Book Review: Part 1 [The American Heiress]

Since I make a weekly voyage to the library to check-out loads of books for the boys, I think it's only fair that I borrow some light reads for myself every now and then. Keep reading for the reviews of my latest dives into literature. You may want to add these titles to your own reading list... Or not.

You know you're in for an entertaining read when a character has half her face melted off in the second chapter. (#justsayin) An American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin is a work of historical fiction. If you are a fan of the television series Downtown Abbey and/or Victoria or the novel Victoria, which was also authored by Daisy Goodwin, you will probably enjoy this novel. It was published in 2010 by Headline Review and was originally published as My Last Duchess. 

The American Heiress is set in Newport, Rhode Island and Dorset, England in the 1890s. The richest heiress of her generation, Cora Cash is lovely and lively. Money is no object to Cora, and she has everything her heart desires except, perhaps, for love (her desire) and an English title (her mother's desire). Although Cora attempts to escape her fate as her mother's pawn by proposing to her American friend, Teddy Van Der Leyden, Teddy declines her proposal, something he will very much regret in the future. Mrs. Cash uses her wealth to wedge her and her daughter into English society and, by a matter of chance, Cora almost literally falls into the arms of the most eligible bachelor in England, the Duke of Wareham (or Ivo, as his friends call him). Cora quickly secures her English title, but she can never be quite sure whether she or her money has captured her secretive husband's heart. Charlotte Beauchamps, the only woman in England who can rival Cora's appearance and fashion, seems to be one of Cora's closest friends in England, but she has a strange and unsettling connection with Ivo. Through it all, Bertha, Cora's African American lady's maid, is the one real constant in the heiress' life, although even she might leave to pursue a marriage to Ivo's Caucasian valet.

Even though Cora secures an English title with ease, she finds that fitting in is more difficult than she imagined. Although she loves Ivo, Cora doesn't really understand her secretive tight-lipped husband. She thinks he loves her in return, but she can never get rid of the nagging voice in her head that tells her he only married her for her fortune. Matters are made worse when Charlotte, whom Cora believed to be her friend, betrays Cora in the most humiliating fashion and, in response to Cora's disgrace, Ivo determines to part with his pregnant wife for almost the entirety of her pregnancy. Certainly, there is something suspicious going on between Ivo and Charlotte. When Charlotte's husband, Odo, finally accuses the couple of having an affair (in front of a prince no less), Cora is forced to consider that perhaps her marriage was an illusion all along.

I found The American Heiress to be highly entertaining. As a fan of Downtown Abbey and Victoria (both the novel and the television series), I I enjoyed this novel, which fits right in with those titles. I can also tell that Daisy Goodwin conducted a great deal of research in preparation for writing this novel, and I especially enjoyed her descriptions of the lavish parties, fashion, and English manors. I have loved learning about the Victorian Era ever since I owned my American Girl "Samantha" doll as a child.

That said, if I were to rank this book on a scale of 1-5 coffee cups, I would award it only 3 vanilla lattes. (Hehe!) When I finished the novel and laid it on my nightstand, I felt underwhelmed and pondered my reaction. There are two reasons I wasn't wowed by this book. First, I don't really like any of the characters. The most likable character in The American Heiress is Bertha, Cora's lady's maid. I want to like the heroine, Cora, but she is extremely self-centered and foolish. I can pardon the narcissism given Cora's status and background, but the heiress' foolishness is maddening, especially given how many times the reader is told how clever Cora is. For example, spurred on by some bad advice from Charlotte, Cora commissions a portrait to be painted of her by a famous artist and throws a party to unveil the painting to her husband and the rest of her high-society English "friends." She doesn't preview the painting before the unveiling, even after Bertha specifically warns her to do so, and is made a laughingstock when the portrait is revealed and portrays Cora in a most unladylike manner. How could someone so intelligent and detail-oriented neglect to preview the painting? Ivo is not especially endearing either, and I simply could not forgive him after he resolves to abandon Cora for almost her entire pregnancy after the portrait unveiling fiasco. (Cora's embarrassment is punishment enough; there is no reason to desert his pregnant wife as further recourse, especially since it leaves Cora in a state of confusion and depression during a time when she most needs love and support.) Pile on Ivo's secrecy, coldness, and confusing ties to Charlotte, Ivo was definitely not my favorite character.

The second reason this book didn't dazzle me is that Cora doesn't take much action for herself. Things just happen to her. With the exception for her proposal to Teddy in an attempt to evade her mother's scheme of taking her to Europe in search of a title, Cora does not resist being used as her mother's plaything. When in England, Cora just happens to fall off her horse on the property of the Duke of Wareham, and the duke himself happens to find her. How convenient. When Ivo proposes, Cora accepts not really knowing whether he is marrying her for love or money. When Charlotte spins her malevolent web, Cora walks right into it... No, she sprints right into it. At one of her parties, Charlotte introduces Cora to a brilliant though disreputable painter, Louvain. Louvain demands that Cora come to his studio to be painted. In spite of her better judgment, Cora feels compelled to do so, and this choice will eventually lead to much heartache. At this point in the novel, I wanted to grab the heiress by the shoulders and say, "You're Cora Cash! You're a duchess! You are a human being with a brain! You can just, you know, not show up. Or say 'no.'" Sigh. Another thing that bothers me about this book is that there is a lot of foreshadowing about Charlotte's betrayal and malevolence. But when Charlotte's full scheme is finally illuminated, the reader sees that the foreshadowing as disproportionate to Charlotte's actual doings. (Really, she just sets a trap that relies a lot on luck [on her part] and folly [on Cora's part]. Her deception could easily have been avoided.) When Ivo abandons her during her pregnancy, Cora just waits for him and eventually welcomes him back with open arms. It takes far too long for Cora to stand up for herself, and she comes off much more the victim than the heroine she should be.

I should also mention that, at the beginning of the book, Cora pays Bertha a hefty sum to teach her how to kiss. This girl-on-girl kissing scene is for shock value and not historically accurate. While these kinds of things are more or less the norm today (don't get me started on the girl-on-girl kissing scene in Fuller House, a show which is prominently featured in the "Kids" profile on Netflix), It wouldn't have happened in a wealthy home in the 1890s. And, even if Cora did want Bertha to give her kissing lessons, Bertha could have shown her in a more respectable way, like having Cora kiss the back of her hand. (Not that I ever did such a thing when I was a teenager. Ahem.) There are other references to sex throughout the book, but I did not find those overly bothersome or offensive.

The American Heiress is still an overall fun read, especially if you enjoy historical fiction. Because it is packed with action, I also found it to be a quick read. Goodwin's descriptions are dazzling. Just be warned that Cora and Ivo are no Lizzie and Mr. Darcy.

XOXO,
Kristin

P.S. I meant to review A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny, but this post is getting rather lengthy, so I will review that book in a separate post. Keep an eye open for that review!