Louise Altson

Marlayn Glynn Sanders (author): The book left me with such a feeling of nostalgia. The photos + the verbiage in the client's thank you letters. I was reminded of how lovely and kind people were back then. The glow your mother captured. The innocence of the children. The glamour of the ladies. We don't see it so much anymore. One of the images actually moved me to tears - the gentleness of the woman portrayed made me miss something I never knew. David Wright (National Enquirer): The book has such an unusual format that I wondered at first if it could be sustained. But the more I read, the more fascinating I found it. The penetrating glimpses not only into the lives of Louise and her family, but also those of the prominent, household-name families who sat for her, were riveting. I loved the way characters as diverse as Ulysses Grant, Danny Kaye, Mae West, Paul McCartney, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Prince Rainier would pop up unexpectedly. Also, I enjoyed the children's touching memories of life with Mom and Gloria. (as a long time National Enquirer reporter, the "axe in the bedroom closet" anecdote was a particular stunner!) I admired the way you described this traumatic period in your lives so honestly, while it came as a shock to discover that despite her success Louise was left nearly broke after her marriage broke up. So many tragedies run through the narrative. And how interesting to read that so many of the girls Louise painted in childhood, now up in years, still have the dresses they wore then. I was intrigued by the anecdote about the matriarch who commissioned paintings of her daughter and grandchildren - but insisted the husband not be included because divorce was so prevalent in her family. (A problem eradicated these days by Photo Shop!) The highlight of the book is undoubtedly the exchange of moving letters between Louise and the George H.W. Bush family. They give the reader a whole new insight into the presidential family. And the Cecil B. deMille correspondence is equally intriguing as it reveals an important piece of Hollywood history. All in all, the book left me thinking of Louise ... what an incredible woman!