Kirk and Anne: Letters of love, laughter, and a lifetime spent in Hollywood by Kirk Douglas and her wife Anne

"For those readers who worry that the world we live in is a mess, I hope you will see that every generation faces challenges. Somehow we get past them. "

These encouraging words of Kirk Douglas at the end of a wonderful book: the one written by him and his wife Anne thanks to the letters they shared together during these decades.
The book is implemented with memories, facts, anecdotes, pictures that simply you will love.

It's a moving and loving book and I can't help myself: I still have tears in my eyes.

Reading Kirk and Anne: Letters of love, laughter, and a lifetime spent in Hollywood by Kirk Douglas and her wife Anne will be an experience you won't never forget.

It's true: this book is a celebration of the life of Kirk Douglas, his 100 years, his 63 years with his wife Anne, a lot of children and life, a stroke and a book written by him: "A stroke of Life", for encouraging all the people affected  by strokes, his philanthropy in various areas of the world, his political activism, but it is also the celebration to me of an entire generation of people thanks to this book.
Healthy values, strong feelings, people plenty of love, generosity, understanding. People who love to share their life with others because they know the meaning of misery, war and sacrifice and they know how precious the gift of life is for everyone. The approach with life very healthy.
Kirk and Anne tell very well with their life, their generation.

A strong man, Kirk Douglas.
Born very poor he has seen with his eyes a war, participating to it, he realized his American Dream thanks to his profession of actor but he hasn't never forgotten his humble past, his childhood and the lessons learned along his way.

The book is also terribly romantic, tender, real, sincere, and it reach the heart.
It's the genuine portrait of two enthusiastic beautiful people, Kirk and Anne Douglas.
A man  and a woman who once fell in love.
It will be beautiful to read these letters and tales of the two protagonists. The trepidation of Anne, the final choice of Kirk.

During these decades the couple continued to write letters to each other.

At first Kirk and Anne loved to communicate via letter because by phone with the operator in the other part of the line they couldn't be free to express themselves and all their love.
Once married, I guess, because good habits shouldn't be forgotten and because maybe a letter implement, who knows? verbal and non verbal communication.

You won't find only their letters of love, appreciation, no.

There are also letters sent to various Presidents of the US, because as you will learn Kirk Douglas has always been very active politically, (he voted for Hillary Clinton in these past presidential elections). There are letters sent to various actors, I want to remember Billy Crystal and people in the movie industry in various different moments.

You have more than a sensation, a certainty reading this book: that Kirk Douglas and Anne Douglas do care for other people and during sad, difficult moments, when maybe most people would go away they love to stay close to their friends, letting know that they're there to them. It is remarkable and truly beauty.

I read touching letters sent to colleagues because they needed some encouragements, like it happened for the letter received by Downey Jr, or at friends seriously sick like John Wayne in a Boston's hospital.

Thanks to these letters and tales told us by Anne and Kirk Douglas we will enter in their environment, understanding much better the work of the actor and the one of the assistant, the realization of a movie, and discovering the friendship of this couple with the other icons of the time. Frank Sinatra another friend Kirk Douglas tell, "I miss a lot."

I found spectacular the anecdote of a dinner at the house of Douglas with Frank Sinatra and Henry Kissinger.
Being also a fan of Sinatra I know that The Voice loved to do little hours.

Anyway, the dinner ended up pretty soon, Kirk Douglas left the conversation for certain reasons. Frank Sinatra and Kissinger left the house of their friends.
At dawn a call, from the wife of Kirk Douglas at Sinatra: "Where is Kissinger?"
"He's here. We talked all the night."
"Tell him that the President wants to speak with him as soon as possible!"

The life of Kirk and Anne Douglas characterized by enthusiasm, love for life, generosity.

We mustn't in fact forget that Kirk Douglas have always donated a lot to various projects picked up carefully by his wife thanks to a foundation. Kirk Douglas at first as told was poor but in his family there was the idea that people in need hadn't to be left behind and there was the custom of putting aside some coins every time there was some money for this cause.

Once I remember someone told me this: "There is not another family more united than the Douglas in Hollywood." Now I understand why they told me this.

Kirk Douglas was not just a beautiful actor venerated by myriad of women, but he is also a wonderful human being.

He created a life with a profound sense for himself and his family with a lot of friends and good memories. Politically he actively visited many countries for understand the necessities of various populations in the world thanks to the initial involvement wanted by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and continued also with the other Presidents.

He helped and help with his foundation many other people in the USA and in the world strong of the idea that an actor, with the power that bring with him mustn't live his life in passivity, but must tell to the masses what it is going on, an illness, a joy, because helpful for everyone.

This couple is a great example for all of us also because their life very well spent together and because they know the meaning of family, friendship, generosity, love, appreciation, dedication.


The book will be available from 02/17.

I thank NetGalley and Perseus Book !


Anna Maria Polidori