90th Birthday. The exhibition became the genesis for Little Audrey’s Daydream: The Life of Audrey Hepburn. It was the decision to create a catalogue for children – chronicling the life of the little girl and the person behind the image – that enabled Sean to realize he had the heart of a marvellous children’s story. Thus, the book captures the spirit of Audrey Hepburn and the essence of her touching life.
Sean had the memory and experience of his close bond to his mother to draw upon, “I was fortunate to have a great relationship with her but also a great friendship”. It is through the conversations he had with his mother, about her childhood, about UNICEF, about what mattered most to her, that he could write with such heartfelt sincerity and authenticity.
Little Audrey’s Daydream is a clever balance of life and art. It’s a story about a little girl trapped in a war who uses her imagination for escape and to retain positivity and hope for her future. It encourages children to relish their imagination, to dream, to believe, and ultimately, to think of others. Sean says, his mother’s life “really was like a fairy tale” and included, “the good and the bad”.
He knew that he had “all of the pieces”. It was just a matter “of honing it and focusing it”. His wife and business collaborator, Karin, was instrumental in this process. Together they have written an engaging and endearing book that will connect with children in an inspiring and purposeful way.
The narrative is appropriately paced with suspense, wonder and excitement. It successfully imbues the fantasy of dreams with an understanding of the real world that has particular significance for children today.
Importantly, the story works on its own merits, without reader awareness of the biographical reality, though the latter certainly adds significance.
It has been delicately and delightfully illustrated by Dominique Corbasson and François Avril with evocative images – gentle, whimsical, traditional, yet modern and magical – that intensify the creative colours of the text. Tragically, Dominique died of cancer shortly after she completed this project. Sean says, “it acquired even greater depth because of this”.
Audrey Hepburn died of a rare form of cancer, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei, in 1993. The author proceeds are being donated to EURORDIS, The European Organisation for Rare Diseases.
Little Audrey’s Daydream: The Life of Audrey Hepburn available at all good independent bookstores and online – Amazon / Booktopia
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Little Audrey’s Daydream: The Life of Audrey Hepburn
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This article appeared in the Summer 2021 edition of Life Begins At… Click here to read or here to subscribe and never miss an issue!
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