An American Beauty

De: Shana Abe

Narrado por: Gail Shalan

The New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor returns with a spellbinding new book perfect for fans of HBO's The Gilded Age and fans of Marie Benedict, Karen Harper, and Fiona Davis. This sweeping novel of historical fiction is inspired by the true rags-to-riches story of Arabella Huntington—a woman whose great beauty was surpassed only by her exceptional business acumen, grit, and artistic eye, and who defied the constraints of her era to become the wealthiest self-made woman in America.

1867, Richmond, Virginia: Though she wears the same low-cut purple gown that is the uniform of all the girls who work at Worsham's gambling parlor, Arabella stands apart. It's not merely her statuesque beauty and practiced charm. Even at seventeen, Arabella possesses an unyielding grit, and a resolve to escape her background of struggle and poverty.

Collis Huntington, railroad baron and self-made multimillionaire, is drawn to Arabella from their first meeting. Collis is married and thirty years her senior, yet they are well-matched in temperament, and flirtation rapidly escalates into an affair. With Collis's help, Arabella eventually moves to New York, posing as a genteel, well-to-do Southern widow. Using Collis's seed money and her own shrewd investing instincts, she begins to amass a fortune.

Their relationship is an open secret, and no one is surprised when Collis marries Arabella after his wife's death. But "The Four Hundred"—the elite circle that includes the Astors and Vanderbilts—have their rules. Arabella must earn her place in Society—not just through her vast wealth, but with taste, style, and impeccable behavior. There are some who suspect the scandalous truth, and will blackmail her for it. And then there is another threat—an unexpected, impossible romance that will test her ambition, her loyalties, and her heart . . .

An American Beauty brings to vivid life the glitter and drama of a captivating chapter in history—and a remarkable woman who lived by her own rules.

"This story of one woman's ascent offers a fascinating look at the choices she made to become a Gilded Age titan."—Kirkus Reviews

©2023 Five Rabbits, Inc. (P)2023 Tantor

Highly Recommend

There is a lot of characters in this story and it took me a bit to figure out who the main female character was; she went by a few names in the story: Lorna, Arabella Duval Yarrington, Mrs. Worsham, Bella D., Bell and Arabella Huntington. The story is so well written it was easy to follow once your sort the different characters (there is many), . It really is a fact that beautiful people are accepted more easily and lucky for Belle she was smart as well. The author captured this fact and gave details of all her encounters based on this. The descriptions of her life and homes were so great, I want to visit them all. Narrator was good and easy to listen to. The author's note at the end was interesting. I highly recommend this historical/fictional story.

Very good read

Love to read (or listen) to historical stories based on real life characters. This Audible book did not disappoint.

Awesome book.

Throughly enjoyed An American Beauty. Narrator was very good. I have listened 3 times to the entire book.

Good Listen

This book was a really interesting listen. Well performed and well written. I will listen to more by this author.

Beautiful prose

Love the angle of the story and all the artful description. It did end suddenly given all the lead up.