American Duchess

A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt

By: Karen Harper

Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon

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.

Not a believable portrait of a real person

I started off liking it but then realized it was the narration that was good and not so much the storytelling. It was initially a nice attempt to bring Consuelo Vanderbilt to life based off her writings and facts and some creative license here and there but ultimately it fell completely flat when the image put forth of Consuelo was entirely flat, grade school level character development in that she was perfect and pure, wholesome and Saintly, devoid of all flaws or nuance and humanity. She’s depicted like a Mother Theresa in her wishes to do good and her disdain for the class distinctions yet she so obviously perpetuated it in her life for even when she could marry for her own choice she didn’t choose an ordinary Joe but a haughty Frenchman. She obviously had nannies who cared for her children who she left, she didn’t even know her newborn son was sickly as others were doing the caring while she lounged around recovering. Its not convincing to then have her painted as a perfect human when she simply wasn’t. The part where her own friend was seducing and having an affair with her husband was brushed over. Many things were portrayed just sterile and blasé, lacking any feeling or lifeblood—like they were robots. It was a different era but humans have humanity and emotion no matter what age or class they’re in. The author didn’t seem to think about that. In all I was asking myself why I was bothering listening to this mindless drivel. I skipped through the last several chapters. The holier than thou little miss perfect hokeyness is just ridiculous and tiresome.

Loved

Loved the story and the narration for this book. Story was very well told. Definitely a wonderful listen!

I quite enjoyed it.

Karen Harper and Marie Benedict are fast becoming my two favorite writers of historical fiction. This story of Consuelo Vanderbilt, one of the Dollar Dutchesses, and her forced marriage to the Duke of Marlborough had been the stuff of gossip for over 100 years, it's always nice to get a new perspective.

Very well narrated.

I found myself driving in my car with no destination just so I could listen to this audio.

The dawning of a Dollar Princess ~

When every advantage of wealth and privilege is at your disposal but your Mother determines the course of your Life for further wealth and privilege in order to gain Title for Familial credibility. Then All the Money in the World cannot quell the terror of being Married to a Man you cant stand and endure out of Duty until you cannot bear it anymore. The price paid for Title and risks taken to be free of it. Enjoyed the History and the Reality of being a Vanderbilt.