A fictionalized version of the amazing accomplishments of Hannah Elias, nee Bessie Davis, who becomes the first black millionaire. Born to a home with 12 children, her parents will provide her enough education that she will advance as a ladies maid until a poor decision places her in prison. Upon release, Bessie becomes Hannah and becomes an upscale prostitute. She quickly learns the ins and outs of investment from her wealthy customers and becomes the woman she planned and schemed to become. Her investments in stocks and real estate would make her the first black millionaire. After reading this book, I reasearched Mrs Elias. Her life story is pretty amazing.

Completing the 5-book series about the “invisible women of color who seems to have been erased from history” is the story you Bessie Davis who was born in 1865. Raped as a child and imprisoned for theft she becomes one of the wealthiest madams in New York City. Her skin is light-colored so her fancy mansion on 5th Avenue and her money are never question. She gained most of her wealth by shrewd real estate deals. Its not until her elderly lover accuses her of conning him out of money that her disguise is shattered. Although acquitted in the trial, she disappears to London and her fate is unknown. While the story seemed to bog down in the first half, it was necessary to included.

The Great Mrs. Elias, by Barbara Chase-Riboud, is a masterpiece, and deserves a prominent and revered place in the genres of historical fiction, women's fiction, and African American fiction. She tells the story of Hannah Elias, whose early life is punctuated by betrayal, abuse, poverty, and prison. Yet, she managed to accumulate enormous wealth by means of her own intelligence and industry. Like so many men whose wealth was similarly derived, she industrialized sex work. When attacked by the most powerful forces of New York City, Hannah managed to survive and thrive.

Chase-Riboud takes the bare facts of old newspaper stories, and sculpts a nuanced, multidimensional character that triumphs over the combined burdens of poverty, gender, and racism. Her writing is spare but vivid and brings to life the Gilded Age of New York.

I should mention that Chase-Riboud is herself iconic. To the best of my knowledge, she was the first writer to bring Sally Hemings to life. Much of what she wrote as a novel was verified as true. Her poetry is published in several languages. She is a renowned artist whose work is in museums and galleries all over the world. We should all know her contributions to our culture and our understanding of history and the human condition.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad Publishing for allowing me to read a digital ARC. It was a privilege.

The Great Mrs. Elias is a biographical novel of Hannah Elias. Hannah Elias was one of the richest black women in America in the early twentieth century. Because of her light tan skin, she could pose as a Cuban. However, the truth of her past comes to light when she becomes embroiled in a murder. Hannah could lose everything that she had worked so hard to gain.

Hannah Elias is a tragic character. Her life was hard from the start. Her real name was Bessie Davis, and she came from poverty. When she was ten years old, her father used her to increase his monetary interests. Later her family abandoned her, and she was forced to find work in a brothel. Bessie Davis yearned to rise out of poverty and make a better life for herself. She decided to move to New York City. She changed her name to Hannah Elias and hid her black identity. She was ambitious and clever. She was also a shrewd businesswoman. Thus, Hannah Elias is a fascinating character, and I could not stop reading to find out what happened to her at the end.

Overall, this novel illuminates the life of a truly forgotten and scandalous woman. The novel is very well-written with realistic characters. One of the best features is the setting of New York City. The author did an excellent job in showing both the grittiness of the poor sections of the city and the lavish lifestyle of the city’s elite. The Great Mrs. Elias reads like a thriller because it begins with a murder and tells the story of a woman is on the verge of losing everything she had worked so hard to build for decades. Therefore, this was a compelling novel that I quickly devoured in one sitting because Hannah’s fate captivated me from the first page. Thus, The Great Mrs. Elias is a must-read for fans of true crime and anyone interested in learning about prominent but largely forgotten black women in the United States. I recommend this novel for fans of On Black Sisters Street, Passing, and Ruby!

3.5⭐️ rounded up

This was a great mixture of history, fiction, and mystery!

This book opens with a murder - a rich white man, Andrew H. Green, the Father of Greater New York is shot in broad daylight by a Black man. We are left to figure out a) why did this man kill Green & b) who was this woman that our killer was deeply in love with.

We then meet our main character, Hannah Elias, and find out why our murderer was shouting her name, Bessie to the police. We are then rushed back to the formative years of Hannah when she was known as Bessie Davis and follow her through many experiences - jail, prostitution, childbirth, familial issues, and sexual assault - that have shaped who she currently is. I also really enjoyed some of the historical information related to the development of New York City in the early 1900s.

My only issue was A LOT was packed into this story and while I understand that her backstory is relevant to the current day murder mystery, I found myself checking out on certain parts just because of the length of the novel. Overall, this was a very informative read that will ultimately lead me to google everything and anything I can find out about The Great Mrs. Elias. Definitely pick this one up if you love history and mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley, Barbara Chase - Riboud, and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It is often said that life is stranger than fiction – in this case that extraordinary life becomes fiction. The Great Mrs. Elias, is a fiction novel based on real life events and people set in the dynamic early 1900’s of New York City. The story revolves around a black woman that went from absolute poverty to unfathomable riches but found herself in the center of a huge murder inquiry that shook the upper echelons of New York City and captured the masses imaginations. We follow Hannah Elias’ progression from the poorest areas of Philadelphia to her mansion on the Upper West Side with a view of Central Park. Elias weaves her way through the highest of society and into a scandal that resulted in the murder of the “father of New York City.” Now I don’t want to take away from Mrs. Elias’ story, on its own it is one of resilience, determination and intelligence. However, often her story got lost or was overshadowed by 1903-1904 New York City, to the point I sometimes thought that was the focus of the novel. The entire novel is a tribute to exhaustive research into turn of the century New York. So many historical relevant people and their many achievements brought the excitement and vibrancy of that time alive. I had to constantly restrain myself from running down the many rabbit trails the story incorporated throughout the book.

I often say an indication of great historical fiction is if it makes the reader want to learn more about the subject or event being discussed. So based on that one characteristic you would conclude that this is a great piece of historical fiction. However, there are other characteristics that are at play regarding historical fiction, and I felt these areas did not work as well in this novel. It is always a fine line when depicting historical figures in a fictionalized manner. When a relationship, action or event was fictionalized, well it was jarring and would catch my attention. Even the main character played very two dimensional, not fully fleshed out and her actions/verbalizations/thoughts at times were confusing. Creating a story that flows and moves forward is expected when reading fiction. Remember those rabbit trails I spoke of earlier, well often the author went down those rabbit trails interrupting the overall flow and pacing of the story. Granted these trails were very interesting but I felt they detracted from primary story being told.


Summary:
Overall, I walked away wondering if the fictionalization of the story has hindered the impact of this story of murder and the woman in the center of it all. Instead, I think a non-fiction book based on the story of Hannah Elias could have been a strong commentary on the many social injustices, inequalities and prejudices of that time while maintaining the draw to the story. Perhaps a non-fiction book based around the murder and subsequent trial, which could have included Hannah’s story would have been both intriguing and impactful. The story and people are fascinating, and anyone interested in this time period and New York City will find plenty to enjoy and learn in this book.

From the same author who gave us wondrously, imagined stories about popular women in history whose voices are lost or were silenced due to their unfortunate circumstances: Sarah Baartman, Sally Hemmings, and Aimée du Buc de Rivéry. Her latest focuses on Hannah Elias, America’s richest Black woman in the early twentieth century. For me, this was very informative, as I’d never heard of her and after reading her story, I realize why. Her wealth was acquired by “using what she had to get what she wanted” - so to celebrate a (black) woman (who could pass as Cuban or white) who leveraged prostitution to reinvent herself, attain wealth and status to the level that exceeded many a white man - is not necessarily the blueprint that history wants to promote or publicize. A crazed admirer sets off a series of events that exposes her vast real estate portfolio and fortune. In an era where women and Negroes “had a place,” she had clearly overstepped. “The Establishment” was determined to put her in her place and teach her a lesson. Jealousy and envy reigned; and as a result, she was scandalized, villainized, and arrested. The details surrounding the trial and its outcome are what kept me turning pages.

Unfortunately, I found the novel quite repetitive and overburdened with extraneous details that reflect the author’s extensive research into historical real estate and banking transactions. These tidbits bogged down the story to the point I found myself skimming over those sections. It had been established early on in multiple segments how she was a naturally astute businesswoman, and it was equally burdensome to reiterate the same techniques by which she amassed her wealth. There were also a LOT of characters to keep up with – again, the research was stellar, but factoring in the names of so many characters wasn’t necessary, in my opinion. The entire second act of the novel was tedious to plod through, but the third act/conclusion was worth the wait.

Overall, I enjoyed the tale and learned a lot about the history of New York (including the corruption, greed that fueled expansion and industry), and the many lovers and life of Bessie Davis/Hannah Elias. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

Fantastically researched and written book about Hannah Elias, one of the richest Black women in America. From the poorhouse to a mansion by the park....Mrs. Elias did what she needed to do to survive, not all of it she was proud of. Passing as a white woman, she invests her alimony into the stock market with the help of two white business men and as the funds start rolling in, Mrs Elias hides in an over 100 accounts.

She buys herself a mansion and decorates it like her idol, Cleopatra....until the police come knocking., after her lover is killed by an ex. Soon her identity is uncovered and the truth start coming out.....

This story is beyond interesting. I've already preordered a copy of this book for my mother because this is the kind of early American story that was never taught but should be. It's the power of the American woman!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Grippingly real, with true to life historical references, peppered with figures familiar and bigger than life. Hannah started life with little to look forward to, until her quick mind and sharp insight offered her a way out of brothel life and into her own private life in one of those most spectacular houses in New York. More than a Madam she runs her business similar to the model of the titans that frequent her house. When one of her patrons is murdered on his front steps all signs point to Hannah as the reason for the attack, and a man from a past she thought long forgotten upends a life she had so carefully planned.

This is my first Barbara Chase-Riboud book. She has introduced me to history I had not known.
Hannah Elias was a black woman who amassed great wealth. She was born poor, abused, used, sent to prison and abandoned by her family. She went from a prostitute to a rich woman living amongst those in high society.
Andrew Green was shot and killed because he resembled her lover. Because of this, the DA manipulates a case against her for bribery. Her main offense is being black. She never said she was white.
The story is fictionalized but gives interesting facts about the time. I was fascinated by the life she led. I found the story of the subway system interesting.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

The Great Mrs Hannah Elias lived the most opulent life turn of the century Manhattan ever knew, but
the scions of the city living in neighboring mansions and making fortunes alongside her in real estate and banking had no idea she was also known as Bessie Davis, a slum girl born the day the Civil War ended, sixth of 11 children in a bi-racial family in Philadelphia's Seventh Ward.

Barbara Chase-Riboud is an incredibly talented writer, artist, and researcher. I like how she weaves facts and tidbits about celebrities, from Al Jolson to Henri de Rothschild, and the etymology of words like "cocktail" and "hobo" into her sparkly descriptions of the upper West Side. But I think I would have liked the whole book better if I'd been made aware that this character was based on a real life person, something I didn't realize until the afterward! There were some rather unbelievable circumstances, like a lawyer successfully cracking a safe, the prison break out, and the Japanese servant speaking to a doctor in Mandarin, but all of that pales in comparison to the very greatness of Mrs Elias, and author Chase-Riboud's pointy points like this:

Calumny? Wasn't that the crime made against every woman of color in the United States?

"The author of the award-winning Sally Hemings now brings to life Hannah Elias, one of the richest black women in America in the early 1900s, in this mesmerizing novel swirling with atmosphere and steeped in history.

A murder and a case of mistaken identity brings the police to Hannah Elias’ glitzy, five-story, twenty-room mansion on Central Park West. This is the beginning of an odyssey that moves back and forth in time and reveals the dangerous secrets of a mysterious woman, the fortune she built, and her precipitous fall.

Born in Philadelphia in the late 1800s, Hannah Elias has done things she’s not proud of to survive. Shedding her past, Hannah slips on a new identity before relocating to New York City to become as rich as a robber baron. Hannah quietly invests in the stock market, growing her fortune with the help of businessmen. As the money pours in, Hannah hides her millions across 29 banks. Finally attaining the life she’s always dreamed, she buys a mansion on the Upper West Side and decorates it in gold and first-rate décor, inspired by her idol Cleopatra.

The unsolved murder turns Hannah’s world upside-down and threatens to destroy everything she’s built. When the truth of her identity is uncovered, thousands of protestors gather in front of her stately home. Hounded by the salacious press, the very private Mrs. Elias finds herself alone, ensnared in a scandalous trial, and accused of stealing her fortune from whites.

Packed with glamour, suspense, and drama, populated with real-life luminaries from the period, The Great Mrs. Elias brings a fascinating woman and the age she embodied to glorious, tragic life."

Murder AND mistaken identity? Yes please! Also, can you imagine what a five-story twenty-five room mansion on Central Park West cost then AND now!?!

This is based on a true story that is fictionalized about Hannah Elias, her life and her rags to riches rise. Very interesting and I enjoyed the authors style of writing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for a review.

The book is about a rags to riches black female, Hannah Elias, in the early 1900s.
The book starts with a murder of mistaken identity., in NYC in front of Hannah s mansion. she becomes caught up in the investigation. A glorious, suspenseful, trial ensues where she’s is charged with stealing fortunes from white men, especially one old man for his love.

But, before the above, she was named Bessie brought up poor. Her father who was a horse trainer brought her to work in place of her twin brother and was caught and rapped. She has a record of jail. She reads books about cleopatra who becomes her idle.

She moves to NYC changes her name and identity, thus Hannah. She becomes a whore, but learns to build a financial empire from men and buys real estate which make her rich.

There are many men and lawyers who have interaction and love for Hannah. The author spent allot of time describing the history of the early 1900s.. She wrote about the suffrage of black women,. as well as the wealthy men. It was different reading it from the perspective of a black woman who eventually disappears.

A difficult youth brings Hannah Elias to New York with little more than the clothes on her back, and we tale of coming into herself is quite exciting and empowering. This strong female character is bright, and some might say morally sound regardless of her occupation as a brothel madam. The character development leaves a little to be desired, but ultimately this is a great historical fiction.

This book is a fascinating glimpse into an historical character that I had not previously heard of. Set during a time period we often hear about, but only from the perspectives of the rich patriarchal captains of industry and robber barons that were running it (and profiting from it), it was a refreshing change of pace to see a story featuring a black woman from a poor family as the heroine.

The inciting incident of this book is a murder that happens right next to Mrs. Elias, killing the man she was with, who is not actually the intended mark of the shooter. Immediately, Mrs. Hannah Elias begins to plot how she will escape the scrutiny that the murder investigation will bring with it as we learn that she is not who she has presented herself to be, or at least, no one really knows how she got here. From there, we begin to learn the heroine's entire story...

Largely, I enjoyed this book. Hannah is a fascinating character and her story is interesting enough to be the central point of this book. My only critique would be that the way that she was presented, at the beginning at least, she was a sympathetic underdog, but she wasn't very likable, especially by the end. In a story centering on themes about the power a black woman holds in society, I did find it ironic and a little disappointing that I was not rooting for her.

The Great Mrs. Elias
Barbara Chase-Riboud
Release date: 08 Feb 2022

Synopsis:
"A murder and a case of mistaken identity brings the police to Hannah Elias’ glitzy, five-story, twenty-room mansion on Central Park West. This is the beginning of an odyssey that moves back and forth in time and reveals the dangerous secrets of a mysterious woman, the fortune she built, and her precipitous fall.

Born in Philadelphia in the [mid] 1800s, Hannah Elias has done things she’s not proud of to survive. Shedding her past, Hannah slips on a new identity before relocating to New York City to become as rich as a robber baron. Hannah quietly invests in the stock market, growing her fortune with the help of businessmen. As the money pours in, Hannah hides her millions across 29 banks. Finally attaining the life she’s always dreamed, she buys a mansion on the Upper West Side and decorates it in gold and first-rate décor, inspired by her idol Cleopatra.

The unsolved murder turns Hannah’s world upside-down and threatens to destroy everything she’s built. When the truth of her identity is uncovered, thousands of protestors gather in front of her stately home. Hounded by the salacious press, the very private Mrs. Elias finds herself alone, ensnared in a scandalous trial, and accused of stealing her fortune from whites.

Packed with glamour, suspense, and drama, populated with real-life luminaries from the period, The Great Mrs. Elias brings a fascinating woman and the age she embodied to glorious, tragic life."

Review:
What happened to Hannah Elias? She disappeared and is still a mystery! According to Wikipedia, not much is written about Hannah other than she "was an American sex worker and landlord who became one of the richest Black women in the world during her lifetime." The author did a wonderful job in describing Elias's life in great detail. Hannah had to do what she did in order to survive in New York City society, a society dominated by powerful white men.

Great read - highly recommend. Please add to your TBR list!

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I was given an advanced copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for my fair review. And since it is an advanced copy for a book not scheduled to be published until February, it has not completed all its edits which could go a long way in making this an excellent book. It is a fascinating look at a woman who created great wealth for herself at a time and in a manner that was uncommon. The fact that she was a black woman made it even more extraordinary.

It is interesting that this book and the Personal Librarian would cover two unknown black women at same time period and near the same New York social tiers. In both cases, the authors do a fantastic job of creating an inner world for two women who were very private and of whom little is really known. In the case of Mrs. Elias, there is perhaps more known due to the murder and scandal but still a lot of mystery.

The book introduces the reader to the turn-of-the-century, the many new inventions and the people who populated New York at the time. It also offers a glimpse into the upper echelons of the sex world, giving more humanity to this world than many books normally give. Unfortunately, the author strays from her story of Mrs. Elias at times to share historic facts that seem unnecessary and a tangent. In one case, she deliberately places a historic person as a key character in Mrs. Elias life, when the two actually never met. It feels like she is trying to make sure we learn about this figure so imposes him into the story.

I will be honest in saying that I did not read this book cover to cover and found myself skimming sections. I also have not read any of Ms Chase-Riboud's other books but do applaud her for bringing these unknown and historic figures to life. For people who enjoy history with a touch of fiction and want to understand the turn-of-century better, this can be an enjoyable book for them.

The Great Mrs. Elias brings to life a fascinating figure of Hannah Elias, one of the richest black women in America in early 1900s.

NYC, 1903. A bullet meant for Hannah Elias takes a life of Andrew H. Green – known as the Father of Greater New York. His murder makes the headlines across the newspapers and Hannah worries that her previous name and life will be revealed as it’s being connected to the murder of Andrew H. Green. Hannah is also worried about a third man.

Philadelphia, 1876. The story goes back in time and reveals who Hannah Elias truly is and what shaped her life. Bessie Davis at eleven helps her mother and takes care of her younger siblings. Her mother taught all her children manners early so that they could find jobs in the mansions. Bessie, after attending a school to learn more skills, gets hired as a downstairs maid. She spends her long commutes on reading books. Her favorite inspiration is Cleopatra and with her imagination inflamed, her well-done duties as a maid promote her to ladies’ maid. She takes a special care with her mistresses’ wardrobe as she has a weakness for beautiful clothes. One such beautiful dress gets her in trouble.

After her prison time, she doesn’t have much choice as no one wants to hire someone with jail record. Thus, she joins a certain “sisterhood”. One of her clients is a banker and she learns how to invest her money. She is smart with her money, but then the Panic of 1893 happens and much more.

Bessie’s life’s struggles are vividly portrayed, how life’s events shaped her. She went through some tough experiences that would break down many, but not Bessie. Extremely strong woman, who learned things quickly, including police corruption and blackmail and because of her skin color she was a target for some to bring her down.

The time period is vividly presented from rough neighborhoods of NYC to the most expensive ones, including the most famous restaurant of Delmonico’s which was the first public dining room in the US. “It had laid the foundation for the entire American restaurant industry.”

The novel is skillfully woven, connecting the past with the present, her climb to success and then an effort of some to bring her down. It is presented with a crisp prose, caring the story constantly forward with an engaging protagonist. It’s plotted with such skill that you constantly feel something clouding over the heroine and want to find out how her story ends.

Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com

One afternoon, Andrew Green is traveling home from his office in early 1900s New York when he is confronted by a black man who accuses Green of stealing his woman away from him. After denying he did any such thing, the black man, Cornelius, shoots Green - emptying the gun he had intended to save the last shot in order to kill himself afterwards. As he is about to take his last breath, Green tells police he didn’t know a woman named Bessie Davis. Journalists and police soon discover the person named and converge on her home on the Upper West Side home of Mrs. Hannah Elias.

Building a financial empire as a whore and real estate buyer, Hannah has reinvented herself since her early years as the poor daughter of a Philadelphia horse trainer. Take with her father at the age of 11 to be disguised as her twin David, her identity is discovered and she is raped. This begins the internal conflict Bessie/Hannah has throughout her life. Soon, she learned about Cleopatra and how she lived as one with power and one who had men fighting over her. She was determined to take the power that Cleopatra carried and demand it in her own life. We experience the loves and lusts of her life, while seeing her build her own empire.

This is based on the true life of Hannah Elias. It shows the rise and fall of her life of notoriety as one of New York’s calculating businesswomen who built their fortune on the things men would say after sleeping with her and how she turned their “business talk” into a real estate empire. It tells of how the acts of a crazed man tore down what she had carefully built and how she was seen as an embezzler who took advantage of an older man’s love for her.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#netgalley #arc #thegreatmrselias #barbarachaseriboud