Books
True Grace Press Release
"...well-researched..."
--Publishers Weekly
"...a fresh perspective to Kelly's acting, especially in a favorable critique of Kelly's underrated work in High Noon"
--Kirkus Reviews
Everybody knows Grace Kelly's story - or do they? Beautiful, elegant and mysterious, Grace Kelly captivated the world for decades. Her life, while sometimes magical, had more than its share of loss and unhappiness - and secrets. Now, in TRUE GRACE, bestselling author Wendy Leigh presents new revelations about this beloved icon. Interviewing over 90 sources who have never before talked to any of Grace's biographers, Leigh now paints the most complete portrait of Grace Kelly to date.
Grace Kelly's life was a storybook American tale. A radiantly beautiful girl born to immigrants - the daughter of a self-made millionaire - she grew up to become one of Hollywood's brightest young stars. The fairy tale continued when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco and became the mother of two princesses and a son who today is the ruler of that glittering principality. In TRUE GRACE, Leigh follows Kelly's breathtaking rise to Hollywood fame, as well as her glamorous life as Princess Grace of Monaco, but also records the dark side of the dream.
Among the many revelations in the book:
How Grace had an affair with one of her bridesmaid's husbands - then wrote her a letter confessing it all Grace's romances with producer, Robert Evans, tennis player Sidney Wood, department store heir Barney Strauss, with the son of High Society author, Philip Barry, with Tony Curtis, and had a deep relationship with actor, David Niven, which lasted until her death.
How she had simultaneous romances with High Noon star, Gary Cooper, and the movie's director Fred Zinnemann. Jackie Kennedy's hatred for Grace, how Jack Kennedy wanted to marry Grace and how Jackie got her revenge on Grace, including humiliating her by downgrading a White House lunch so Grace wouldn't look elegant, refusing to see her after the assassination, and making fun of Grace in front of a large group of people by launching into a devastatingly accurate imitation of Grace in Rear Window
Grace's infidelity to Rainier, starting with an affair with Frank Sinatra
Rainier's rampant infidelity to Grace, and how she coped
Grace's hatred for life in Monaco
What Grace really thought of Princess Diana
How she fought to stop her daughters from being spoiled and reminded them that "Your grandfather was a bricklayer." Grace's visit to psychic Frank Andrews during which she asked the question, "Will I die in a car crash?"
Whether writing about Kelly's early life, dazzling career, royal wedding, or affairs before and after marriage, Leigh approaches her life with compassion and care, especially in light of Grace's human flaws. Meticulously researched, TRUE GRACE is a fascinating story and one that will captivate readers for a long time to come.
About the Author:
Wendy Leigh is a journalist and author. Her many books include the New York Times bestseller Prince Charming: The John F. Kennedy, Jr. Story.
TRUE GRACE
A Biography
By Wendy Leigh
Hardcover * Biography
$25.95 * 336 pages
ISBN: 0-312-34236-4
Publication Date: March 2007