There exists a whole culture willing to spend time googling the lives of the rich and famous. Can their lives really be that much different than ours? the answer....yes and no. Laura Thompson gives readers short trip through the lives of several of the most famous heiresses in recent history. I'd read pieces and parts of the stories before this, but Thompson's tales will make you second guess the "everything is better with money" wishes of so many. These women had to make hard decisions and face consequences for their actions just like the rest of us, but on a different stage where everyone saw their flaws. While the stories will change very few minds on the value of more is better, it was certainly a welcome change from the dark stories I've been reading. My reading circle is ging to love sharing this one.

This sort of book is usually right up my alley, but I could not finish this one. It was a bit too dense and detailed for my liking, and there was absolutely no storytelling, just a rehashing of facts and research. While very admirable and it’s clear that a lot of work went into this, I simply could not be captivated long enough to finish this.

This was a fun, if a little dense, thematic biography. I think it would have been benefitted from being more concentrated - it felt a little sprawling at times which made it harder to follow.

Fantastic collective biography spanning a few hundred years of women who inherited and what they did with their wealth, which did not always result in love, fame or power, and in fact, was sometimes used to effect change and do good. Thompson has meticulously researched, and writes with kindness and detail about opulent lives that these "million dollar babies" did not always have control over. The filthy rich lifestyle is juxtaposed with commentary and broader discussion about feminism and civil rights, mental health, addition, abuse, and disordered eating,

"Heiresses," the 2022 novel, offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of wealth, secrets, and family dynamics. Set amidst high society, the story follows the lives of three remarkable heiresses as they navigate the complexities of their privileged existence. With well-developed characters, a thoughtfully woven plot, and vivid descriptions, "Heiresses" delves into themes of love, ambition, and the lengths individuals go to safeguard their legacies. This book strikes a delicate balance between glamour and substance, making it a compelling read that keeps readers engrossed from start to finish.

If there are no males in a family to inherit land and money; then the females are the ones to inherit. The first Heiresses mention was Mary Davis born in London in 1665, she owned over 1,000 acres in the heart of London. When her husband died she became fair game to males that wanted her money. This was an interesting history of some of the richest women in the world. It was quite sad as how in the early centuries the woman heiress was bartered to the highest bidder by the family, and some were abducted and forced to marry at a very young age..too young. The things people got away with in the 17th century makes your skin crawl. The “rules and laws” are much better at protecting fortunes these days but only if the heiress is willing to do the work to protect it and if her mental health is in a good place. Too many women feel as if they aren’t good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, etc and there are plenty of ruthless people that will take advantage of those feelings. I’m torn with this review. There was so much information and facts that spanned years and years that I felt like I was listening to a research paper by a college student, and at times was a tiny bit bored.

Thanks to Laura Thompson, to Macmillan Audio for publishing it and to NetGalley.

This was a difficult book to read, mostly because I don’t know a ton of 20th century socialite behavior aside from a couple novels I’ve read. It was depressing to read, how these women were born into what is seen as a “privileged” life, only to be met with constant unrealistic standards, overbearing mothers, and men that are just awful. I wish this had more light-hearted aspects to break up the loads of information given, maybe I would’ve enjoyed the book more that way. The information was interesting, but not what I was hoping for.

I loved the look into various Heiresses and their influence on the world that they lived in. I used this book for a couple episodes of the podcast that I run on lesser known pieces of history and bought a copy so I can continue to use it as a resource as Laura seems to have really done her research and gives an interesting point of view to these women.

An interesting look into the lives of heiresses. I learned that Gretna Green was basically a way for a man to talk an heiress into marrying him and getting that to happen before her guardians realized what was happening. Though the women (well, girls really) hoped to marry for love, more often than not, they had arranged marriages or these runaway marriages. Though I occasionally got confused with all the similar names, it’s still an interesting look into the history of rich women and marriage. Thompson even brings us into the 20th century because even then women aren’t happy usually in marriage when they aren’t sure if someone married them for their money.

Many have heard the phrase “The rich are different.” That certainly seems to be true for the heiresses profiled in this wide-ranging title.

The book opens in a very literary manner exploring fictional heiresses as well as those characters in novels who did not have money. Those cited appear in everything from the works of Jane Austen, to those of Agatha Christie, to those in movies like The Philadelphia Story, with many others as well. It is an engaging beginning to this title.

An understanding of what happened to heiresses historically is explored. For example, for many years, the law defined all property as the husband’s with the wife having little to no say in her own funds. Thus, the book opens with an heiress in the 1600s. It moves forward to talk about more recent heiresses including Patty Hearst.

This is a fascinating read whether one goes in order or dips in and out. Those who are interested in women’s lives, history and the life of an heiress should enjoy this non-fiction work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own

Really enjoyed this book. A little disjointed but the subject matter sucked me in. I've read a few books on most of the ladies in the book. I was pleasantly surprised to learn more new things.

It's so sad to read how women were battered by their family to make good connections. True love must have been a rarity.

Highly recommend.

This didn't engage me at the beginning and it felt fairly disorganized. I just didn't get that into it.

Heiresses is well-researched and written account of the lives of wealthy women though history, Thompson situates her book in the writings of 19th century women's authors, including Jane Austen. This establishes the premise that women do not own their lives or their fortunes.
Women owned nothing for centuries - not money or even the clothes on their backs.
With this understanding as ground work Thompson moves through history and famous heiresses - many of whom do not fare well despite wealth. A few do manage to thrive and she looks at how they were able to do so.

Some of the women:
Mary Davies had a vast real estate fortune. She was "bartered" away to a husband at the age of 12. She has no control over this at all.
Consuelo Vanderbilt was in a loveless marriage. No way out.
Barbara Hutton married 7 times and died flat broke.
Patty Hearst had all the money in the world and ended up kidnapped and suffering from stockholm syndrome (an heiress terrorist!)
Nancy Cunard lived off of her mothers vast fortune and became a leader in the early civil rights movement.

Not a book full of gossip, it is a book full of facts and the state of laws and women's rights.

Laura Thompson is the historian you want writing your biography when you die.

I enjoyed this book immensely! I thought the topic was fascinating, and Thompson's unique voice and perspective brought it to life. I liked the era she covered, and I would recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this book. This is not what I would describe as light reading. It was deeply interesting, but it mentioned so many people, many of whom had the same first or last name and had intermarried, that I had difficulty keeping them all straight. A lot of information is packed into this book, and the order seems to jump around - it does not flow chronologically. That said, this book demonstrates that a lot of moneyed women were exploited by sleazy men and left broke and alone. Some of the stories have a 'poor little rich girl' vibe while others scream "How could you be so stupid?"

The lives of heiresses, especially those that we English royalty, fascinates me to no end and with the advent of Downton Abbey more is being researched and written about these wealthy women and their lives. Living up to the adage that money can't buy happiness, most of the women in this book are the epitomy of that idiom. Whether due to draconian laws, neglectful parents, or straight up idiotic mistakes these women are fascinating and tragic. Thompson has done a fair bit of research into these women and what made them who they were, but the timeline covered is almost too expansive for the length of the book so it often felt like we were rushing from one heiress to the next and it got a bit confusing as to who was being talked about. While creating a narrative in non-fiction is good for readability, sometimes the chapter per person or time period approach is easier going for the reader. Overall, I enjoyed this book but would reccomend it to those who had read other books about heirresses first, it had several heiresses I have read about in other books and a few that I hadn't. Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the free e-book.

#Heiresses is about the lives of the rich, who-as F. Scott Fitzgerald said-are different. New York Times bestselling author # Laura Thompson writes a interesting and fascinating history of the life's. Often tragic and Often tragic and sometimes inspiring.....
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley and # St. Martin's Press

I found the book Heiresses by Laura Thompson to be a very interesting and entertaining book. I love learning about socialites in the past and their experiences and I found this book to hold many surprises for me. The young (sometimes very young ) ladies who were married into these families sometimes faced a life of hardships and sadness despite the glamor and riches in their lives. This was a great book that provided a glimpse into the past and into the lives of some of these families and their hidden agendas.

Great book about the lives of multiple Heiresses. Lots of details. Be prepared to have to actually sit down and think about the people in the stories that are explained.

If you're looking for real-life stories of scandal, secrets and family drama, look no further. This non-fiction look at heiresses through four different eras is filled with unbelievable tales of abductions, hedonism and activism over the years. It's interesting to see how even though they came from some of the most privileged families, for most, control of their lives was in the hands of others and they were used as pawns for power. This would make an amazing documentary series!