Book Review of
The American Heiress
Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.
Witty, moving, and brilliantly entertaining, Cora’s story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James.
“For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn’t always buy them happiness.” –Daisy Goodwin in The Daily Mail
Lynn's Review
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin is about the Gilded Age when it was common for wealthy young women to marry English Dukes and Lords. This is a great book for fans of Downton Abbey.
This book is based on real events and places, but not real people. The people are fictional, but many daughters of American wealth married into English families in order to get a title. The American family got a title and the English Duke or Lord got much-needed money to keep his estate running.
I enjoyed this book but could have done without the PG-13 content in it. I also found the main characters hard to like. I get that many of their choices were made by their families, but much of their behavior was unnecessary and unlikeable. That being said if you like Downton Abbey and don’t mind PG-13 content, you will probably enjoy this one.