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The American Heiress

by Daisy Goodwin (Goodreads Author)

3.37 of 5 stars 3.37 · rating details · 9,546 ratings · 1,893 reviews

Beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, the wealthiest debutante in America, is spirited away from the glamour and comfort of her Park Avenue mansion and suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, mistress of Lulworth Castle, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. As Cora is soon to discover, nothing in this strange new world is quite as it seems. Her handsome new...more

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Published (first published August 1st 2010)

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Aug 11, 2010 Sian Milne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't really fully made my mind up about this book.

It wasn't a Mills and Boon type of book, it was more filled out than that and was over 400 pages. However if you were to ask me how it was filled out more, I am at a slight loss how to answer. To be honest, a lot of stuff probably could have been cut out of this and if wanted, could have easily have been made into a M & B...without the sex and loving hero that is.

The Duke Ivo - well he was pretty much a useless male lead. Usually the lea...more

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Sep 12, 2011 benebean rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cleaness-granny-frowns, cleaness-granny-approves, female-protagonist, historical-fiction, medium

I really really hate Ivo and Jim. How dare Ivo be so angry when he caused his wife to run into social problems by witholding information that would have made her more cautious. He keeps claiming to love her but then not only doesn't help her when she becomes hurt by his effort to hide his own indiscretions, but becomes angry with her. He never actually does anything for her when she gets hurt, and only admits what he's done when it becomes possible that he might lose something he wants. In other...more

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Aug 16, 2012 MAP rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

There are 3 things that happened in this book that made it an impossibility to take it remotely seriously, even if the rest of the book had been the pinnacle of sophisticated literature (it wasn't.)

Yes, within 15 pages, we have girls kissing, less than halfway through the book, an artist references what will become known in the 21st century as the progenitor of all uncomfortable anime-based bestiality fantasies (God, the things I learned as an art history minor), and...ok, well Constable Odo fr

...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Ariel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I just loved this book. It was so up my alley. Two of my favorite books are Gone With the Wind and Forever Amber and this was sort of a mash up of those. Okay, this was not as a sweeping saga as those two books but it borrowed elements from them. There may have been nothing really new offered here but I don't care. It was the exact kind of story that keeps me turning the pages and removes me from the drudgery of housework.

The story centers around Cora Cash (love the name) who is rich beyond beli...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-c, arc, audio-book, historical-fiction, romance, victorian, amazon-vine

I have not encountered a novel that has been set (at least partially) in Newport, Rhode Island during the golden age of the “summer cottages” of the mega wealthy. It is such a beautiful setting and is probably one of the few settings in the United States that can evoke such a vivid world as European castles of old. Only a small portion of the novel is set here before it moves into well known Victorian England – but it still brought gorgeous pictures to mind.

It was also refreshing to read a roman...more I have not encountered a novel that has been set (at least partially) in Newport, Rhode Island during the golden age of the “summer cottages” of the mega wealthy. It is such a beautiful setting and is probably one of the few settings in the United States that can evoke such a vivid world as European castles of old. Only a small portion of the novel is set here before it moves into well known Victorian England – but it still brought gorgeous pictures to mind.

It was also refreshing to read a romance novel for a change. This book treads more heavily on the romance side of the coin than the historical but there is enough there to certainly give you the sense of Victorian England. We even get to have Prince Bertie as a relatively important side character. It was also very interesting to see American upper class society juxtaposed against the English upper class – they were vastly different and it became quite an important plot device throughout the novel.

This was a great read and even though it ended in possibly not the most ideal situation it was still what I was rooting for. I even held off finishing the book for a few days because I really didn’t want it to end – it was such an enjoyable ride. I would certainly love to read another book by this author, it was a great debut.

And on a completely random note – I think the author had inspired choices for character names – I am particularly fond of Cora Cash!

he narrator was wonderful. She was a very flexible reader and had great accents for all of her characters. She had to switch between American and British accents throughout the story and I thought this was done seamlessly. At the end of the novel there was an interview with the author which was a wonderful treat. One thing that I found quite interesting was that she had never written dialogue before and so she would often read it out loud to hear how it sounded – which I think was perfect preparation for an audiobook.

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Jennifer Louden rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

what a waste of time. I would like to go back and read Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton to see why a book like that sticks with me and a book like this only makes a plane ride tolerable. The writing is perfectly adequate but there is no depth, no real feeling.

10 likes · like · see review

Jun 11, 2012 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Possibly the soapiest dish of a book I've ever read. If you're feeling Downton Abbey withdrawls this is the book for you :)

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Aug 21, 2010 Pat rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Slightly tepid period yarn that falls between the two stools of Romantic and 'Literary' fiction. Clearly inspired by the likes of Wharton, Waugh and Austen (indeed, in thrall to them), the novel simply warms over themes and story lines that were looking decidedly over-used two generations ago. People like Wharton were writing about their own time, of course, so the social critique had some point to it. Here there is none at all, unless we are being asked to believe that nothing has changed. The...more

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May 01, 2013 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You can view my full review here.

When I'm in the right mood, I like a good romance novel that takes place among the ton of London in the later 1800s but this book was trying too hard to not be a run of the mill romance novel. It tried to make itself into a historical fiction book but yet there wasn't enough of a story line to make it meatier. Someone on GoodReads mentioned that the book was filled out more than a traditional romance novel but yet she couldn't identify how it was filled out more....more

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Apr 25, 2013 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys "Downton Abby".

The thing that hit me about a third of the way through this book, was that it would be a great book to recommend to those who enjoy "Downton Abby", and need a "fix" until next season begins. The American Heiress is Cora, a young girl who is on the verge of becoming a woman. Being the only child of a very wealthy couple with "new money" at the end of the 19th century, Cora is a very willful, beautiful, spoiled girl. She's to attend her mother's last party of "the season", and she decides to decla...more The thing that hit me about a third of the way through this book, was that it would be a great book to recommend to those who enjoy "Downton Abby", and need a "fix" until next season begins. The American Heiress is Cora, a young girl who is on the verge of becoming a woman. Being the only child of a very wealthy couple with "new money" at the end of the 19th century, Cora is a very willful, beautiful, spoiled girl. She's to attend her mother's last party of "the season", and she decides to declare her love to her childhood friend, Teddy, so as to get out from under her mother's thumb. The evening ends in disaster for several reasons, and Cora and her parents travel to London to get away from gossip and their problems. The wealthy Americans find a way for Cora to be sponsored in London Society, and she begins the rounds of attending parties at the homes of different society women.
An accidental fall while she is out riding, throws Cora (almost literally) into the arms of a suitor...a young man with a title and estate, but very little money. But that is no problem for Cora, as her family has a great deal of money, but not titles or dignified English estates.
The book describes the courtship in England, and marriage of Cora in America, and then follows as she and her husband return to England to take their place in Society. Cora's maid, who has been with her all of her life, joins her, and the story follows the lives of the two women and the men they love. There are, of course, many problems that get in the way of each woman's happiness.
Ultimately, this is a very entertaining read--as I said, especially for those who enjoyed "Downton Abby". There is the same kind of upstairs/downstairs intrigue and romance, and the naive Americans find themselves in situations for which they are not truly prepared. But through it all, the determination of both women, their honesty with themselves, and their abilities to adapt, sees them through. When the story ends, Cora has definitely grown up, and is no longer the willful, determined girl, but a woman and mother, as well as a wife in love.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Carolyn Hill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The American Heiress, which could have been a prequel to a Downton Abbey type story line, left me flat. The biggest problem was I simply didn't care for the characters. There's just not enough there to relate to. The poor little rich girl, Cora Cash, who has everything - looks, charm, intelligence, and the richest daddy in New York - is totally self-absorbed and, even though she's the victim of a merciless social-climbing mother, she never becomes sympathetic. Her maid Bertha, who could be more...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 10, 2013 Evelyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Into every traveler's life (if he or she purchases flight reading in the rush before departure)some surprisingly good, and sometimes bad, books will likely fall. In this case, unfortunately, the surprise wasn't so good.

From its packaging--including blurbs and author 'endorsements'--to its very plot, this book shamelessly piggybacks off the Downton Abbey phenomenon. Even the young heiress's name, Cora, is shamelessly 'Downtonian'. I'd hoped for something that expanded on and maybe amplified the...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book did nothing for me. I thought everything about the book was underdeveloped including the characters, the setting, and the plot. The main character Cora was the worst of the lot. The author tried to portrayed her as a very accomplished young woman of her time, but as the reader you are not privy to anything other than the fact that she has a ton of money. Her so called "accomplishments" are never really brought up in great depth. Rather than making the reader appreciate the heroine's ta...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Iceman rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A síntese deste romance da britânica Daisy Goodwin agradou-me e levou-me a crer tratar-se de um romance, embora não declarado, histórico, visto que a acção se passa nos finais do século XIX e fala-nos de uma rica família norte-americana que procura casar a sua única filha com um nobre inglês, juntando assim o dinheiro do novo mundo a um nome de família antigo e aristocrático.

Eu sabia que isso foi algo que de facto sucedeu na segunda metade do séc. XIX nos Estados Unidos. Famílias ricas, mas com...more A síntese deste romance da britânica Daisy Goodwin agradou-me e levou-me a crer tratar-se de um romance, embora não declarado, histórico, visto que a acção se passa nos finais do século XIX e fala-nos de uma rica família norte-americana que procura casar a sua única filha com um nobre inglês, juntando assim o dinheiro do novo mundo a um nome de família antigo e aristocrático.

Eu sabia que isso foi algo que de facto sucedeu na segunda metade do séc. XIX nos Estados Unidos. Famílias ricas, mas com pouca ou nenhuma História, procuravam, através do casamento, unir o dinheiro à tradição. Era algo muito chique e digno de inveja por aquelas moçoilas que não arranjavam um duque ou um visconde com brasão e um passado familiar que provinha das origens da Inglaterra.

E foi com essa ideia que iniciei o romance, pois julguei tratar-se de algo que me narrasse a lógica dessas uniões, abordando também a mentalidade da época e a forma como esses casamentos eram “arranjados”.

Em certa parte não posso dizer que as minhas pretensões saíram defraudadas, pois a autora consegue situar bem a acção, explicando de uma forma coerente as motivações dessas famílias do novo mundo.

No entanto este romance está longe de ser histórico, pois a autora preocupa-se em nos narrar o trajecto da principal personagem feminina que é completamente controlada pela sua obsessiva mãe que se preocupa unicamente com o estatuto da família e o que os outros vão pensar ou dizer. Embora considere o romance agradável, é tão só uma narrativa em que a acção é simplesmente fútil, deslocando-se de acontecimento em acontecimento com pouco conteúdo interessante.

Obviamente que isso é uma opinião pessoal, porém a trama desenvolve-se de uma forma algo lenta e previsível, pois e a partir de certa altura, conseguimos adivinhar que o personagem masculino tem um qualquer mistérios que a nossa heroína começa a descobrir aos poucos, desaguando numa história que ensombra o passado do “seu” aristocrático inglês.

Entretém, é indesmentível, mas está muito longe de ser uma história que fica, revelando-se mais uma daquelas narrativas lights próprias para ler antes de dormir ou então num belo dia de férias.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Kellie Lambert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book Review: "American Heiress"

For anyone going through Downton Abbey withdrawals in anticipation of the next season starting, this is the perfect escape. The book even follows an American girl, Cora (just like Downton Abbey's Cora Grantham) who is seeking a match fit for the Cash fortune. Much like D.A.'s Mary, Cora has the responsibility of upholding her title and fortune and has ample pressure from her mother to 'buy' a European title and lineage. She sets off to London to procure a standing...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Jaime rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you are a die-hard historical fiction fan, there is a good possibility that this book could be far too fluffy for you, although I felt it was well researched.

The American Heiress begins in America where Cora Cash, a rather immature rich socialiate, is trying to deal with her mother's attempts to compete with the Vanderbilts'. To that end, Mrs. Cash drags Cora to England to find Cora a rich duke or prince to marry. After a riding accident, she shortly finds herself married to Ivo, the Duke of...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Sam rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly, I didn't enjoy this book. I hated Cora and what was with Ivo and his menopausal mood swings?
And all this calling people just 'Duke' or 'Duchess' when addressing them is absolutely horrid!! I cannot believe that I actually read this through.
Spoilers follow:
I can't ruin the plot, there isn't one.
I can't ruin the ending, it just stops.
There was one character that I liked in that entire book... and that was Bertha & to be honest, we get next to nothing to show if she will ever enjoy a...more

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Nov 01, 2012 NyiNya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another entry in the "Buccaneers" genre, "The American Heiress" is something of a hybrid. Edith Wharton meets Harlequin Romance. Daisy Goodwin really, really tries to capture the flavor of "Custom of the Country" -- oh boy, does she try. You'll also find plot twists reminiscent of Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters. But not in a good way.

The aptly named Cash family is rich beyond imagining. They buy houses, castles, paintings by Rubens, jewels, and 'the world's largest motor yacht' the way you a...more Another entry in the "Buccaneers" genre, "The American Heiress" is something of a hybrid. Edith Wharton meets Harlequin Romance. Daisy Goodwin really, really tries to capture the flavor of "Custom of the Country" -- oh boy, does she try. You'll also find plot twists reminiscent of Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters. But not in a good way.

The aptly named Cash family is rich beyond imagining. They buy houses, castles, paintings by Rubens, jewels, and 'the world's largest motor yacht' the way you and I buy socks. Cora Cash, 18 years old and a Raving Beauty, is the title hunter du jour...but author Goodwin can't quite make her heroine sufficiently mercenary. She leaves that to Mommy Dearest, a cold-blooded nouveau riche, beautiful but--in true Grand Guignol style -- hideously scarred and forced to cover half her face with veils. Mrs. Cash is determined to find daughter the best Titled Husband money can buy. Papa Cash is a minor character whose only purpose is to sign checks and provide an arm for the ladies to clutch when walking in to dinner.

The book gets interesting briefly when the Cash Family arrives in London and Cora gets some Buccaneer Boot Camp training from an American woman who makes her living teaching rich Philadelphia heiresses not to eat their peas with a knife or scratch where it itches. I'd like to have read more about the life of this enterprising woman and her unpolished gems...because once Cora gets her degree in Social Climbing and finds her impecunious but handsome duke, the story starts to tank.

Cora and her future husband have a cute meet...she falls off of her horse, he rescues her. Shades of The Torn Bodice Romance!

They get married, Cora makes some missteps in society...but there is no drama. Sure, some of the titled Brits are a tiny bit mean to Cora and take advantage of her American naivete, but heck, they're just jealous! Sure, Cora's husband keeps disappearing...either going fishing and missing his own wedding rehearsal or trotting off with the the British Heir Apparent on a trip to India and forgetting to tell poor Cora when he returns. And then, of course, there is A Major Complication. But not to worry, this is a love match and hubby's shenanigans keep getting explained away. Goodwin is obviously trying to cast a shroud of mystery around the duke, first making us suspect he is an evil fortune hunter, adulterer and a cad, and then quickly taking it back. She plays this card over and over and over again, imagining, no doubt, that she is whipsawing our emotions and keeping us on the edge of our seats. In fact, she is sending us off to see what's on television.

One of the subplots involves Cora's mixed-race maid, a girl who is born into Southern poverty, goes North and achieves a measure of success as a lady's maid. This too might have been an intriguing little side road, but was not sufficiently explored. I'd have liked to read more about how she adapted to the comic opera pomposity of Downstairs Society, the rigid hierarchies and rules maintained by the servants of the upper classes, and how she fared as woman of color, personally and professionally. That would have been a better book too, I think. Cora's part of the story has been told many, many times before, and better.

I'm giving the book a Fair rating, even though I didn't enjoy it very much. I think it will appeal to genre readers who don't want cynicism, irony, unhappy endings or originality to interfere with their enjoyment. The American Heiress is not a horrible book for the genre, it just doesn't go anywhere and takes too long on the journey. I kept wishing good old Undine Spragg would show up and kick some butt. (less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Beth Withers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this novel - it was a great diversion from life for a bit, plus I learned a few things along the way. This is the story of the richest girl in America and her marriage to an English duke; the story takes place at the end of the 1800s, about 20 years before Downton Abbey takes place. The premise is much the same, however. A man with a title and a crumbling estate needs American money to make things better, and the social-climbing mother of Cora, the main character, wants her daughter ma...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All of the best written books have something in common: their ability to draw in the reader, engrossing his/her attention and totally immersing him/her in the story. The reader should not be distracted by the writing of the story, but rather melds into the tale, almost like another character, a silent witness. This story does just that. I felt quickly drawn into the glittering world of the 19th century American aristocracy, with its lavish glamor gilded with ambition and envy.

I was intrigued by...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm really on the fence about this book. There are things I like about it but there are some definite drawbacks to it as well. One reason I bought it was because of the time and the setting. I've never read a book about wealthy American girls looking to marry British aristocrats so the setting was really interesting but I think she could have done more with it. But there are three things that really got on my nerves:

1)Ivo's attitude. Normally I'm a big fan of the moody, brooding, Mr. Darcy-like...more I'm really on the fence about this book. There are things I like about it but there are some definite drawbacks to it as well. One reason I bought it was because of the time and the setting. I've never read a book about wealthy American girls looking to marry British aristocrats so the setting was really interesting but I think she could have done more with it. But there are three things that really got on my nerves:

1)Ivo's attitude. Normally I'm a big fan of the moody, brooding, Mr. Darcy-like heroes because while they may behave badly towards the heroine, they usually redeem themselves later. But Ivo was just a jerk throughout the book. He seemed to purposefully withhold information that would have been useful to Cora and never told her what was expected of her. He could have done so much more to help her out but chose not to and then got angry at her for it. While he does have that one scene at the end where he apologizes, it seems rushed and not very sincere and hardly makes up for his ridiculous behavior throughout the book.
2)Teddy's ending. While I know that it is hard to expect a happy ending for everyone, Teddy's just left me confused. The way the author ended Teddy's story was very abrupt and did not give any hints at all about his future. For all I know he could have left the train station to go throw himself off the nearest cliff; or he could have moved on with is life, found a wife, and had a dozen or so children. Maybe it was supposed to be an ending the reader had to imagine for themselves but it wasn't very well done.
3)Cora's development. Cora starts out as a spoiled, American heiress who is used to getting her own way in everything. But she does have the backbone to stand up for what she thinks. You expect heroines like this to develop into more mature, stronger characters and realize their past mistakes while still retaining a bit of their former selves. But it seems as Cora develops into a less selfish and better person, she loses her spine. Towards the end, she doesn't stand up to Ivo about anything and pines for him even though she believes he has done some pretty awful, petty things.

The book had a lot of potential and I think it could have been a lot better. I loved the idea behind it but I didn't like where it went. (less)

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Aug 21, 2012 Yellow Rose rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a complete train wreck Cora goes from a witty character to a complete bore and a fool.She is completely oblivious to the Dukes rendezvous with Charlotte even after she is told that the Duke has cheated from three people. Also the Duke escorts Charlotte in front of Cora and everyone else making it obvious that they are lovers. Once Jim tells about Cora's plans to leave him, then he explains himself giving no sound explanation by just repeating that he has not cheated with Charlotte w...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Felicity Disco rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2012

If you're in Downton Abbey withdrawal, this book may help pass the time. Daisy Goodwin's The American Heiress is about an, um, American heiress in the 1890s who goes to England and marries a duke and must learn to negotiate aristocratic life and her husband's secrets. (This is actually set a generation before Downton Abbey, and the main character is named Cora, just like the American-turned-aristocrat mother in Downton, but this came out in 2010 so I assume it's a coincidence.) Much of this nove...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Lucinda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A highly enjoyable, light and interesting novel that was beautifully captivating and engaging throughout. Daisy Goodwin takes you back in time to nineteenth-century England that is full of elegance and decadence, oozing style and sophistication as you drink in the atmosphere of a time that is realistically brought to life. Historically accurate and well researched one can see clearly how much thought has gone into creating such an original and creative storyline that one could compare to a Henry...more A highly enjoyable, light and interesting novel that was beautifully captivating and engaging throughout. Daisy Goodwin takes you back in time to nineteenth-century England that is full of elegance and decadence, oozing style and sophistication as you drink in the atmosphere of a time that is realistically brought to life. Historically accurate and well researched one can see clearly how much thought has gone into creating such an original and creative storyline that one could compare to a Henry James novel or Amanda Foreman’s account of the Duchess of Devonshire. Following the story of Cora Cash a wealthy heiress from America who is sent to England, one understands the true meaning of love and how social status and money does not buy happiness. Swimming in a great sea of delights from Yachting, Opera, dinners and grand balls Cora has to stay true to herself if she is going to stay afloat and not become seduced by all those temptations that surround her. The classy period detail turns the black and white pages into brilliant color, which touches upon all ones senses as you loose yourself within a most intriguing era and at times mystifying saga where not everyone is quite as they seem. Hidden secrets are revealed, romance and seductions this universal read reaches out to all lovers of fiction and those die-hard romantics who won’t be disappointed. Sometimes one has to learn things the hard way in order to come to a better understanding and to fully appreciate those things that surround you, such as those individuals who care the most. Here Cora learns that money, social status, connections and hierarchy within the upper classes are the bases for snobbery, intrigue and dishonesty that can easily fool one who is unaware. When one plays with their own happiness then it can become quite dangerous, hence I sat glued to the edge of my seat as I prayed for a happy ending for my heroine who had been led astray.

Those readers who love historical fiction and romance will really enjoy My Last Duchess that is sophisticated, enthralling and a really poignant read where the author brings the period so spectacularly to life. Character-driven and a plot that is full of suspense, twists and turns you certainly cannot get bored as the momentum is maintained throughout. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future, as she is certainly someone to look out for.
(less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was a bit unsure about this book to be honest... I will admit (somewhat embarrassingly) that I picked this book up because of the beautiful and intricate cover (that chandelier!), and after perusing the back briefly at my local Barnes & Noble, I broke down and bought it. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't. It is a very interesting story that feels like it could go somewhere, it has a plot line with SO many possibilities. In the end however, the plot line is lost- sacrificed to some mess of a c...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, romance

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Robin
Review Copy Provided by She Knows Book Club

The Gilded Age of America, 1890’s. Learning about the difference in classes of people, upstairs maids are different from downstairs maids. Old money is always better to have and if you New money you had better marry someone titled and from Europe to make you more creditable.

Cora Cash is of New Money and she is American. While traveling her mom decides she needs to marry a European man with a title to m...more Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Robin
Review Copy Provided by She Knows Book Club

The Gilded Age of America, 1890’s. Learning about the difference in classes of people, upstairs maids are different from downstairs maids. Old money is always better to have and if you New money you had better marry someone titled and from Europe to make you more creditable.

Cora Cash is of New Money and she is American. While traveling her mom decides she needs to marry a European man with a title to make her even richer. Cora was not only very rich she was also beautiful. She used to be carefree, funny, bright and smart. All that seemed to disappear when she had to deal with the aristocratic society of England.

By chance she runs into Duke Ivo Wareham and as her mother wishes for she marries him. It helps his family out as she has money and they are rather short of it at the time. Cora gets the title her mother so wants her to have. I think at this time their marriage is a sham. She just doesn’t see it because by this time she is infatuated with Ivo.

So Cora endures the affairs, deceit and continuous flirtations. All the while putting up with the stodgy English with their dry sense of humor tended to play tricks on her of which she fell for every time. She either didn’t see or else turned a blind eye to the scandal that went on around her.

I felt if it weren’t for her maid Bertha, who happens to love Cora, she would have run back to America a long time ago. Bertha was always giving up her own bit of happiness to help Cora not that she minded all that much. Bertha herself discovers the prejudice of her color and finds out that in Europe she shouldn’t be an upstairs maid as she is only fit for downstairs. You see there is a difference.

This story at times reminded me of others written about this same period where the age of innocence is lost as the world is opened up to lies and deceit, where if married to the wealthy you put a fake smile on your face and act as if everything is perfect in your life. Ms. Goodwin pays close attention to detail and makes the period come alive, capturing the essence of the Gilded Age with all the grit and glamour of that time. She found the typicalness (I think I just came up with a new word) of human nature bringing out what you deal with when you are dealing with things of the heart.

I found myself somewhat disappointed when I thought that Cora might finally stand up for herself and show that she has backbone only to back down and not deal with any type of conflict. I would love to have seen her show more strength as she was portrayed as rather weak making her more like the European woman than that of a strong American.

A somewhat good telling of coming of age type of story. A spoiled rich girl to some extent must deal with the differences between her beloved America, along with her new home and life in Europe.

This for me was alright, I wasn’t overly impressed. I guess I wanted more from Cora. The slowness of the story dragged and I would have liked it to be a little faster paced.
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Jun 14, 2012 Noelwellin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

********SPOILERS********

I wasn't terribly impressed by this book. I read it because I was on a historical romance kick, but ended up just being disappointed at having spent $10 on a book that was worth much less.

The story itself was pretty interesting and had a lot of potential. An American girl, Cora, falls off her horse while in Europe and is rescued by a Duke, Ivo, who she eventually marries, despite being in love with her best friend, giving her the title of Duchess of Wareham. She has to a...more

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May 28, 2012 Brynn Devereaux rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love and hate this book at the same time. I feel like the advertising of it as a "Downton Abbey" inspired book made my expectations a little too high. It was a decent story and not unbelievable, but I think it was a little too shallow and didn't have enough meat.

The best part about the Duke was the end. I think the author tried too hard to make him dark and mysterious, and I ended up hating him. He sort of redeemed himself in the end, but it wasn't enough to make me like him. I think happened...more

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May 17, 2012 Lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Overall, I liked this book. It was a definite mixture of The Buccaneers, Downton Abbey and probably a whole score of other books that deal with the propping up of the English aristocracy by their marriage to wealthy American girls of the Gilded Age. What I was less impressed with was the ending. It was too tidy.

The scene that I liked was when HRH The Prince of Wales took Cora for a walk after a rather embarrassing and heart-breaking situation. He told her a story about his trip to Niagara Falls...more

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About Daisy Goodwin

Daisy Goodwin, a Harkness scholar who attended Columbia Film School after gaining a degree in History at Cambridge University, began her TV career at the BBC as an arts producer. Daisy also finds time to dream up and edit poetry anthologies. Daisy recently made her debut as a presenter in the BBC2 production of Essential Poems (To Fall In Love With) followed by Essential Byron and Essential Poems...more

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Books by Daisy Goodwin

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101 Poems To Get You Through The Day (And Night)

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Quotes from The American Heiress

“In the Blue Room, Cora Cash was trying to concentrate on her book. Cora found most novels hard to sympathise with -- all those plain governesses -- but this one had much to recommend it. The heroine was 'handsome, clever, and rich', rather like Cora herself. Cora knew she was handsome -- wasn't she always referred to in the papers as 'the divine Miss Cash'? She was clever -- she could speak three languages and could handle calculus. And as to rich, well, she was undoubtedly that. Emma Woodhouse was not rich in the way that she, Cora Cash, was rich. Emma Woodhouse did not lie on a lit à la polonaise once owned by Madame du Barry in a room which was, but for the lingering smell of paint, an exact replica of Marie Antoinette's bedchamber at le petit Trianon. Emma Woodhouse went to dances at the Assembly Rooms, not fancy dress spectaculars in specially built ballrooms. But Emma Woodhouse was motherless which meant, thought Cora, that she was handsome, clever, rich and free.” — 7 people liked it

“... anyone can acquire wealth, the real art is giving it away.” — 5 people liked it

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