Book Review - The American Heiress
The American Heiress (print), Daisy Goodwin
How did this book get my attention?
This one had been on my shelf for ages. I originally had been turned off by violence in the first scene when I purchased it ages ago. Lately, I haven’t read as much historical fiction as I generally do so when I saw the beautiful cover on my bookshelf, I knew it was time to try again.
Blurb it:
“A rich young naive American heiress attempts to find an English duke to marry. But the expectations of her overbearing mother are nothing compared to that of the poor but prideful aristocracy who will take any opportunity to pull her down from her newly purchased pedestal.”
Genre:
Historical fiction, women’s fiction
High points:
Historical detail / world building: From the richness of the plush carpet in New Port, Rhode Island to the drafty chill of the old English manor, the author painted a picture that I was fully immersed in while reading this book.
Bertha: As the maid of the main female character Cora Cash, Bertha might be relegated to “supporting cast” role. However, I felt her story mirrored the main character’s (going from the comfort of the known to the discomfort of the new) in ways that felt more accessible. She was a little less naive and a lot less spoiled than the main character.
Situational realism: I’ve never been a rich young heiress married to an English Duke but I have lived through situations where I’ve felt like my actions would always be judged as incorrect, in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” sense.
You will like this book if:
You are still pining for Downton Abbey (DA). It’s set in the generation before DA is set. In fact, it could almost be the prequel as Cora Crawley in DA was a rich American heiress herself. I can almost hear the dramatic string/ piano theme now…1
You are into books which revolve around societal propriety, manners, English house parties, and you have a firm grasp of the ranking of the English aristocracy.
Bonus Content:
I’ve always thought it would be cool/ fancy to have my portrait painted but, as Cora’s story describes it, I became aware that it is more about what the artist wants (or is being influenced) to see rather than the actual personhood of the sitter.
Pro tip:
Don’t go into this book thinking it’s a romance. I did and though I eventually realized that wasn’t what I was reading, the expectations you carry into a book matter as I explain over here.
Trigger Warning:
Check them out on Storygraph here.
As I listen to most of my historical fiction, I generally glaze over dates, but, as a rule, I prefer my historical fiction to be set before bicycles (ie., machine operated transport) are invented. This book actually mentions learning how to ride a bicycle so this it’s a little later than my preferred time periods.
What era of historical fiction is your preferred time period?
I’m actually listening as I type this. Check it out.