Sample

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The American Heiress

By: Daisy Goodwin
Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.24

Buy for $20.24

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

Life can go in many different directions based on a few simple events. When Cora Cash, a rich American girl seeking a title at the turn of the Century, fell off her horse in a wooded area of the English countryside, fate would have it that an unmarried handsome duke should find her in her hour of distress. The American Heiress, a debut novel from Daisy Goodwin, tells Cora's story of marrying into British royalty and all the politics, scandals, and societal expectations that follow. Katherine Kellgren narrates, giving voice to Cora and a myriad of supporting characters from varying backgrounds, from Americans to Europeans and aristocrats to servants.

As if acclimating herself to a foreign country wasn't difficult enough, upon marrying Ivo, the Duke of Wareham, Cora quickly learns that becoming a duchess has come with a whole new set of stringent rules and expectations from her peers. Kellgren embodies Cora's naiveté and headstrong personality in her narration, expressing frustration in her voice in a gradual crescendo as Cora struggles to find her place among the oppressive British aristocracy. It seems that everyone from the duke's mother, a woman with a sharp tongue and a proclivity for traditions (many that Cora is not familiar with), to the Lord and Lady Beauchamp, the richest and most fashionable couple in the county, has an opinion on how Cora should behave in the upper class, noble arena. Cora dances around these societal expectations with uneasy footing, which only becomes more complicated as she begins to uncover certain nefarious details of her new husband's past.

Goodwin decorates The American Heiress with ornate period details that transport the listener to the English countryside at the turn of the century. Kellgren embraces the significance of time and place in this story, flourishing in the intricate descriptions of Cora's lavish surroundings. There's so much to enjoy about a story that allows you to lose yourself in a foreign setting, to travel with a character to the unknown. Following Cora to England is an alluring introduction to the intriguing world of classic British royalty. Suzanne Day

Publisher's summary

"Anyone suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms (who isn't?) will find an instant tonic in Daisy Goodwin's The American Heiress. The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers in the mind." (Allison Pearson, New York Times best-selling author of I Don't Know How She Does It and I Think I Love You)

This program includes a bonus chapter of Victoria, the latest novel from author Daisy Goodwin, the creator and writer of the new PBS/Masterpiece drama of the same name.

Be careful what you wish for.

Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the 20th 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.

Witty, moving, and brilliantly entertaining, Cora's story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James.

"For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn't always buy them happiness." (Daisy Goodwin in The Daily Mail)

One of Library Journal's Best Historical Fiction Books of 2011

Please note: An alternate (British) title for this novel is My Last Duchess.

©2010 Daisy Goodwin Productions (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

What listeners say about The American Heiress

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    955
  • 4 Stars
    700
  • 3 Stars
    431
  • 2 Stars
    113
  • 1 Stars
    82
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,120
  • 4 Stars
    518
  • 3 Stars
    231
  • 2 Stars
    60
  • 1 Stars
    41
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    779
  • 4 Stars
    589
  • 3 Stars
    396
  • 2 Stars
    121
  • 1 Stars
    77

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A story full of passion

I could not stop listening as Cora grew into her own and rightful place as wife and woman.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cora

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

Characters were distinguishable.

If you could take any character from The American Heiress out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Cora

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this story so much that I have listened to it twice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book! Love it!

If you are a Jane Austin fan then this is your book! I hope Daisy Goodwin will write other books in the same genre and will keep us readers busy for a long-long time!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining

Would you listen to The American Heiress again? Why?

No - I generally only listen or read books one time.

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Who was the most memorable character of The American Heiress and why?

Cora, Ivo, Double Dutchess

Any additional comments?

Overall a good story although a bit predictable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great story, great performance

I loved it.
I love Katherine Kellgren's performance. Story was great. I loved the character development and the societal intrigue.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

I loved the characters and the narration! I love stories set in this time period.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unexpected

It was refreshingly more realistic than your typical romance novel. it captures the trials of many new relationships. I enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Having a hard time with this Narrator.

I’m having a really hard time with this narrator, Katherine Kellgren. So much so, I am not going to finish the book. Narrators voice is too slow, to contrived for me. The story is not holding my attention enough to continue tolerating the narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable

Really well written story. Thoroughly enjoyed the narrator as well. Really drew the listener into the action.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Could we have an ending?

Loved the narrator! I've listened to several books with her reading and really enjoy. This book had me until the end. Tolerated the waxing on repeatedly with outfit descriptions. But the ending? Oy. A bit bumpy, clumsy and totally implausible. If you like period pieces, this is fun, but not spectacular.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!