From the author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald; I was super excited to read this when I heard about it…and it did not disappoint.
This is the story of Alva Vanderbilt who went on to become an important person in the suffragette movement.
For those are fans of Downtown Abby; this one’s for you.

I love literary and historical fiction and this novel is both and does not disappoint. Based on true events and set in the Gilded-Age of New York City, Alva Smith is looking for a rich husband and she finds him in William K. Vanderbilt. Life changes dramatically for the ambitious Mrs. Vanderbilt but it’s a hard fought acceptance. Feisty Alva takes on the snobby New York elite one project at a time.

I wish I had read this book sooner when I was learning about women’s suffrage in high school classrooms, and never had the opportunity to not only hear the names of incredible women like Alva Smith, but learn their stories. It is a shame that we don’t hear of her and so many others like her, this book should be required reading for all students in order to understand why the fight for women’s rights is not only a noble cause but an essential one. So impressed with Therese Anne Fowler’s writing and storytelling, will definitely watch out for more of her work!

I got this book because I really loved the one Therese wrote about Zelda Fitzgerald. Though I was amused by parts of this book, I found myself more annoyed with it. I was hoping for more of a story and for Alva to be more exciting but she was just okay. There were moments for her to tap into this exciting woman but those moments ended up being boring and dull.

This is a quick and generally enjoyable read that falls flat in several key areas.

An advanced copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In her afterword, Therese Anne Fowler makes a wonderful point: that powerful/influential women, especially those who live “unconventional” lives, tend to be remembered negatively. Alva Vanderbilt is commonly remembered as a gold-digging, social-ladder-climbing floozy. Yet (as is almost always the case) there is more to her than that. The image we have of Alva is passed along largely through the memories of men and society matrons she offended. Little about her life has been put into context.

Fowler’s book seeks to put Alva’s life in a more contextual (and sympathetic) frame. Here we see Alva not as a mere social climber, but also as a woman with limited options in 19th century society to ensure the wellbeing of herself and her family. She is not a shrill hysteric, but an intelligent woman with little outlet for her talents.

I love seeing history from the other direction. While you can certainly argue that Alva, as the wife of one of the richest men in the world at the time, was by no means living in hardship, it is shocking just how restricted the lives of society women were around the turn of the 20h century.

Fans of history and historical fiction will certainly find Fowler’s story engaging.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4.5. A remarkable read. While reading “The Fortune Hunters,” a non-fiction account of American society matrons and heiresses of The Gilded Age, it was difficult to keep all the names straight. This novel, while fictional, takes those famous names and makes them flesh and blood. I’d always pictured Alva Vanderbilt as a mean-spirited bully, particularly in regards to her daughter. Fowler paints a more agreeable (and hopefully realistic?) portrait of Alva and what motivates her. I found this a much smoother read than “Z.” Captivating!