What Would Audrey Do?: Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style

by Pamela Clarke Keogh

Though on-camera she was often cast in the role of a carefree ingénue, Audrey Hepburn’s off-camera life was marked by challenges: growing up without a father and with the Nazi threat during her youth; a demanding film career while she was a young mother; unfaithful husbands and two divorces; and constant scrutiny from the media. Yet Audrey Hepburn always epitomized beauty and grace. In the tradition of What Would Jackie Do? bestselling author Pamela Keogh culls lessons in loveliness from a woman who survived every setback with panache. Topics include:

• Dating and romantic advice from a woman who enjoyed romances with John F. Kennedy, William Holden, and Albert Finney
• A primer on what made Audrey the icon she is today, and how to apply her style choices to twenty-first-century clothes, makeup, and accessories
• Raising children, raising husbands, and making home life balanced in every way
• St. Audrey: Long before Angelina and Bono got all the press, Audrey Hepburn did invaluable work for UNICEF, teaching us much about extending ourselves to others.

In an era fraught with selfishness, artifice, and sensational headlines, the reality and tranquility of Audrey is precisely what the world needs now.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Self Help, Fashion, Chick Lit, Memoir, Biography Memoir

263 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Pamela Clarke Keogh is the author of "Audrey Style," the worldwide bestselling photographic biography of Audrey Hepburn. Educated at Vassar College, she worked as a journalist, television producer, and screenwriter.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I am a HUGE Audrey Hepburn-phile. I love her movies, her beauty, her goodwill, her kindness, her peaceful spirit and, most of all, her style. I often joke that my fashion sense is "Audrey Hepburn re-imagined as a hot mess." I pretty much love everything she did and anything about her. That said, I am not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The biographical portions were fantastic, and I learned things I hadn't learned reading other biographies of her. But, I felt like the author took a LOT of liberties in trying to demonstrate what Audrey would have done. I was more interested in learning about her style as a real person, not about what someone thinks she maybe might have done, hypothetically, had the situation presented itself. And, other celebrities were randomly thrown in as examples, which was a bit confusing. In any case, I want to watch "Breakfast at Tiffany's" now.

[Stephanie Folger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially gave this book 5 stars before I started reading it b/c I thought it HAD to be good being about Audrey and all. Well...
I am a diehard Audrey Hepburn fan, and I know that no one is perfect, but the author begs to differ. She paints Hepburn as an angel when really some of the examples cited actually make Audrey sound like a bit of a diva (to my dismay). And her attempts at including pop culture references are annoying--enough mentioning George Clooney for no reason at all! It's a cute book, but if you are interested in reading about Ms. Hepburn I suggest, "Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit" written by her son, Sean Ferrer.

[ziggi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terrible book. It talks about how to be more like Audrey yet it's written in the most un-Audrey like manner, more like a sensationalist magazine using scandalous headlines to sell more copies. It rehashes the same stories and anecdotes over and over to prove a point and ultimately it becomes tiresome.

[Beckie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"What Would Audrey Do?" isn't as much fun as it should have been. The book has its moments, including biographical details I hadn't known. But the author insists upon using the royal We to talk about herself, and many of her attempts to discern what Audrey would have thought of internet dating or the iPhone are just silly. She also uses the same quotes and anecdotes repeatedly. And in the end, what Audrey would do is conduct herself with class-not something I am convinced can be learned from reading a book.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can tell you she wouldn't have bought this book!

Oh man, I really wanted to like this book, if just to not feel so shallow for having purchased it in the first place. I gave it two stars because I did learn some things about Audrey Hepburn that I didn't know before. Then again, I wish I had simply read a more serious biography of her life to spare me the candy-coated, repetitive, badly-written "chick-lit" style advice book.

Not only does she repeat the same information and quotes over and over (sometimes less than one page later!) she also writes in the Royal We. That's not so bad when it's, "We like Audrey's sense of personal style," but less so when it's "We dated a rugby player once who reminds us of Audrey's last boyfriend."

*cringe*

Where is the editing? I blame the editor as much as the writer here. This seems like a book that really could have been an in-depth magazine article. What a waste of space.

[Katie Gainey-West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book. Perfect for an Audrey fanatic! Although this book was only written a few years ago, some of it already isn’t aging well, but that’s a minor detail. Audrey is one of the people I most admire in life and I love learning even more about her.

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading about Audrey, although I agree with others that this book had a lot going on and much of the material was really not about Audrey.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alot of speculation (how many times did I read "we think Audrey would have..") as to where AH would shop, and vacation if she were alive. Sounded like Keogh was drumming up business for rich friends to me. (the at-home checklist) Whatever... The author has a serious, almost disturbing-worship-like, crush on Audrey. In the back of the book she listed some "Very Audrey" people. Then I really had to wonder if the author new who she was writing about, not sure she knows anything about Audrey. This is not the book if you want to know about style, just the same this is not the book if you want to know about Audrey Hepburn. " Very repetitive!

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at my local library after having read the title. I'm not the biggest Audrey fan, but I do love her movies and her style. This book was well written, and a lot of facts were included that I didn't know. There was also tons of facts, and I liked how they included a segment on how Audrey would be like today. Great read for any Audrey fan!

[Olivia Blackley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this would be a biography on Audrey, but it was just a bunch of tips on how to be like her. (Which is something all women, especially in today's society, need).

[Danielle Di Silvestro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book to read for any Audrey fan. Or just a fan of any woman who was classy. It is an interesting read. I pick it up whenever I feel down about being such a unique woman in a crazy world.

[zasou.reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book leaves me confused. I am a major Audrey Hepburn fan, so it was fun to read the more biographical parts, I learned so many things about this icon. However, the self help portions were ridiculous at times. The author took liberties, speculating on how Audrey would act in a situation, what she would think of something or how she would do something else... And there were too many advice on appearance that was borderline insulting. It also got redundant. And there were many anecdotes and quotes from other celebrities (to whatever degree) that felt really out of place, like fillers. Some advices were good: be kind, be gracious, listen.

[Dana ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book, I recommend to all girly girls or fans of Audrey Hepburn! I really enjoyed the biographical aspects about Audrey's personal life, ideals, and all that she adored. I also like how this book is divided into different chapters focused on travel, home life, etc.

[Reader Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally loved this book if you're hungry for graceful lessons and more insight into the fabulous life of A.H. This book did have a personality other than Audrey, however I liked the side commentary. Such a beautiful book overall and I didn't have an issue finishing it.
Yours,
L

[Baroness · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute but a bit repetitive.

[Izabela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont want to say it was boring but I felt asleep few times. It was great for getting to know more ab Audrey and getting like little tips , and good as a biography but some facts were repeating... At the end i love Audrey she's european icon in usa movies.

[Kelly Niehaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book blends biographical insights with practical lifestyle tips—covering everything from fashion and entertaining to relationships and personal values—all inspired by Audrey’s life and choices. The tone was more relaxed than I expected, but that made it an easy read.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book when I was young and Audrey-obsessed. Now that I’ve read the whole with a developing frontal lobe, I hate how there is always random celebrities inserted and mentioned, ehem, George Clooney.

[maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I definitely skimmed this so take my review with a grain of salt. I adore Audrey but I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style of the book, the author’s commentary on Audrey felt a lot of times as though she were shaming other women and in short felt rather pick-me-esque. I learned a lot and enjoyed the advice from Audrey but perhaps I won’t pick up another book by the author.

[Marjanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially this is a pseudo-biography of Audrey, mixed with 'Audreyism'-style self-help, and the author's personal opinion on many things. Honestly, if you are looking to learn more about Audrey Hepburn there are much better biographies out there. This will not give most readers enough in this area. As far as the self-help stuff, it's kind of lame. A lot of the things the author claims Audrey would have said or stood for seem to be the authors own opinion and/or interpretation of the Audrey-image. If I could have, I would have given this a 2.5. It's not terrible, but I did often feel that the author was using Audrey as a cover for what she wanted to say.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving all things Audrey (I walked down the aisle to "Moon River") I had to get this book. It's a fabulous take on a biography of AH, with tips and insights on how she might live in our oh so modern world today.
Audrey is timeless. And I have her to thank for my black ballet flats, carefully lined and mascara'd eyes, and a love of giving back to the world.
This is a fun book for any Audrey-phile.

[Sharanne]

A good book to read when you don't want to concentrate too hard, because it is extremely repetitive. Especially if you've already read an Audrey boigraphy or two, you might just want to just skim to the lists. The book was a cute idea and would have made a great longer magazine article, but just not enough there for a book.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all who does not absolutely love Audrey Hepburn! This book was written about her life, her grace and style. I can see myself re-reding this book in the near future.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Love Audrey. However, couldn't finish the book. Very disappointing. I really wanted to like it but alas it's unfortunate that I bought it.

[Natalie Shawver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throughout my life, friends and family have told me I remind them of someone (and many agree with my namesake of Natalie Wood). But I was probably most complimented (and surprised) by a friend and coworker at my first job when she told me I had many qualities of Audrey Hepburn's. Only being familiar with Audrey's infamous LBD and roles in Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady, I never quite grasped the compliment ... until years later when I picked up What Would Audrey Do? (a gift from the same friend/coworker after I addressed her wedding envelopes).

Here are my favorite things about Audrey ... and perhaps why I relate to her the most:

In the words of her BFF, "My image of Audrey's home is with her legs tucked under her and a book and no makeup, in a very comfortable chair with very good light, and I bet that was her favorite place to be—home. It wasn't the red carpet, it probably wasn't the film set! Home was more fun, and she probably felt more safe there."

Audrey was a great letter writer. She always found time to send a note to her friends or family.

She was incredibly polite. Sometimes too polite. (I'm working on this one.)

Style oozed from her. She didn't follow trends—she set them. Ballet flats as shoes, simple outfits and chic attire ... no wonder she's an icon.

She was a proud ambassador for UNICEF and loved being a #boymom. She went through several devastating heartbreaks (two divorces) before finally finding the love of her life. (I didn't experience the divorces, but I experienced two devastating heartbreaks before I found my guy.) She survived WWII and was grateful for every day because of it.

But perhaps one of the qualities of Audrey that will remain with me the most is that everyone always wanted to be around her. She was kindhearted, genuine and warm. She was secure in herself and wasn't over-the-top. People simply wanted to be close to her because she was a good person. They saw something different in her and felt it, too.

What Would Audrey Do? Well, she'd call up a friend who was having a bad day (or send them their favorite sweet treat). She'd hug her sons extra tight. She'd treat others with respect—from the intern on set to the owner of the studio. In a nutshell, she got it.

The book itself was cute. I got to know Audrey and I felt like we were kindred spirits. There was a mix of present-day wonderings (WWAD?) and past memories (the past being my favorite). I could have done without all the analogies to current conditions and would have rather the book been a memoir focused solely on her (vs. what I could do to become more like her). A perfect gift for someone chic or lovely in your life.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is basically an Entertainment Weekly article expanded to 250 pages. It’s part opinion piece, part biography, part lifestyle guide, and part celebrity impact retrospective. It fully buys into the mystique surrounding Audrey Hepburn. It assumes the reader will recognize the names of all the most paparazzi’d celebrities of 2008. Its gossipy tone is fundamentally at odds with the concept of class it tries (with mixed success) to advise. It was not written by a person who particularly cares about grammar.

It isn’t a very good book, though it’s not terrible, either. It portrays Hepburn not only as stylish and graceful, but also as ambitious and tough as nails. Perhaps unintentionally, it also paints a picture of her as someone who was very careful about her public image. It’s hard to separate Audrey Hepburn™️ from the actual human woman she was, and it makes me wonder if that was on purpose. The variety of anecdotes about Audrey encounters from the people interviewed for this book certainly seem to point to a person who was very aware of her position and careful to always behave appropriately. Do I believe she was actually a kind, generous, and cheerful person? Well, yeah. But I also think she put effort into acting that way, no matter how naturally it came.

This author did a lot of personal interviews with people who knew Hepburn, and it’s an interesting look into her life through her relationships. However, I do think that for a book called What Would Audrey Do?, this book fails pretty hard sometimes in actually figuring that out. It likes to offer advice, only about half of which sounds like the woman portrayed in these pages. It ping-pongs between determined zeal to make her relatable and fawning lamentation that no mere fan could ever truly be like her. It repeats itself and reuses soundbites again and again, as if the author somehow didn’t expect anyone to sit down and read it through over the course of a week. It’s full of authorial opinions, especially about how Hepburn would act today. In places, the editorial choices are downright silly. (A long list of current celebrities that you groundlessly decided are Audrey-esque and a longer list of modern brand names you think she would like in the conclusive chapter??) It just isn’t very well-written. I guess I did learn a few things about her, though.

[Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars? In my opinion, although entertaining, WWAD limps along as a biography and pretty much fails as a how-to guide. The author paints a rather two-dimensional picture of Audrey as the "ideal" woman, flawless and even predictable. This bothered me because I read the book to understand Audrey on her own terms, not as an ideal.

On a positive note, I appreciated the many interesting facts and pieces of trivia the author brought in. However, she did not provide citations or any other means for readers to find the sources of her information (an annoyance at best, plagiarism at worst).

Also, I noticed several typological and factual errors, and I didn’t appreciate the author’s promotion of a variety of products she believes Audrey would have liked. Plus, as several other reviewers noted, the author’s use of "we" to refer to herself is annoying.

Phew, that was a lot of negativity. I did discover many fun facts reading this book and finished it wanting to research Audrey more. Anything that makes me more excited about Audrey can’t be all bad! However, due to the idealism, errors, and rather poor writing, I just can’t get too excited about the book itself.

[Sara El · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a light and spontaneous read that I ended up finishing it in just one sitting. The writing style is easy to follow, which makes it perfect for anyone looking for something uplifting without being too heavy.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about Audrey before just saw her pop up on TikTok from time to time. That’s why it was such a pleasant surprise to learn more about her life and personality through this book. It feels like getting a peek behind the curtain of someone you’ve only seen in little clips, and it made me appreciate her even more.
What I especially liked is how approachable the book feels. It’s not just informative but also fun and relatable, the kind of book you can curl up with and instantly feel inspired by. It made me smile and also left me curious to explore more about Audrey and her world.
If you’re looking for something quick, enjoyable, and motivating, I definitely recommend giving this one a try!

[Thanh Nhã · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is divided into chapters that cover various aspects of Audrey's life, including her fashion sense, her career, her humanitarian work, and her personal relationships. Each chapter is packed with inspiring quotes, anecdotes, and advice that readers can apply to their own lives. What I appreciated most about this book was the way it emphasized Audrey's character and values, rather than just her external appearance. While her iconic style and fashion choices are certainly a part of her legacy, this book shows that her true beauty came from her inner qualities of kindness, generosity, and compassion. The writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making it a great read for anyone looking for inspiration and guidance in their own lives. The book is also beautifully illustrated with photos of Audrey throughout her life, which add to the overall charm and elegance of the book.

[Alyson Edenborough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Audrey Hepburn! Love love love Audrey Hepburn! We even share our birthday. And so it pains me to write a bad review of this book. It is soooooooo repetitive. I don’t think I learned anything new about Audrey, and I have to question a book about Audrey that contains not a single pic of the star, save the cover image. It reads like a handbook for the deluded, how would Audrey react in certain situations, how to emulate her - in a section on AH’s hangouts (a section I skim read after this sentence) mentioning the New York UN building, and I quote “Befriend a UN worker and have them take you there”. I get that this is meant to be a bit of fun, but for a book which constantly refers how fabulously down to earth Audrey was, this read is anything but!