The Last American Heiresses

De: Stephen Greco

Narrado por: Whitney Dykhouse

The press dubs them "the Gold Dust twins." Born within a week of one another in Manhattan in 1912, Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton both inherit unimaginable fortunes. By the time of their lavish coming-out balls, they are two of the richest women in the world. Barbara, heiress to the Woolworth millions, amasses seven husbands over her lifetime. Doris, meanwhile, has a sophistication and financial savvy that Barbara tries endlessly to emulate.

When filmmaker Emma Radetsky begins researching her new documentary about prominent women and their jewelry collections, she's familiar with the lore surrounding both Doris and Barbara—the couture gowns, exotic homes, and romantic interludes—including sequential marriages to the same notorious playboy. And of course, the priceless jewels they acquire as easily as candy.

Yet delving into their backgrounds with the help of one of Doris's closest companions, Oliver Wendell Shaw, Emma encounters a deeper story—of a private game to manipulate the media, and a hidden, lifelong kinship between two complex women who understood each other as no one else could.

©2025 Stephen Greco (P)2025 Highbridge Audio

Doris & Barbara Together Again

This was first time listening to this type of novel. The idea of Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton being close friends while leading incredibly fascinating lives was intriguing to me. This is a type of fan fiction...I believe there are a few novels like this out there where Jackie Onassis and Maria Callas are girlfriends. I am a HUGE biography fan so this type of book requires the reader to put history aside in order to enjoy the ride. The side story is interesting with Emma and Ollie. While I may not dive back into this genre again...I am glad I dipped my toe in the pool.