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To Elvis With Love
A true story about how Elvis Presley made a dying woman's dream come true
- GenresNonfictionMusic
190 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 14, 2013
I loved this sweet book about a young disabled girl's correspondence with Elvis Presley.
Lena was searching for some meaning in her life when she ended up working at Brown House, a state home in Stockholm for disabled children. There she met Karen, an 8-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who had been abandoned by her family at birth and who had basically shut out the world. Lena worked with Karen over the next few years and eventually they became friends.
Karen's one true love in life was Elvis Presley. His voice kept her going when her body was giving out, and Karen was convinced that they could become friends. She wrote him letter after letter, but they were lost in the sea of fan mail Elvis received every day. Finally with the help of a sympathetic unnamed Hollywood correspondent, Karen made contact with Elvis--and he wrote back.
It touches my heart that a celebrity of that magnitude would engage in frequent correspondence with one little girl he'd never met, with no publicity or attention.
Lena was searching for some meaning in her life when she ended up working at Brown House, a state home in Stockholm for disabled children. There she met Karen, an 8-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who had been abandoned by her family at birth and who had basically shut out the world. Lena worked with Karen over the next few years and eventually they became friends.
Karen's one true love in life was Elvis Presley. His voice kept her going when her body was giving out, and Karen was convinced that they could become friends. She wrote him letter after letter, but they were lost in the sea of fan mail Elvis received every day. Finally with the help of a sympathetic unnamed Hollywood correspondent, Karen made contact with Elvis--and he wrote back.
It touches my heart that a celebrity of that magnitude would engage in frequent correspondence with one little girl he'd never met, with no publicity or attention.
July 28, 2024
Very powerful and sad book about a little girl with cerebral palsy who loved Elvis. I know there was a movie made about this back in the '80s but I had forgotten about it. Diane Lane played the little girl with cerebral palsy.
February 5, 2018
I've been lucky to see the movie on youtube a few years ago and have wanted to read the book since then. Elvis doesn't enter the story until it's well established but since I also enjoy stories about disabled children, that was okay. The writing was perhaps a bit flowery, though still enjoyable. Any big fan of Elvis Presley's would appreciate the lovely descriptions of him.
I hate to rate this lower than everyone else who wrote a review but once I was done, I started the question the veracity of the story. And when we're talking "true story" book, that's a big deal. It's the epilogue that initially made me question things. It started with her claiming that Elvis "lived in LA" when every fan knows that his home base was in Memphis, though he did stay at his house in California when he worked/filmed there. Then there was the encounter on his motorcycle and the last two pages... it really makes me wonder if this got published solely because the timing was right.
I understand that it was the early '60s, but Lena Canada makes immigrating to the US look too easy even for then. I figured that she either married an American or acquired a profession that allowed her to immigrate but nope. She makes the idea of taking Karen to the US to try and locate Elvis as a TOURIST look harder than her straight up moving there! All she says is that she decided that she will leave Sweden and go to the US, the end. Not even a little sentence about paperwork or the like. I figured "Well, she's illegal then" but she insists that she attended UCLA. There are also some things about Canada's life before Karen that I question.
The movie was easier to believe despite the unbelievable circumstances.
Karen, in the movie, looks twelve to fourteen years old. In the book, she is not quite eight when the story starts and "almost nine" by the time the correspondence with Elvis starts. It is established early on that they are from Sweden but Canada doesn't address the language difference until a letter from Elvis arrives. So it left me wondering whether Karen had been taught English or if Canada translated for her. She takes Karen to see an Elvis movie, which I'd assume would be dubbed in Swedish. But yet later Karen says that he "spoke" exactly as she'd imagined him to. If it was subtitled rather than dubbed, then I wish Canada would have just said so.
Also,
How did Karen, who did not speak or respond to anyone, ever find out all these things about Elvis? How did she acquire the chewing gum card with his face on it? I can see how she would have heard his music, perhaps seem his face on TV even but Canada describes her as mostly just sitting in her wheelchair and staring into space. She never left the boarding school and did not have any relatives who would have sent her these Elvis things.
Some children are wiser than others, but at the very least, Canada put some words that were never spoken by the child in such a way in her mouth. Karen did not speak for eight years, but after six months with Canada, nineteen at the time, she not only speaks, but expresses profound thoughts.
I like to believe that, at least, there was a Karen who loved Elvis Presley as the Karen in the book did. Even if everything else is embellished or made up, the descriptions of her love for Elvis and the way he helped her deal with life were beautiful.
I hate to rate this lower than everyone else who wrote a review but once I was done, I started the question the veracity of the story. And when we're talking "true story" book, that's a big deal. It's the epilogue that initially made me question things. It started with her claiming that Elvis "lived in LA" when every fan knows that his home base was in Memphis, though he did stay at his house in California when he worked/filmed there. Then there was the encounter on his motorcycle and the last two pages... it really makes me wonder if this got published solely because the timing was right.
I understand that it was the early '60s, but Lena Canada makes immigrating to the US look too easy even for then. I figured that she either married an American or acquired a profession that allowed her to immigrate but nope. She makes the idea of taking Karen to the US to try and locate Elvis as a TOURIST look harder than her straight up moving there! All she says is that she decided that she will leave Sweden and go to the US, the end. Not even a little sentence about paperwork or the like. I figured "Well, she's illegal then" but she insists that she attended UCLA. There are also some things about Canada's life before Karen that I question.
The movie was easier to believe despite the unbelievable circumstances.
Karen, in the movie, looks twelve to fourteen years old. In the book, she is not quite eight when the story starts and "almost nine" by the time the correspondence with Elvis starts. It is established early on that they are from Sweden but Canada doesn't address the language difference until a letter from Elvis arrives. So it left me wondering whether Karen had been taught English or if Canada translated for her. She takes Karen to see an Elvis movie, which I'd assume would be dubbed in Swedish. But yet later Karen says that he "spoke" exactly as she'd imagined him to. If it was subtitled rather than dubbed, then I wish Canada would have just said so.
Also,
How did Karen, who did not speak or respond to anyone, ever find out all these things about Elvis? How did she acquire the chewing gum card with his face on it? I can see how she would have heard his music, perhaps seem his face on TV even but Canada describes her as mostly just sitting in her wheelchair and staring into space. She never left the boarding school and did not have any relatives who would have sent her these Elvis things.
Some children are wiser than others, but at the very least, Canada put some words that were never spoken by the child in such a way in her mouth. Karen did not speak for eight years, but after six months with Canada, nineteen at the time, she not only speaks, but expresses profound thoughts.
I like to believe that, at least, there was a Karen who loved Elvis Presley as the Karen in the book did. Even if everything else is embellished or made up, the descriptions of her love for Elvis and the way he helped her deal with life were beautiful.
October 13, 2023
I've been on an Elvis biographical type book reading spree lately, and this one I found in a pile of older books from a family member, so I decided to give it a go.
A sweet and tender story about one person's impact on two individuals. Elvis is often regarded as such a mega legend that we forget how personable he really was with his fans when it really mattered to him. This explores that first hand perspective within the disabled community. From that, I had a lot of respect for Lena and her storytelling.
However, her writing was a bit over the top and felt like it was compensating for a lack of full memory. She used much flowery language where it wasn't needed, and often repeated things in a remix of words. Sometimes, that could get boring and the story felt a lack of tension and momentum. Elvis isn't featured in this book until the final third, since most is the set up and backstory of Karen and Lena (which I think did serve a good purpose as Lena did not capitalize on Elvis by doing so). There was also a poor choice of words in describing some of the disabled children, although I think that was simply due to the fact that this was written many years ago. Lena also made herself and Karen come across a bit "woe is me" too often for my liking, and it made for a slightly more depressing and unlikable characterization of them both. There was not much positivity until Elvis came in, and even then the minute he does not respond to their letters she is "woe is me" -ing again. After a bit, that just got old really fast.
In the end, I found this to be a great example of Elvis' kindness that went unknown for years. However, I did find myself questioning the validity of his letters and communication with Karen. There's no timeframe given, and no photos inserted of said letters. There were moments that it all felt a bit like glorified fan-fiction, but not in a negative way! Moreso in the terms of, "This story had so much more potential than this," type of way. If this is indeed true--which I have no doubt in believing Elvis was capable of doing something so thoughtful as this-- I am just left with many more questions than answers.
But alas, maybe that is what Lena intended after all...
A sweet and tender story about one person's impact on two individuals. Elvis is often regarded as such a mega legend that we forget how personable he really was with his fans when it really mattered to him. This explores that first hand perspective within the disabled community. From that, I had a lot of respect for Lena and her storytelling.
However, her writing was a bit over the top and felt like it was compensating for a lack of full memory. She used much flowery language where it wasn't needed, and often repeated things in a remix of words. Sometimes, that could get boring and the story felt a lack of tension and momentum. Elvis isn't featured in this book until the final third, since most is the set up and backstory of Karen and Lena (which I think did serve a good purpose as Lena did not capitalize on Elvis by doing so). There was also a poor choice of words in describing some of the disabled children, although I think that was simply due to the fact that this was written many years ago. Lena also made herself and Karen come across a bit "woe is me" too often for my liking, and it made for a slightly more depressing and unlikable characterization of them both. There was not much positivity until Elvis came in, and even then the minute he does not respond to their letters she is "woe is me" -ing again. After a bit, that just got old really fast.
In the end, I found this to be a great example of Elvis' kindness that went unknown for years. However, I did find myself questioning the validity of his letters and communication with Karen. There's no timeframe given, and no photos inserted of said letters. There were moments that it all felt a bit like glorified fan-fiction, but not in a negative way! Moreso in the terms of, "This story had so much more potential than this," type of way. If this is indeed true--which I have no doubt in believing Elvis was capable of doing something so thoughtful as this-- I am just left with many more questions than answers.
But alas, maybe that is what Lena intended after all...
December 26, 2018
This is the Elvis I choose to remember- a good kind man who brought happiness to a very sick little girl.
February 16, 2020
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Happy Reading!
June 2, 2018
It was a very sweet story about Lena's experiences with a little crippled 9 year old girl named Karen, at a house called the Brown House located in Sweden. She tells of her journey to get the little girl to come out of her shell and to get her to allow people in her life. Karen's mother dropped her off at the Brown House when she was just a baby and signed all her right as her mother over to the Brown House and never looked back. After a year or so Lena was able to get though to the child and got her to come out of her shell a little bit and as doing this she had discovered that Karen had a secret love for Elvis Presley. After some time they started writing to him but they wasn't getting them back. Six month of waiting around Lena wrote to a lady in Hollywood that know Elvis personally and told her of Karen's story and she had wrote back telling her that Elvis was a very busy man but she would try to get a hold of him, soon later she wrote back tell that she had spoke to Elvis and he was very touched but her story and he begun writing and sending gifts to her. Karen was so excited when she got the first letter that she had a seizures. She sadly died about a year later but she died with a smile on her face and a letter to Elvis in her hand.
The story made me tear up a few time as I was reading it and I never do that when reading a book so it meant something. It was a very touching story and I enjoyed it a lot. It would be super cool to have a mega Superstar like Elvis or anyone to have them take the time out of their busy lives to write to you. It really made Karen happy to have him to write to her as any kid would be happy to have their idol write to them.
Me and a friend wrote to Rick Martin when we was like 11 or 12, we never got anything back. But that would have made our lives if he had wrote something back us. We got an address to mail him in a magazine that was featuring him, so we sat down and wrote a letter to the then popular and our idol Rick Martin and never got anything back. Now that I look back on it I never really expect him to write but as a child you want him to and think he will, he never did.
The story made me tear up a few time as I was reading it and I never do that when reading a book so it meant something. It was a very touching story and I enjoyed it a lot. It would be super cool to have a mega Superstar like Elvis or anyone to have them take the time out of their busy lives to write to you. It really made Karen happy to have him to write to her as any kid would be happy to have their idol write to them.
Me and a friend wrote to Rick Martin when we was like 11 or 12, we never got anything back. But that would have made our lives if he had wrote something back us. We got an address to mail him in a magazine that was featuring him, so we sat down and wrote a letter to the then popular and our idol Rick Martin and never got anything back. Now that I look back on it I never really expect him to write but as a child you want him to and think he will, he never did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2025
I know this book was written by Lena and not Karen, and I do question the validity of this story a bit.
But I can vouch for how this is written with it’s dream-like, idealized quality, as someone who has CP and suffered with loneliness, this book captures perfectly how someone outside of your grasp can be your window to the outside world.
But I can vouch for how this is written with it’s dream-like, idealized quality, as someone who has CP and suffered with loneliness, this book captures perfectly how someone outside of your grasp can be your window to the outside world.
May 30, 2014
What a beautiful and moving book about a disabled girls love for Elvis Presley. Completely shows how compassionate Elvis was to others by the fact he took time to write letters and send presents to this girl who only wanted to be friends with him as he brought joy to her life in an institute! Would recommend to everyone! Sobbed completely and uncontrollably at the end!
August 8, 2011
A lovely touching story of which I can relate to quite closely. Beauty comes in many forms.
October 9, 2012
A really touching book and something about the way it's written I just love.
I'd recommend this to anyone, not just Elvis fans.
I'd recommend this to anyone, not just Elvis fans.
November 22, 2012
I love this book. It started out a little slow, but it truly is a beautiful story and I enjoyed it very much. To find out it is true made it so much more special to me.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews