AMERICAN DUCHESS tells the fictional story of Consuelo
Vanderbilt. In 1895 Consuelo wed the Duke of Marlborough.
This was not a love match; she was already in love with
another man. She only went to the altar after being bullied
relentlessly by her mother, Alva. The marriage was a
business deal— the Vanderbilt money for a title and
the prestige that comes with the title. And, it could have
all ended there. She could have stayed subdued like many
other women in her class. However, Consuelo finds her inner
strength, fights for the things she believes in and perhaps
she will even find true love?
Consuelo Vanderbilt like her mother Alva, is a very colorful
woman. At the beginning of the book she isvery subdued.
She's just a girl, forced into a marriage she doesn't
want. Married to a man that is just interested in her money.
But, she grows, finds the courage and in the end, she is
unstoppable. She also decided to follow her heart. Karen
Harper has woven together a truly fascinating tale about a
woman that dared to rebel against society's rules. The
writing is superb and I found myself engrossed in the story.
I had previously read THE ROYAL
NANNY by Karen Harper and I'm glad to say that this
book was just as good as that one.
AMERICAN DUCHESS is well researched, well written and
definitely, a must read if you love historical fiction!
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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