I love historical novels because of things one can learn about a period in history. In a Well Behaved Woman one is given a glimpse in to society and the expectations of a woman in in 1880’s New York.

It seems that women today are fighting for their rights, imagine what living in iNYC in 1883 was like. To think that the most important thing a woman in society could do is marry well, not for love but to secure her future and that of her family. What if the reason a man married you was for your family name to help elevate his family into society?

Alva Smith, needs to find a rich husband to save her family from losing their home and from starving. The Smith’s were, at one time, a wealthy family and moved in society circles both in America and in Europe. But circumstances changed and Alva took it upon herself to remedy the situation and save her family.

This is the story of two families coming together not because of love but out of the need of each family to get something out of the union. For Alva and her family it was money and security, for William K. Vanderbilt it was being elevated in society.

This is Alva’s story. Alva Vanderbilt was not your run of the mill society matron, happy to tend to her home, her husband and to do charitable work from afar. This was not Alva’s way. She became a force to be reckoned with all the while staying within the confines of society’s constraints. Alva learned to work within these confines to benefit both herself and her family and in some instances the City of New York as well. There is a sentence in the book that to me defines Alva Vanderbilt, “an intelligent woman In this world takes her chances where she finds them.”

This is a well written story with characters that are alive and animated. It opened my eyes to New York in its earlier period. To the constraints of the time , as well as the openness of NYC to its changing landscape.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A Well Brhaved Women a work of historical fiction but should be read by everyone that enjoys a good book.
Thank you #Netgalley and #StMartin’sPress for the advanced readers copy. The opinion expressed is solely my own.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence my review.

Therese Anne Fowler, author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, has a new book – A Well Behaved Woman. A Novel of the Vanderbilts.

In late nineteenth-century New York, Alva Smith is a desperate young woman. Reared with her sisters to expect a life of privilege, at twenty-one she discovers how tenuous her hold on that privilege is. She comes from Old South wealth and her pedigree is impeccable, but her mother is dead and her ailing father is nearly bankrupt. Alva needs to marry well and soon.

Despite her initial concerns, she catches a husband with surprising ease. William Vanderbilt, grandson of the railway tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt, is looking for a well-connected wife to help the family climb the New York social ladder. He is good-looking, easy-going, and shallow enough to marry simply to please his family. Alva’s connections are not as good as the Vanderbilts believe them to be, but Alva does a grand job faking it. Her fortune is secured, her family saved. Now, she has to live with the consequences.

The novel whisks us along on a tour of the extraordinary pursuits of the obscenely wealthy. Alva has come close enough to ruin to feel some compassion for the plight of the poor. She does invest time and money in charitable programs. But her main occupation is Society. She is determined to cement her position within the Vanderbilt hierarchy by raising the profile of the Vanderbilt family name. With the help of an older gentleman friend, insider Ward McAllister, Alva navigates the difficult waters of society, dominated by Caroline Astor, until the Vanderbilts can no longer be excluded from the upper echelons.

Successful as she is at social climbing, Alva is discontent. She does not respect or love her vapid husband. Conversation between them is merely polite. Sex is an undignified chore. And William spends more time on his boat or with his friends than he does with his wife. At least, he claims to be with friends. Alva remains willfully blind to his many affairs.

Intelligent and driven, Alva throws herself into architectural pursuits, partnering with architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a number of mansions costing millions of dollars.

Eventually, none of this is enough. Alva wants love and passion. And Alva tends to get what she wants.

This novel immerses the reader in Gilded Age society, showing its mores, extravagances, and hypocrisies as well as its preoccupation with absurd shades of status. Alva is drawn as a well rounded character, but it is difficult to sympathize with her. Although her husband’s true character is not at all admirable, he is, in some limited way, pitiable. Alva puts him off from the get-go, having achieved the financial security she desires. She never gives the marriage a chance. It may have been more poignant had she tried and failed.

The book skims more lightly over Alva’s attempts to do good for the less fortunate. More emphasis on these pursuits may have made her a more sympathetic protagonist, but the emphasis on her attempts to spend an unspendable amount of money upstaging her society rivals is likely a more realistic portrait.

A Well Behaved Woman is a compelling, richly detailed historical novel showing lifestyles of the rich and famous in the Gilded Age. It’s not a pretty picture, but it is an impressive book.

The days of a 'society worthy connection' and 'new' money needing each other to stay in society are luckily over.
This book delves into the lives of Alva Smith and William K. Vanderbilt as they meet and wed. Alva has the connections and is rapidly losing the money. Vanderbilt needs the connection to get into the 'inner circle'.

The women in the book all have stories and I wish the book would have delved more into that and not into how prim and proper Alva was as she fought to keep what she wanted. She came off as just a rich, privileged annoyance for a large enough portion of the book to make me wonder how she was chosen as the protagonist.

As the book come close to the end we see more of why. She was pivotal in the Women's Suffrage Movement. I wish the book would have delved more into that part of her life and not so much on the years with Vanderbilt and all the parties and the societal games to stay high enough in the hierarchy to be relevant.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

A Well-Behaved Woman tells the story of Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont, starting in 1874 when she was 21 and ending with her death in 1933 at age 80. Her birth family has a notable lineage but their prominence has crashed around them in the post-Civil War South, leaving them destitute. Eager to make a good marriage to save her family, Alva accepts the proposal of William K. Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt who made his fortune in shipping and railroads. William is looking for an entrance for his family into New York's high society, which has been denied to date because his family is considered "new money" and therefore not worthy of consideration. As with most marriages at the time, the union of Alva and William in 1875 is a business transaction that benefited both parties rather than a marriage for love.

Alva is determined that she will have the Vanderbilt family not only be accepted into high society, but become one of its leaders. Her determination is such, that she eventually breaks down the barriers that held the Vanderbilt family at bay from their dream of inclusion with the elite. Fowler gives us an insider's look at New York's high society during the Gilded Age. It is fascinating to see how the super-rich of that era conduct themselves, how they spend their fortunes, their social lives and the mores of the day.

Alva is a woman not content to fit into the mold of what is expected of her. She constantly pushes the boundaries of acceptability with her hands-on approach in regards to architecture, designing her family's Fifth Avenue mansion and staying involved until her design becomes reality. Finding the norm of remote charity among her circle unacceptable, she goes to where the poor live, assesses their most pressing needs and addresses them. When made aware of her husband's philandering, she does not accept his behavior, sweep it under the rug, and continue on; she divorces him, an action virtually unheard of at that time. Later, she marries again, this time for love. Following her second husband's death, she becomes one of the leaders of the suffragette movement.

Fowler obviously did her reseach well, giving us a book that is both an informative and enjoyable read. I absolutely love Alva's spirit and spunk! A Well-Behaved Woman gets four stars from me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This book covers a fascinating era and society in old New York. I didn't enjoy the characters and their motivations were often petty and rather gross. The quest for a bigger, more extravagant party or home made me a bit ill. Even so, the book held my attention. I appreciated that the author lets you come to your own conclusion about the characters--she doesn't romanticiaze them or their actions. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book challenged me to reevaluate my ideas about the super rich women in the US. Other books I had read focused exclusively on the men and I had really no idea that any of the women had brains or gumption. Well Alva did. It was a story that wasn’t very cheerful but it certainly showed how strong and independent she was. Very interesting and insightful. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc. Opinions are my own.

Oh, the Gilded Age...what a glorius time it was to be a man...particularly, in the wealthy set! If you don't know what I mean, try reading a bit of Edith Wharton or Henry James and you'll see the pattern: women should be seen and not heard. This novel transports us back to high society in New York City during the late 1800's, and gives a biographical history of how Alva Smith broke the rules and used her marriage to W.K. Vanderbilt to make a difference.

I am embarrassed to admit I knew nothing of the Vanderbilt family history before reading this. I feel like maybe I got the "behind the scenes" story instead of the public image they maintained. Fowler does a great job depicting this woman's life being married to a Vanderbilt. I was so shocked to hear that Alva doesn't necessarily have a positive reputation among historians. The approach she took to make us be sympathetic towards Alva worked. I empathized with her struggles to be seen as a strong, competent woman despite the social norms she was living in. I admired the way she just went for it, no matter what people thought (especially the other women!)

I highly recommend you read this book if you're interested in this era, especially in the lives of the rich and famous. You'll recognize several famous family names, such as Astor, Belmont, and Churchill. It is a welcome departure from the norm; it is a well-researched, yet entertaining story of a woman who took control of her life and found happiness despite being a woman in a man's world. I hope we see more of this type of book from Fowler in years to come.

I enjoyed Therese Anne Fowler’s ‘Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald’ and looked forward to reading her latest story of Alva Belmont Vanderbilt, her rise in social status and that of the Vanderbilt family as seen through Alva's eyes.

Alva is introduced as a dynamic young woman in the courting stage who catches the eye of William Vanderbilt, marrying him in 1875. I had no knowledge of her prior to picking up the book but could tell early on that this woman clearly had more purpose than that of being arm candy for her husband, hosting and attending fancy dress balls and raising well-behaved children. She puts her smarts, wealth and connections to work not only to keep the Vanderbilts in the limelight but to help those less fortunate and by becoming a prominent figure in women’s suffrage. Her story is remarkable and I found myself quickly and completely submerged in the glamour and glitter of the Golden Age. The care and research Fowler’s has put into this book is impressive.

I loved Alva’s associations with some recognizable characters, the well-heeled who enter her vortex. I especially enjoyed her growing/changing friendship with best friend Consuela and the written letters sent between them. One quite memorable moment relates to Caroline Aster, the New York socialite known as the “queen of the elite” who snubbed Alva. Alva’s crafty way of bringing Aster around was brilliant.

An entertaining and enlightening read that I highly recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction.

*will post to additional venues upon publication

I've read this author's previous work about Zelda Fitzgerald's life, and it was one of my favorite books in the whole world, so I spent quite a lot of time comparing this book to her first. And while A Well-Behaved Woman didn't quite live up to Fowler's debut novel, it was still an incredible read.

Alva's story was one that I had never heard of before, but I think it's still incredibly inspiring today, even though we only got to see the parts of her life that led up to her suffrage work, rather than about that itself. I found all the details of Alva's early life captivating and never felt bogged down by boring details or periods of her life—Fowler keeps things moving along at a solid pace. Also, for a book that involves such a huge family and lots of characters with the same names, Fowler made it surprisingly easy to follow along and know which William was which and which Cornelius we were talking about at a time. I never felt confused while reading this book.

Overall, the only reason I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt that I connected more with Zelda in this author's first work than with Alva in this one. Part of that may have been because Zelda was written in first person, while Alva's story was written in third. It just made it that much more difficult to feel her emotions as my own. However, as usual, this book was incredibly well-researched and probably more comprehensive than some biographies out there, even if it's fiction, and if you're a big fan of historical fiction, you'll love this one. I pretty much compare all historical fiction books I read to Therese Anne Fowler's works, because I think she's just that good in this genre, and this book was no exception—if you're not writing historical fiction like "Z" or "A Well-Behaved Woman" you are doing it wrong.

Alva Smith is one of four sisters. Their mother has passed away and their father, Murray Smith, had owned cotton plantations which at one time had made him a very wealthy man. Now, he is dying and his wealth has dwindled to very little. Trying to keep up appearances, the sisters go without to keep their father fed, warm, and with access to his medicine. Alva knows she must find a wealthy husband soon to have money to help her family. The Smith family is cultured but not part of the Knickerbockers. Alva wished that the Smith family could have moved to London because some of her friends were marrying titled men.

Alva’s friend, Consuelo Yznaga, feels that Greenbriar is the place for Alva to find a husband since she has limited funds. The two young ladies have been close friends. Consuelo has lots of money and is in no rush to get married. Her family money came from Cuban sugarcane. Consuelo thinks Alva should marry Willam K. Vanderbilt. William’s grandfather is Commodore Vanderbilt and is extremely wealthy. William’s father is also wealthy, but his uncle, C.J. Vanderbilt is a gambler who doesn’t pay his debts, and he also has epilepsy.

Using the last of the family’s funds, Alva wears a special dress to a soiree where she meets William Vanderbilt. He is quite taken with her and before long proposes to her and she accepts. Now, William’s mother is telling her how things are done in their family. After their marriage, Alva has two children and takes a great interest in architecture. Soon, she suggests that the family members build homes near one another on 5th Avenue in New York. Although Alva enjoys her wealthy life, she is still frustrated because she is not accepted by Mrs. Astor.

As time goes on, Alva gives birth to another child and when the Commodore and William’s father die, the sons and daughters inherit even more money. Alva’s brother-in-law, George Vanderbilt decides to build Biltmore Castle in Asheville, North Carolina.

We follow Alva through her marriage to William. She is an outspoken person and very shrewd. The Vanderbilt family has numerous children and builds huge homes all with the lavish furnishings and modern conveniences. But is money enough to keep her happy especially when her husband strays?

This is a very interesting story of a well-known woman of the Gilded Age. I admire her strength and ability to stick to her beliefs and stand up for her rights. This is not just about the life of one person, but it takes in the historical events going on around her during this time period. I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a free copy of this book to review!

The Age of Innocence, The Buccaneers, The Portrait of a Lady...where did Edith Wharton and Henry James find their inspiration? They based their memorable characters on their acquaintances and friendships with New York's elite society of the Gilded Age. And perhaps no one generated as much inspiration as Alva Vanderbilt.

As young Alva Smith, her family had a good name and reputation but was cash poor after the civil war. The Vanderbilt family had new wealth but desired entrance into New York society. Alva's marriage to William Kissam Vanderbilt saved her siblings from poverty and in turn she helped raised the Vanderbilt name to equal footing with the Astors and the other old moneyed names in New York. It was not an easy task or something that her marriage alone accomplished but Alva was astute and knew how to manipulate people. And she embraced the social media of her day, the newspapers, making sure that she fed them details of her society events to her advantage. The immense amount of wealth of the Vanderbilt family had was absolutely staggering even by todays standards. Alva used that wealth for charity but also to indulge in designing and building beautiful homes. But with all the wealth she had, what she was lacking was love in her marriage.

From what facts you read about Alva's life online and elsewhere, you might find it hard to imagine any need for empathy or compassion for her. But in this novel, the author paints Alva in such a way that we can truly feel sympathetic for her, as she proves money doesn't buy happiness and love, especially in a time when women are held to double standards. However, Alva is by no means weak. Instead she takes actions that break rules for women of her time and class, and seizes the happiness she longs for. Much of the novel covers Alva's married life, and only the last couple chapters delve into her taking part in the leadership of the suffragette movement in its earliest days. I turned to some online reading for more information and learned that along with Alice Paul, she helped organize the first picket in front of the White House. Alva threw tons of money at the cause; bailing out jailed suffragettes, funding marches and more.
But had the author wrote about that phase of Alva's amazing life, the novel would have been twice as thick. Instead she focuses on the years Alva spent as a wife and mother, and by doing so, you can appreciate Alva's journey to become a leader in the suffragette movement all the more. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

An interesting read that should’ve been more compelling than it was. A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Ann Fowler follows the life of Alva Vanderbilt, the lady who catapulted the Vanderbilt family to social acceptance and prominence. The book begins as Alva, whose family has lost all their money due to the Civil War, is searching for a rich husband to help her family out. Alva had the respected name, the lineage, and the social know-how to assist the Vanderbilt family, who was “new money”, gain acceptance into society. A Well-Behaved Woman follows this struggle to gain that society acceptance, and also Alva’s struggle to know herself and her desires.
Alva is strong willed and intelligent, and can quickly grasp a situation and know how to handle herself. But there was something hollow about Alva. I admired her ability to say what she’s thinking and get ahead in a time when that was not acceptable, but I didn’t much like her. She’s a bit too know-it-all and judgmental, while focusing entirely on the outward appearance. And then she would complain about her situation, which was frustrating to read. She makes her choices, and then she complains about them. She lived a fascinating life, and the history and opulence here is fascinating to read, but at the same time you know people are starving in the streets, so there’s that awful juxtaposition where Alva does charity work, but then spends gobs of money on clothes, parties, and travel. Alva’s definitely a character who inspires conversation, whether it be about her choices to her lifestyle to her inability to see what is so clearly staring her in the face.
Another character in A Well-Behaved Woman is Oliver Belmont, who has long been an admirer of Alva. He’s a good friend of Alva’s husband, William Vanderbilt, and I liked Oliver. He seemed genuine and caring, and he was a good contrast to William, who I could not stand at all. This is a good tale of how money can corrupt, as we witness William’s change from an eager young man to an entitled, arrogant older gentleman. There was one scene involving a boating accident that really angered me.
Because I didn’t quite connect with the characters I didn’t find A Well-Behaved Woman as compelling as it should have been. While the plot clipped along and was informative historically, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was no substance to the characters. If you do an Internet search on Alva Vanderbilt, you’ll see that there are many mentions of her being a suffragette and her contributions to women getting the right to vote. A Well-Behaved Woman does not really touch on this, as the book ends right as she begins to get involved in the movement. I would’ve like to have read about her involvement there, and so felt a bit let down that the book focused more on her romances and her wealth. But overall A Well-Behaved Woman was definitely a fascinating read that held my interest and has a strong female lead who inspires conversation.
Bottom Line: Historically full of fascinating information, but the characters felt hollow.

So, you guys have seen how excited I have been for this one. I’ve brought it up in several different posts over the last few months and well, here we are! It was released yesterday and I’m over the moon. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy and I’m delighted to tell you that I wasn’t disappointed, I enjoyed the read. The author was truly brilliant, the book well researched and the world lively enough for me to lose myself for a while. Whilst I wish certain parts were a little faster paced, it didn’t take away from the book for me.

Ms. Fowler painted the portrait of turn of the century beautifully. I loved reading about the rules of society and what one had to do or know to get accepted into it. When one hears the name Vanderbilt, one doesn’t think if a family who has to struggle for acceptance. They are part of that legendary echelon that most of us will never be part of. Yet, it was quite a different time and I was not at all disappointed in learning about the maneuvering to attain and keep the desired status. Reading about Alva’s privileged life was certainly one of interest for me. I liked reading about the different balls and events, how she dealt with things. She was a strong woman, even though occasionally I did find her being docile when she shouldn’t have been.

You may find that the book is slow in places, that you’re left wanting. However, I attributed that to the fact that most women’s lives were like that. There were rules and one was meant to follow them. To have a woman like Alva, who is headstrong and thinks for herself, was quite uncommon. In a time when divorce was unheard of, Alva did it. She was an outcast for a time but recovered nicely. When she wasn’t granted a box in the Academy of Music, she founded The Met. Yes, that self-same Opera House in New York. (And I don’t know about you, but I damn love a level of petty. Who’s ever heard of the Academy of Music? Well, maybe a lot of people have, but The Met! C’mon!) Alva’s influence is still very present in this day and age. Her spirit and reach lives on, nearly a century after her death.

This isn’t to say that you will love her at every moment in the book. Despite nearly being destitute and facing a life where she might have needed to work for a living, Alva is surprisingly unsympathetic to the poor in certain moments. She also, for being rather progressive on some things, was a bit backward in how she raised her daughter. Despite not enjoying the silliness of one needing a husband, she was quick to try to get her daughter with the highest bidder, so to speak. She dominates this book and I found she was very well developed. I’d have liked a bit more on her best friend, Consuelo, who became Duchess of Manchester.

Also, ladies, she was a huge part of the suffrage movement. So when you vote next month, think of Alva.

So if you want a fast pace tone, this may not be the read for you. Don’t let that hinder you though, I really think you’d enjoy this. Especially if you like historical fiction. If you love The Gilded Age and reading about those prominent families of New York, like the Astors, the Roosevelts, the Rockefellers, and of course, the Vanderbilts, you’ll enjoy this. I enjoyed her Ms. Fowler’s previous work on her book about Zelda Fitzgerald, this was no different.

The Vanderbilt family is one of the great success stories in American history. Author Therese Fowler picks up the line with the third generation in her novel, A Well-Behaved Woman. The woman in question is Alva Smith-a 21-year-old with a perfect pedigree, but no money. Teetering, in fact, on the edge of outright poverty, until her dear friend Consuelo (a Cuban sugar heiress), throws her in front of the eligible Vanderbilt grandson, William. The Vanderbilts have the money, but New York society is closed to them because they are newly rich and considered vulgar. The plan works and Alva joins the family and gives them the gloss they need to move in the circles they want. In return, she gets a life of luxury far beyond her greatest dreams. But is it enough?

Fowler's debut novel, Z, was about the life of Zelda Fitzgerald and was combustible reading. Comparisons between the two aren't fair, mostly due to the times. Alva lived in the late 1800s, a time of restraint and manners. Zelda and F. Scott lived in the 1920s a time that was anything but restrained. So, if you're expecting Zelda levels of drama, you're going to be disappointed. Alva's main goal in her marriage was being a good wife and promoting the Vanderbilt family. Also, to spend as much of their money in ways that were acceptable at the time and enhanced the family name. She accomplished this by working with renowned architects to build numerous homes and founding the Metropolitan Opera.

It's in looking beyond Alva's marriage that A Well-Behaved Woman lost me a bit. By midpoint in the novel there are a few mentions of a man she finds intriguing. They are so limited, crop up unexpectedly, and have virtually no detail to them that it's hard to credit them as important feelings of passion. In reality, they are, but without getting into spoilers the initial aspects of this relationship feel stilted. I realize the era was one of decorum, but this is fiction, so creative license is expected and would have gone a long way towards making Alva's feelings more relatable, less manufactured

Her personal life aside, I wanted more of the later years of Alva's life. It isn't until the novel is 80% over that she comes into her own and becomes a supporter of causes far outside the comfort zone of her society friends. A Well-Behaved Woman is a successful chronicle of the highs and lows of Alva's life, with enough details about her exorbitant expenses to satisfy even the biggest fan of conspicuous consumption. And while it didn't go as far into her inner life or outer activities as I would have liked there is no doubt this well-behaved woman was so much more than a woman who married well.

This is one of my favorite books for 2018. A Well-Behaved Woman is a compulsively readable fictionalized account of Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont, based on her life. Alva was WAY before her time, and persevered thru a marriage of convenience, and poverty to design 9 houses, fight for women's suffrage, and raise the Vanderbilts to new and unknown heights of society in the Gilded Age. The book is well written and Fowler has done her homework to make sure the book is factual as well. NOthing is drawn out, and the story mvoes along at a good pace, which makes the 400+ pages go by quickly. I enjoyed every one of them! This is the first book I have read by Fowler and I will be seeking out others. I advise you to do as well!

Therese Fowler has brought to life the Guilded Age through the eyes of Alva Smith. Alva comes from a Southern family who becomes virtually destitute after the Civil War. She and her sisters were educated in France and were brought up in a rich family. After the war, her father lost all of their money, her mom died, and her dad became very ill and dying. Alva has to figure out how to support the family. She meets and marries William Vanderbilt. The reader is treated to seeing the growth of Alva who has been sheltered in an earlier life to a woman who is involved in the Women’s Suffrage movement. I felt the book was well-researched. I enjoyed reading about Alva but thought it moved slowly in places.

I think this would make a great book club read! I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

[3.5 stars]

I absolutely adored Fowler’s 2013 novel, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (my review)…so, A Well-Behaved Woman had big shoes to fill. While I liked A Well-Behaved Woman, it was a lukewarm like and it didn’t come close to filling Z‘s shoes. Alva is interesting, but not nearly as dynamic a character as Zelda. I liked that Alva was a modern woman in some ways (i.e. her desire to have a hobby beyond social obligations, her belief that husbands shouldn’t be allowed to treat their wives badly, etc) and had a sassy side. I liked the fact that it made me think about class, the working rich vs. the inherited money rich, and women’s roles in society and the household. But, I got tired of all the rules of society and machinations people went through to rise to the top. I just didn’t care all that much and couldn’t understand why they did. Overall, it’s a decent read, but it just didn’t knock my socks off like I expected.

Alva and her family are in dire straits. Her father is sick and they are out of money. It is up to her to land a wealthy husband and keep her family in the style they are accustomed. Alva marries William Vanderbilt. But, as the marriage continues Alva realizes money does not buy happiness.

Alva’s marriage is not what she imagined. The Vanderbilt’s are considered nouveau rich and they are completely shunned by the Gilded Age dynasties. She struggles to have her family accepted into society. This seems frivolous to me, however the author did an outstanding job relating this struggle and what it means to Alva. She needs to be accepted to keep her marriage. Then as time goes on and Alva grows, she understands there is more to life than society and William. She fights for what she wants and what she believes in. She is a lady before her time!

The prose of this author is outstanding. I can just picture the ladies with their parasols walking through New York shopping at Tiffany’s. The wealth in this book is phenomenal. The author portrays this alongside the vast amount of poverty in the slums of New York.

The story is a little long-winded and bogs down in the middle. But Alva with her intellect and her strength keep you absorbed in this tale till the very end.

I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for a honest review.

This was such a great read. If you liked her first novel, Z, you will love this fictional retelling of the true story of Alva Vanderbilt. Set in the backdrop of the glitz and glamour of Gilded Age NYC, this novel explores the power of money, family ties, reputation, marriage, and at its heart, what it was like to be a woman during this era. I loved it!

Alva Smith is desperate for husband. A filthy rich one, specifically. She and her sisters are destitute, despite their good (aka acceptable to New York high society) name. She needs a husband of means to save them from a life of work (gasp, the horror!). She finds just such a husband in William Vanderbilt, a wealthy railroad heir whose family wants to climb the social ladder of New York City’s Gilded (and very exclusive) Age. Using her name and connections, Alva promises to raise the family’s standing.

This was a very well researched glimpse at the insane world of the Gilded Age. Obscene wealth, completely removed from the hardships of that time. Preoccupation with social standing, and codes of behavior, and constantly one-upping each other. It was, in a word, disgusting. The novel devoted pages and pages to describing outrageously expensive balls, palatial homes the wealthy designed and collected, yachts, and horses, and vacations. Millions upon millions of dollars thrown away all in the pursuit of vanity.

And then there’s Alva. You want to like her, initially. Her drive to look after her sisters, her wiles and determination, and her interest and skill in architecture. She feels nothing for her husband, but she’s very keen on seeing her new family elevated. She’s good at it, too. She’s like a woman obsessed. And that’s when you really stop caring about her. Everything is about showing off, and obtaining more, and being the best and brightest. She controls her daughter with an iron fist, intent on securing her a financially good, but inevitably affectionless, marriage. There’s a bit of a slow-burn romance between Alva and another man, but you can’t even be happy for her when they finally get together because she’s literally just sold her daughter off to man she won’t love (her daughter has a miserable marriage and gets divorced later...thanks, mom).

Overall I found this book fast-paced and interesting, even though I didn’t like the characters. It was historical, very enlightening, and I do recommend it.