Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me with an ARC of A Well Behaved Woman.

I really enjoyed this fictionalized story of Alva Smith Vanderbilt, a fascinating and most interesting individual. Set during the Gilded Age of NYC this book traces Alva’s “arranged” marriage to William Vanderbilt and her rise in New York Society. Meticulously researched and beautifully crafted Therese Anna Fowler has once again breathed fresh life into an already iconic woman. Extra kudos to the art department for the stunning book jacket design. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and the Gilded Age.

The book started out strong for me and had me pulling for the main character but somewhere in the middle I became disinterested in her and her story. I decided to push through because I was invested enough and I'm glad I did. The last portions of the book brought me back to who the character was at the start. Will be reading more by this author in the future for sure.

This book is about the life of Alva Vanderbilt., wife of William Vanderbilt. Alva's family used to be wealthy but her mother had died and her father had lost all of their wealth. Alva, her three sisters and her father are starving, and it is up to Alva to take charge and provide for her family by marrying well. William Vanderbilt's family has been shunned by Mrs Astor and the rest of society and Alva's family would give them the family history that would help to elevate the Vanderbilt family in society. Alva not only achieves that, but also designed and built 9 mansions, was a major player in the women's suffrage movement, and demonstrated a power in her marriage that defied the norms of that time.
I was not familiar with the particulars of the Vanderbilt family, so I was fascinated by this book. I could not put it down. Alva was such an inspiring woman, and excellent example of a feminist before that became a popular thing. This book is definitely a must-read!

I wanted to love this. I really, really wanted to love this. But in the end, I was disappointed. This was my first time reading anything by the author. I was excited to dive in because I love historical fiction and I’m fascinated with the Gilded Age and the Vanderbilts in particular. (I can attribute that to a visit to Biltmore House as a young teen). I’m not sure why this fell flat for me or why I struggled with it. It was a well written book and I’ll probably seek this author out in the future. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Or perhaps this wasn’t the right time for me to read this. I’m giving it a solid three stars because I did enjoy the author’s style. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Tl;dr: Semifamous 19th century American woman marries for great financial standing. What could *possibly* go wrong?

I was so excited about A Well-Behaved Woman and indeed, Alva is very well behaved. To the point by when she finally, finally realizes the Vanderbilt man she married (because she was so worried about her sisters! She so didn't want to be impoverished! Not that she didn't enjoy the money, but still!) is and has bern unfaithful left and right, as well as just a crappy husband overall, she divorces him.

Reader, by then I no longer cared.

There is some enjoyment here--the wealth of the Vanderbilt family in the late 19th century was nothing to sneeze at--and the houses! (Seriously, the house porn is great in this.)

There's also some pretty good stuff about the insanity and inanity that was the social scene, most of it via Alva's ongoing battle to get the Mrs. Astor to recognize her, and her determination to see her daughter married well. (She did, and it turned out...yeah, you know how it went.)

One problem when writing about well documented people is that extreme difficulty of reconciling who they seemed to be from reports of the time and bringing it to light in a way that makes them interesting, accessible, and relevant. I don't doubt that Alva was more complex than we can know but what we do know makes the long, long stretch of time she was a wealthy and ambitious social climber hard to make her into what I feel Ms. Fowler wants her to be.

As always, I'm sure I'm in the minority on this, but A Well-Behaved Woman did not work for me. I'd have rather read another book set in the same era, Megan Chance's amazing (and imo, sorely overlooked) novel An Inconvenient Wife again.

I have been chomping at the bit to start this novel, as I loved Fowler's first book Z about Zelda Fitzgerald, and having read a non-fiction book on the Vanderbilts last year, I was curious as to a historical-fiction look at their lives. Alva Vanderbilt, wife to the patriarch's second grandson, is used to build the story. Alva comes from an old Southern family, must marry wealthy to support her sisters, and ultimately shows the deep and desperate climb up the social ladder of New York, to ensure that the family sits atop with the Astors. Ultimately, I was rather disappointed in this book. For the first two-thirds, it is a looooong litany of the social climbing, the back-stabbing, the petty insults, the family feuding over money with little deep character development. Alva is not admirable, nor is she detestable; she is just 'meh' for me. With a weak plot line, I quite frankly found it rather boring. Six pages on the description of the costumes and conversation at her famous ball was overkill. The last third of the book was more interesting as we see Alva breaking free of society's rules, becoming involved in the suffragette's movement. After reading the notes at the end concerning Alva's latter years, I wish the story had included more of that as it would have been a more compelling read for me. Thanks to Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fascinating portrait of Alva Smith Vanderbilt and the descriptions of life in the Gilded Age of New York and Newport. She married for money and was determined to earn the respect of the old-money crowd. She was a force to be reckoned with in her marriage and progressive causes.

What a luscious guilty pleasure to voyeuristically peer into the world of Alva Smith Vanderbilt and the world of mansions, yachts, and balls. If one is a fan of the Gilded Age, this novel was created just for you. But this was not just a simplistic look at the wealth by the elite few. Cunning created by the necessity of the age, Alva marries for money, but is forever troubled by women's inability to have an independent voice within affairs of the world or marriage. Fowler portrays her sympathetically as a strong woman, with a deep interest and affinity for the world of architecture, and a great supporter of the suffragette movement. She does not stand by idly when confronted with her husband's infidelity but clearly sets the terms for the divorce and for her own financial renumeration. I don't think I can ever go to Newport Rhode Island and look at the mansions in the same way again. This is a delicious piece of historical fiction to savor.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Money can’t buy Alva Smith happiness, but she can use it to buy her way into the top of society in A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN: A NOVEL OF THE VANDERBILTS by Therese Anne Fowler (October 16th 2018 by St. Martin's Press).

A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN: A NOVEL OF THE VANDERBILTS is a historical novel based on the life of Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont. The novel opens when Alva and her family are at their lowest – the Smiths are nearly destitute, and it is up to Alva to save them by marrying a wealthy man. So Alva marries William Vanderbilt, combining her esteemed bloodline and society connections for his family’s money. Alva then uses her money to build and furnish various mansions, commission the most fashionable gowns, throw the most lavish parties, and climb her way – the entire Vanderbilt family’s way – to the very top of society’s ladder of the most rich, snobby, and famous.

Alva isn’t always the most likable of characters – her desire to attain the most money, build the largest mansion, and outdo everyone else among New York’s most elite shows her as a spoiled, money-driven woman. Her constant grasping for the next rung of the ladder can get a bit tedious – why can’t this woman, who is married to one of the richest men in America, be happy with what she has opposed to always striving for more, more, more? While Alva isn’t always likable, she is a sympathetic character. She’s trapped in a loveless sham of a marriage, and her husband is cheating on her with various women – including her best friend. Alva’s marital problems, family triumphs and tribulations, charitable contributions, architectural interests, and passion for women’s suffrage humanize her character. It was not easy to be a woman in the late-1800s/early-1900s. Alva not only steps over the line of what was deemed acceptable, she shatters society’s standards and pursues the happiness that money has failed to buy her. Alva is a woman who wants more, and she goes after it whether it’s something that money can buy or not.

Fowler brings the Gilded Age to life with all of its wealth and extravagance. A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN: A NOVEL OF THE VANDERBILTS is a compelling portrait not only of Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont, but of the era. It was fascinating to read about the fashions, furnishings, foods, and customs of the time period. My only complaint is that the novel ends just as Alva is really getting involved in the suffragette movement.

"Society loved her when she was advancing its causes, then castigated her when she was advancing her own. Yet, were not the two ever entwined?"

This engrossing novel of the life of Alva Vanderbilt is an enchanting and surprising depiction of the trials and tribulations of an outlier, who did not conform to her role within one of the wealthiest families of the Guilded Age. Alva's talent and creativity was marked on each project she pursued, including the passage of the 19th amendment. I imagine her today as a blogger, and social media maven, unafraid of speaking her mind, gathering followers as well as internet trolls along the way. Ms. Fowler brings to life the streets of Manhattan, the shores of Newport and the gardens of England with great care and detail.

One of my favorite Vanderbilt books is "The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss & American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home" by Denise Kiernan. I was interested to read about so many parallels between Alva's background and that of George Vanderbuilt's wife Edith Dresser. Both daughter-in-laws I'm sure stirred things up on Madison Avenue with their forward vision and progressive opinions.

A Well-Behaved Woman is a fictional account of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont. Alva was facing dire poverty when she made a match with William Vanderbilt and never looked back. She became a matriarch of society, then an ardent feminist. Fowler captures the temerity, grit, tenacity, and ferociousness of Alva. The first part of the book was excellent. The second part dragged a bit, picking up momentum into the last part. Fowler also accurately depicts the pettiness, bitchiness, and pretension of NY society. Alva Vanderbilt lived on her own terms, but only because she had the money to do so.

This book fell very flat for me. I enjoyed the author’s previous book about Zelda Fitzgerald, but this effort felt quite forced. The characters across the board lacked depth for me and I did not learn anything about the individuals that I didn’t already know. The set up, Alma’s youth and engagement to William Vanderbilt, was overly long and the more interesting bits of her life (her charitable work and fight for sufferage) was not as prominent to the story as I hoped.

Whereas I had clearly heard about the Vanderbilts, I had no idea of their beginnings in society or the huge part Alva Vanderbilt played in their emergence into the highest ranks of society. This book follows the story of Alva and her inception into the Vanderbilt family and her drive to help them become accepted in different circles. I was also wholly unaware of the part she played in the beginnings of the suffrage movement in the United States and feel I have been dealt short shrift in the leaving out of this information in my historical studies. This book educated me in many ways but also amused me and caught my attention in a way that few books have before. I was continually curious to see how Alva would deal with certain situations and saw that she approached each situation with a breath of fresh air, issuing in a new era for women.

If you appreciate a wonderful historical fiction book written from a feminist point of view, this book could not come more highly recommended from me.

Alva Vanderbilt is a woman after my own heart.
Unapologetic. Strong. Stubborn. Smart.
Fowler brought Alva alive, as she did with Zelda. The retelling of Alva sometimes tragic, ultimately triumphant life came alive, and I couldn't put this book down.
Alva's very full life was neatly summarized in this book. The prose was clear, the descriptions satisfying, and the story utterly addicting. The fact that the general plot was true made it even more so.

An interesting read. I like the characterization of Alma as well as how the story is written. Therese Anne Fowler has a very good style of writing and I'll definitely be looking into getting more of her work.

REVIEW
The Gilded Age is an era that fascinates me, and Fowler brings this time period to life through the exploits of the Vanderbilts and their friends in A Well-Behaved Woman. If you enjoy historical fiction in which you get to escape into the lives of the wealthy, this will be a winner for you. It was for me.

AUTHOR
Therese Anne Fowler is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. Raised in the Midwest, she moved to North Carolina in 1995. She holds a BA in sociology/cultural anthropology and an MFA in creative writing from North Carolina State University.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

"A Well-Behaved Woman" is an extremely readable historical novel about the life of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, a grande dame of international society and later a significant participant in the women's suffrage movement.

What's good:

1.) The writing is, thankfully, strong. I've seen historical fiction where the actual prose is a slog one endures just for the mental engagement with the past. That's not the case here, where the writing is lively and drives the reader through the pages without resistance.

2.) The characterization. Our protagonist, Alva, is not a saint or a literary Mary Sue. While there is one exchange where I gritted my teeth a bit (our heroine's solution seems to come out of the blue and dazzle everyone), the rest of the book does show Alva for good and for ill.


What's iffier:

1.) There's a breakthrough moment for the heroine in the text that feels a bit rushed and ultimately inconclusive. I can't be more specific without giving spoilers, so I will just say while the majority of the plot works, there's an element that may feel a bit convenient.

2.) I enjoyed the characters but didn't love any of them, and that's what would take me to 5 stars.

An interesting and beautifully written historic novel with just enough romance for emotional impact.
Therese Anna Fowler has a magical way of weaving famous people and historical facts together to make all her characters come to life in a timeless and engrossing story of the life and times of socialite and social activist, Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont.
As with "Z", her novel about the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, this book is meticulously researched and highly recommended.

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
I did not particularly enjoy spending time with these people, but I recognize how important they were to read about. The protagonist is a very strong woman, but I didn't find her particularly likable, which is a disappointment. I've always admired Miss Vanderbilt's works for suffrage and I suppose I can only be so angry at her for being a product of her time and culture. But man,, reading about people this privileged and this entitled he'd up as feminist icons, even in the construct of White feminism, it just felt really tone deaf in 2018 . Read only as a history lesson

Absolutely lovely summer read!! I really enjoyed the historical accuracy and how it left me with enough information, but wanting to learn more!! Great job :)