About the Author

Hellstern, author of the 2005’s bestseller How To Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life always considered herself lucky to have great girlfriends, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago, when her friends saw her through a particularly rough patch, that she realized first-hand how crucial friendships are in a woman’s life. She found comfort, hope and strength in her best friends, and was inspired to write Getting Along Famously:  A Celebration of Friendship, which profiles six significant famous friendships and explores the big and small ways that the bonds of female friendship improve our lives. 

Filled with beautiful, glossy photos, and heartwarming quotes on friendship, Getting Along Famously sheds light on the friendships of some of the most iconic and glamorous duos of our time, sharing stirring tales of heartbreak, joy and laughter, and how they supported each other through it all.

Getting Along Famously has received publicity in publications such as Elle, Redbook, Nylon and Social Life magazines, among others.

Hellstern’s previous book, How to be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life (Dutton Books, 2004) continues to inspire women the world over. “Audrey Hepburn perfected the art of gracious living,” Hellstern has said. “She remains a relevant and inspiring role model for women today.”  A Los Angeles Times Bestseller, How to be Lovely has been published in seven languages.

A frequent sellout at book signings across the country, Hellstern has also been a special guest at events such as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” a production of The Municipal Theater Association of St. Louis and “Film Night at Tanglewood,” where The Boston Pops, conducted by John Williams and co-hosted by Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, dedicated a portion of the program to the life and work of Audrey Hepburn.

Hellstern’s colorfully varied work experiences have encompassed turns as a waitress, a camp counselor, a cave tour guide (where she became something of a bat aficionado) and as a consultant in her grandparent’s funeral business.

Having previously resided in Maryland, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas and Missouri, she now makes her home in Chicago. When not writing, she is as likely to be found trying to decode a foreign land (map in hand) as on a trout stream, weather permitting.