Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age – A Historical Biography of Transatlantic Marriage, Social Ambition, and the Rise of Female Power (P.S.)

This is a highly readable and literate account. The author has created an excellent description of events that could be dry in other hands. I was surprised. I was happy with the account till the very last word. I think this is one of the better compliments you can give an author. If I enjoy everything until the last word, you have done an excellent job.

I'll admit to a certain partiality towards the history of the American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, subsequently the first wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Growing up on Long Island as I did, where her parents had their original summer estate, the story of Consuelo's marriage to the Duke was well-known. Some referred to her bethrothal as a sale, a fabulously wealthy American girl traded off to be the bride of a titled Englishman who was close to destitute. On a personal basis, my family was among the founders of the incorporated country club which, decades later, bought Consuelo's own Long Island estate; I married my first husband in Consuelo's beautiful English-style garden. Therefore, while I feel no sense of commonality with her, I do feel a connection. Having said this, it will be no surprise that I have read most of the biographies and autobiographies of Consuelo and her mother, Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont. From this vantage point, author Amanda Mackenzie Stuart has done an excellent job in her book, CONSUELO AND ALVA VANDERBILT: THE STORY OF A DAUGHTER AND A MOTHER IN THE GILDED AGE. Not even Consuelo's own autobiography gave as clear a sense of her humanity as Stuart does here; similarly, none of the books about Alva and her dedication to the women's suffrage movement gives as good a picture of that lady herself. Without question, these were two extraordinary women, sharing at least three stories. In fact, three stories may have been one story too many for easy integration into a combined biography that is manageable in scope. The prose used by the author, while adequate, never crosses that important line to engaging. While the subject always is interesting, the book sometimes fails to be. There are a number of niggardly flaws, admittedly minor at best, yet the quantity of these flaws, in such a serious work, disrupt the flow of the history. And I cannot understand why the foreign phrases with which the book is peppered never are translated. Surely not every reader of an English-language publication can be presumed to talk French. Alva was a complex woman; by modern standards, probably one who was disturbed. In the simpler times when she ruled society, money easily smoothed over one's glaring peculiarities. After the death of her second husband, she lost herself in the suffrage movement. That the cause was important and worthwhile, there is no doubt. This importance does not explain Alva's allegiance to it, however, which almost bordered fanaticism. Nor does this explain her self-centered vision of a movement that, ultimately, impacted the rights of women across the globe. Her daughter seems to have been a kinder, more generous, personality, just plain nicer all around. Consuelo obviously had the greater capacity to love and be loved. Blessed with a very long life, she had close and loving relationships with friends, servants and, most importantly, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The part of the book about the suffrage movement does not sustain the pacing of the biographical sections, even though the juxtapositioning of the gilded age with the disenfranchised lower classes does provide food for thought. Overall, this remains a work of the highest level of scholarship.

Once started, this book was difficult to put down, even after having recently finishing Consuelo's book, "The Glitter and the Gold", which included similar information found in this book but presented in a different style. Ms. Stuart's writing style was easy-to-read and informative, and she included much more information about Alva and her relationship with Consuelo. It is truly remarkable how full a life both these women lived in a single life-span; and the influence they had on those around them (from American architectural influences, to the suffrage movement, to charity work in England and France)! I oddly swayed between pity and envy when reading about Consuelo, especially Alva's control over her from the day she was born; but doubt Consuelo would have become the truly admirable person she was without this influence. They both experienced the grandest global lifestyle imaginable at the time (which Stuart describes in some detail); and Consuelo seemed to have taken full advantage of her opportunities to learn and grow as a person from those experiences, which seemed to have brought admiration from many of her peers. A trully enjoyable read!

I am fascinated with Vanderbilt history, and as an activist, thrilled to almost experience first hand where votes for women all started. Even if Alva's contribution was mostly funding, being quoted in newspapers, and holding rallies in her spacious homes, it was incredibly important. However, the read during 1902 to 1903 never ended. It was like a long, long, LONG dissertation about militant suffragets vs conservative. That's when I finally put the book down. It just wasn't enjoyable anymore. I enjoyed "The American Duchess" of Consuelo's story, which is an adaptation of "The Glitter and the Gold". The American Duchess shared a glimpse of the Vanderbilt rise to riches from the Commodore to Consuelo's adventurous and dangerous escape from being a war prisoner for ransom. The Glitter book was a " who's who" for dinner, and primarily name dropping of important titled nobility. It covered detailed descriptions of important paintings and what kind of feathers one wore to the debutante ball. Combined with the period language, it was a struggle to get through. The American Duchess was so enjoyable, I tore through it while on vacation and was interested in more history. Unfortunately the next read of "Alva and " Consuelo" was painful. Not enough Consuelo, except when she was quoted. I do applaud Alva's courage and am grateful to all those who fought for women's rights including fair wages in sweat factories, reasonable working conditions, opportunities to earn a living for divorced and widowed women, and the right to vote.

I found this book to be very boring. I didn't even finish it. :(

The book describes in detail, sometimes too detailed, the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt and her mother. I think it focuses too much on women self-determination & emanzipation as well as patronage - and the pulic life the two women led. Alva certainly was the more ambitious of the two, who used and abused her daughter's life for her own ambitions - which finally led to Consuelo's divorce of her unbeloved husband, the Duke of Marlborough. The book is well researched and quite detailed and fills a gap - since I had never come across a biography of the Vanderbild ladies - which lived certainly a remarkable life. At times it is a little bit too lengthy - at least for my taste - nevertheless it gave me a good insight about their lifes at the Gilded Age - for Consuelo it was more a guilded cage - I suppose!

I found this book very interesting about the lives of how those people lived and money they spent on there homes and who they mixed with found it hard to put the book down.

Very detailed. The author led me back to this fascinating bygone age. I want to go to Newport and see Marble House.

Enjoyed this book very much. American heiresses an interesting topic, easy to read without a lot of effort, not too heavy.