American Heiress

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I picked up The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin because I'm going through Downton Abbey withdrawal. I came late to that party and Netflix only has Season 1, which I've finished. Must find Season 2 somewhere before the third begins. I was longing for the over the topness of the Guilded Age and I found that here.

Good Reads' Synopsis: "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 Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals.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."

What I Thought: I found myself transported by Goodwin to the mansions of Newport, Rhode Island (which I've been to!) at the beginning of the story. While some of the characters were of course, lamentably money and title-grubbing, others evoked real empathy. Over time, I grew to care for Cora more and more and I liked her maid, Bertha, from the start. The servants are always most interesting. The story itself was somewhat predictable but that didn't bother me. The imagery is what really sells this one for me. If you're into the romanticism of that era, give this one a try! Relatively quick read for 400+ pages.

Rating: * * * 1/2