The Unfit Heiress

The Tragic Life and Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt

By: Audrey Clare Farley

Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan

For readers of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Phantom of Fifth Avenue, a page-turning drama of fortunes, eugenics and women's reproductive rights framed by the sordid court battle between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her socialite mother.

At the turn of the twentieth century, American women began to reject Victorian propriety in favor of passion and livelihood outside the home. This alarmed authorities, who feared certain "over-sexed" women could destroy civilization if allowed to reproduce and pass on their defects. Set against this backdrop, The Unfit Heiress chronicles the fight for inheritance, both genetic and monetary, between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her mother Maryon.

In 1934, aided by a California eugenics law, the socialite Maryon Cooper Hewitt had her "promiscuous" daughter declared feebleminded and sterilized without her knowledge. She did this to deprive Ann of millions of dollars from her father's estate, which contained a child-bearing stipulation. When a sensational court case ensued, the American public was captivated. So were eugenicists, who saw an opportunity to restrict reproductive rights in America for decades to come.

This riveting story unfolds through the brilliant research of Audrey Clare Farley, who captures the interior lives of these women on the pages and poses questions that remain relevant today: What does it mean to be "unfit" for motherhood? In the battle for reproductive rights, can we forgive the women who side against us? And can we forgive our mothers if they are the ones who inflict the deepest wounds?

Critic reviews

“Shocking. . . a disturbing yet thought-provoking tale of family strife and ethically unsound medical practice.”—Kirkus Reviews

“THE UNFIT HEIRESS is a sensational story told with nuance and humanity with clear reverberations to the present. Historian Audrey Clare Farley's writing jumps off the page, as Ann Cooper Hewitt, once a one-dimensional tabloid fixation, is brought into full relief as a complicated victim of her time, standing in the crosshairs of the growing eugenics movement and the emergence of a "over-sexed" and "dangerous" New Woman. But most importantly, this book is a necessary call to remember the high stakes and terrible history of the longstanding fight for control over women's bodies.”—Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire

“THE UNFIT HEIRESS is the propulsive tale of a high-society scandal that triggered a high-stakes courtroom battle. It is also an illuminating exploration of America’s long, dark history of eugenics and forced sterilization. By braiding together these narrative threads, Audrey Clare Farley has accomplished the rare feat of writing a book that is as thought-provoking as it is page-turning.”—Luke Dittrich, New York Times bestselling author Patient H.M.

“This book is as timely as ever. A gripping tale about the atrocity of systematic reproductive control.”—Booklist, starred review

“Farley sets a brisk pace and persuasively reimagines the dynamic between Ann and Maryon. This is an eye-opening portrait of an obscure yet fascinating case.”—Publishers Weekly

“Expertly blending biography and history, and using the life of Ann Cooper Hewitt as a backdrop, Farley has created an absorbing biography effectively explaining how the legacy of eugenics still persists today. Hewitt’s story will engage anyone interested in women’s history.”—Library Journal

“THE UNFIT HEIRESS is not only a fascinating look at a wildly dysfunctional high society family, it’s also a compulsively readable account of the reproductive myths and bigotry-driven pseudoscience that still shape our world today.” —Rachel Monroe, author of Savage Appetites

"THE UNFIT HEIRESS is a triumph of compassion, historical inquiry, and intellectual rigor. In her elegant telling of Ann Cooper Hewitt's story, Farley shines her bright, empathetic light on profoundly imperfect humans and the myriad, often tragic ways we grapple for fulfillment. At the same time, she renders with crystalline precision the history of American eugenics, insisting—gently, yet steadfastly—that we look where we'd rather avert our gaze. This book startled me, seized my attention, and summoned my empathy when I least expected it."—Rachel Vorona Cote, author of Too Much

historical about eugenics

eugenics is coming back folks- watch out! this story is a cautionary tale for everyone to be warned.

Where is the edited version ?

Would be a great essay but book much too long and boring! I usually love these types of books/stories.

Inconsistent

THE UNFIT HEIRESS took me a while to finish. Audrey Clare Farley jumped timelines and between characters Ann and her mother Maryon. Maryon was portrayed as a truly awful woman, wife and mother who may have played part in at least one husband’s death. I wanted to view what happened to Ann not from our knowledge today by trying place myself in the early twentieth century, before consensus on intelligence and mental illness. Girls were basically owned by their parents. They could be pulled from school or, like Ann, never receive consistent education. I tried to understand the theory behind sterilization of people who couldn’t parent their children and the fears that intellectually disabled parents would have children whom (from their perspective and knowledge in the early 1900s) would be “burdens” to society. That theory doesn’t hold up in the same way Hitler’s eugenics were discriminatory based on race/culture/economics.

Ann, with Maryon as her closest role model, lack of early socialization and education, had few opportunities to learn how to have successful, loving relationships. While what happened to her was horrific, I had a difficult time empathizing with her as an adult because of how she treated others.

The information on eugenics was far more interesting to me than Ann’s story.

Tragic

For me, the story was an emotional roller-coaster; so horrible to think this actually happened.

Too much other

I expected more about the trial and relationship with the mother/daughter. It was a lot of background about the men.