I’m happy to recommend the second book I finished reading off my winter reading list:
A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts
After the civil war, Alva Smith and her family are left with nothing but their good reputation. During this same time, the Vanderbilts have made a fortune from shipping and railroads but are shut out of New York “society” despite their millions. So…a match is made between Alva and William Vanderbilt.
After their marriage, Alva successfully maneuvers society and finds her own passion for architecture. But as she learns, a place in society and all the money anyone could want (even more millions by this point) don’t equal happiness, and she must take more drastic measures…
“One of the reasons I was compelled to tell Alva’s story is to combat the way notable women in history are too often reduced to little more than sensationalized sound bites. Strong women — especially if they elect to lead lives outside of the domestic sphere — are often depected without appropriate context, are made to seem one-note, and are described with sexist labels…Alva is regularly framed this way, said to be motivated solely by a desire for the trappings of wealth alone with social prominence and power.”
I find “New York society” annoying and probably would have hated it (not that I would have been welcomed either ha!) but I thoroughly enjoyed this insight into Alva and the “Gilded Age.” I devoured this novel!
At the same time, I have been reading something completely different and will look forward to reporting on another book soon!
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