Candle in the Sun

First published in 1957, this is the revised and footnoted autobiography of Bessie Lasky-wife of Hollywood founding father Jesse L. Lasky-a successful artist in her own right who wanted nothing more than to escape the glitter and glamour and live in her own simple world of poetry, art and music.

"We lived in separate worlds. But if I had forced her to live in mine, I would have lost her, and that would have been a tragedy for me." -Jesse L. Lasky Sr., husband

"Her survival-from simple family background, convent education through the glittering towers of material illusions, the halls of Babylon on the Pacific-is a true passage through many mansions. This book holds a priceless message for all who have known the complex loneliness of a crowded world of material frustration. It points like the needle of a compass through the storms of the heart-toward peace of mind." -Jesse L. Lasky Jr., son

"Bessie was not influenced by Hollywood. Instead, her heart 'sang gaily of landscapes, still lifes, flower and water subjects.' In her commitment to her paintbrush, Bessie found the fulfillment not provided by the world of private railroad cars, great houses, servants upstairs and down. . . ." -Betty Lasky, daughter

"When Jesse Lasky first saw Bessie across a room, he recognized her soul shining through her gentle face. Although they scarcely knew each other, within twenty-four hours Jesse had asked her to marry him. She instinctively understood the unique power and intelligence of the man and they were married almost immediately. Wife and husband led extraordinary solo lives, yet there was always an unbroken chord between them. This book reveals the unique essence of a spiritual woman who could express her tranquil soul in paint and poetry and yet play her part as wife and partner to a powerful and exceptionally creative man." -Pat Silver-Lasky, daughter-in-law, author Hollywood Royalty