The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin is $2.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This historical fiction focuses on the life of an American heiress after she marries an Englishman, and how she adjusts to British society. I really like this cover, by the way. Reviewers have both praised and lamented the campy, soap opera-esque qualities of the story, so enjoyment may depend on a reader's level of tolerable melodrama. If anyone's read this, care to weigh in?
Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar is $1.99. Though it takes place in modern-day India, the book follows the lives of the same household for the past two decades, making use of frequent flashbacks and memories. Many readers found the book to be beautiful and heartbreaking, though some had a few difficulties with the colloquial language and references. It currently has a 3.9-star rating on GR.
Poignant, evocative, and unforgettable, The Space Between Us is an intimate portrait of a distant yet familiar world. Set in modern-day India, it is the story of two compelling and achingly real women: Sera Dubash, an upper-middle-class Parsi housewife whose opulent surroundings hide the shame and disappointment of her abusive marriage, and Bhima, a stoic illiterate hardened by a life of despair and loss, who has worked in the Dubash household for more than twenty years. A powerful and perceptive literary masterwork, author Thrity Umrigar's extraordinary novel demonstrates how the lives of the rich and poor are intrinsically connected yet vastly removed from each other, and how the strong bonds of womanhood are eternally opposed by the divisions of class and culture.
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The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley is $1.99. Historical fiction with a fantasy twist, a young woman discovers a mysertious and badly burned soldier in her barn during WWII. I'm really tempted to pick this one up. Some reviewers felt the story dragged at times, but most enjoyed the new fantasy spin on historical fiction. Anyone read this one?
During WWII, teenager Evelyn Roe is sent to manage the family farm in rural North Carolina, where she finds what she takes to be a badly burned soldier on their property. She rescues him, and it quickly becomes clear he is not a man…and not one of us. The rescued body recovers at an unnatural speed, and just as fast, Evelyn and Adam fall deeply in love. In The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, Rhonda Riley reveals the exhilarating, terrifying mystery inherent in all relationships: No matter how deeply we love someone, and no matter how much we will sacrifice for them, we can only know them so well…
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Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson is $1.99. On the cusp of WWI, a young Englishwoman goes to France to work as a field nurse, encountering Robert, her brother's best friend and Scottish surgeon. This book is definitely heavy on the romance, which seemed to divide historical fiction readers. It has a 3.7-star rating on GR.
Lady Elizabeth Neville-Ashford wants to travel the world, pursue a career, and marry for love. But in 1914, the stifling restrictions of aristocratic British society and her mother’s rigid expectations forbid Lily from following her heart. When war breaks out, the spirited young woman seizes her chance for independence. Defying her parents, she moves to London and eventually becomes an ambulance driver in the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps—an exciting and treacherous job that takes her close to the Western Front.
Assigned to a field hospital in France, Lily is reunited with Robert Fraser, her dear brother Edward’s best friend. The handsome Scottish surgeon has always encouraged Lily’s dreams. She doesn’t care that Robbie grew up in poverty—she yearns for their friendly affection to become something more. Lily is the most beautiful—and forbidden—woman Robbie has ever known. Fearful for her life, he’s determined to keep her safe, even if it means breaking her heart.
In a world divided by class, filled with uncertainty and death, can their hope for love survive. . . or will it become another casualty of this tragic war?
The first four books of the In Death series by JD Robb are the B&N daily deal, with price matching at Amazon – $1.99 each!
@Gina: AWESOME! Thanks!
I read The American Heiress and melodramatic is a good description of how the story plays out. A rich and indulged American heiress struggles to fit into stuffy British society. Wealth vs. “breeding” is so much in play and I did get caught up in the story. BTW, the cover is what caught my eye when I found the book in Target last summer.
Daisy Goodwin the person who did that terrible documentary a few years ago-the one that trashed romance and its readers? So now she’s writing romance?
I think it’s the same person, maybe? I know she used to make history documentaries for the BBC, but maybe that’s a coincidence.
The historian is Doris Kearns Goodwin.
So, is The American Heiress, like, Downton Abbey fanfiction, or something? I’m genuinely curious. Can anyone enlighten me?
I’m going to say probably not, considering the show came out in 2010 and the book was published that same year, and books go through a lengthy process to get published.
Rachel, American Heiress seemed to me to take its inspiration from the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt, who married the Duke of Marlborough. It’s not a romance—the marriage is not a happy one—more of women’s fic as the main character tries to find her role in British aristocracy. Wouldn’t call it Downton Abbey fanfic, either, but there’s obvious crossover appeal. The depiction of Gilded Age excess was my favorite aspect of the novel.