Consuelo Vanderbilt was born into a life a privilege - a vast inheritance,
beauty, and a magnetic personality. But when her overbearing mother
sets her sights on an English title to bring prestige to the Vanderbilt
family, Consuelo feels trapped. Forced to marry the 9th Duke of
Marlborough, Consuelo moves to England and into the extravagant
Blenheim palace. Marriage to the duke is less than ideal, but they do
have two sons. Consuelo spends much of her time among England's
aristocracy, including the Prince of Wales and his wife, and the duke's
cousin, Winston Churchill.
As her marriage dissolves, Consuelo decides to leave Blenheim,
throwing herself into charitable efforts and continuing to entertain the
upper crust of European society. It's not until she falls in love with a
French colonel and pilot, Jacques Balsan, that she wants to push her
powerful husband for a divorce...
Taking place from the Gilded Age and through the World Wars,
AMERICAN DUCHESS by Karen
Harper is an in-depth look into the life of a vivacious and clever woman.
Even with immense wealth, Consuelo is trapped by not being able to do
much with it, especially during her disastrous first marriage. Her
relationship with her mother begins strained but eventually evolves into
a thoughtful and important part of Consuelo's adulthood. Consuelo's
philanthropy is admirable but juxtaposed to her ability to buy or build
new homes seemingly on a whim was an interesting lifestyle to read
about. Her longing for privacy and a sense of normalcy was at times
like reading about the current royal family, and it was easy to empathize
with her frustrations while she was going through difficult times in the
public eye. A well researched novel, AMERICAN DUCHESS will please any historical
fiction fans.
Before there was Meghan Markle, there was Consuelo
Vanderbilt, the original American Duchess.
Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “The
Wedding of the Century” to the Duke of Marlborough, and her
quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold.”
On a cold November day in 1895, a carriage approaches St
Thomas Episcopal Church on New York City’s Fifth Avenue.
Massive crowds surge forward, awaiting their glimpse of
heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. Just 18, the beautiful bride
has not only arrived late, but in tears, yet her marriage to
the aloof Duke of Marlborough proceeds. Bullied into the
wedding by her indomitable mother, Alva, Consuelo loves
another. But a deal was made, trading some of the vast
Vanderbilt wealth for a title and prestige, and Consuelo,
bred to obey, realizes she must make the best of things.
At Blenheim Palace, Consuelo is confronted with an
overwhelming list of duties, including producing an “heir
and a spare,” but her relationship with the duke quickly
disintegrates. Consuelo finds an inner strength, charming
everyone from debutantes to diplomats including Winston
Churchill, as she fights for women’s suffrage. And when she
takes a scandalous leap, can she hope to attain love at last…?
From the dawning of the opulent Gilded Age, to the battles
of the Second World War, American Duchess is a
riveting tale of one woman’s quest to attain independence—at
any price.
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