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The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach
Houghton Mifflin
December 2008
On Sale: December 3, 2008
336 pages
ISBN: 0618893733
EAN: 9780618893737
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction Biography
A riveting look behind the gates of the house
of Astor as
a famous family falls apart in public
The fate of
Brooke Astor, the endearing philanthropist with the
storied
name, has generated worldwide headlines since her
grandson
Philip sued his father in 2006, alleging
mistreatment of Brooke. And
shortly after her death in
2007, Anthony Marshall, Mrs. Astor's only
child, was
indicted on charges of looting her estate. Rarely has
there
been a story with such an appealing heroine,
conjuring up a world so
nearly forgotten: a realm of
lavish wealth and secrets of the sort that
have engaged
Americans from the era of Edith Wharton to the
more
recent days of Truman Capote and Vanity
Fair.
New York journalist Meryl Gordon has
interviewed not only the
elite of Brooke Astor's social
circle but also the large staff who cosseted
and cared
for Mrs. Astor during her declining years. The result is
the
behind-the-headlines story of the Astor empire's
unraveling, filled with
never-before-reported scenes.
This powerful, poignant saga takes the
reader inside the
gilded gates of an American dynasty to tell of
three
generations' worth of longing and missed
opportunities. Even in this
territory of privilege, no
riches can put things right once they've been
torn
asunder. Here is an American epic of the bonds of money,
morality,
and social position.
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