The American Heiress

By: Daisy Goodwin

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins

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 Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals.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

I loved this book!

Books like this come along only once in a very rare while. I loved it! If you're a fan of Jane Austen or Edith Wharton, you'll enjoy it immensely. I judge a book by how badly I want to get back to it and keep listening, and I finished this one in two days. The characters are well-developed, and the narrative beautifully written. The descriptions of the wealth and opulence of the gilded age were breathtaking -- as a female, I really enjoyed the detail about the clothing and manners and protocol. I found myself smiling so many times at the author's use of words, or the impeccable way her characters speak. As one who loves words, I found myself really appreciating how well the use of them flowed perfectly with the desired effect of grandeur and eloquence. Although unlike some gilded age novels, the flowery, descriptive language only added to the plot of the book rather than distracting from it. I fell in love with Cora, as well as all of the other characters -- even the ones I secretly didn't like. And the ending was perfect! The narrator was also magnificent as well. Some narrators really have a hard time pulling off the English accent/American accent mix between the characters, but Kellgren does it perfectly. I loved the way each of her characters sounded, and it only added to the complexity of this book. I thought overall it was fantastic and would highly recommend it!

59 of 60 people found this review helpful

Well narrated. Gets better towards the end.

I'm a fan of historical fiction. This book didn't deliver much on history, but opened my eyes to the aristocrats, but not in a flattering way . The narrator does a great job, with both the female and male characters. But, I found myself rolling my eyes at the droll English accents-- wondering to myself "do the Duchesses really talk like this?" How would I know? I've never met one. The book droned on a bit, I felt. I found myself growing weary of the characters-- until, at last, the plot began to thicken. Not the best book I've ever listened to, but the narrator kept me wanting to stick to the end.

21 of 22 people found this review helpful

Author???s first novel is a success

I was delighted to listen to a romance novel that was written intelligently, witty and romantic. This story was not burdened with graphic sex or cheesy unrealistic scenes. Ms Goodwin is a wonderful story teller. The Narrator did a great job and only added to the experience.

53 of 57 people found this review helpful

Good narration, decent story....fairly predictable

Im not sure i'd spend my money on this if I had a 2nd chance. Not because it wasnt well narrated or well written - both of which it was - HOWEVER, the storyline was So predictable I found myself skipping forward. In summary, a decent book to fall to sleep with. Its wealthy heiress meets dwindling fortuned lord - Downton Abbey mixed with Withering Heights. Decent but needs a new Twist.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Tiresome

I couldn't wait for this story to be FINISHED. I kept hoping for something to happen ... that all of the drama we'd been through with Cora and Bertha would culminate into something meaningful. Or, at the very least, thought-provoking. The story has so much potential in a Jane Eyre/Rebecca-like "what is the mysterious and meaningful reason for the husband to behave like a jerk to his wife for 85% of the book?" plot. I wanted to throw my phone across the room when we finally got the confession. Plus, it was very difficult to listen to the narrator's condescendingly aristocratic tone for 13+ hours. I understand why it was narrated in that fashion, but it didn't make it any easier to listen to.

13 of 14 people found this review helpful

Could have been better

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I wanted more of the story, more character development. She didn't go very deep into any of them really, story was a bit predictable.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Not sure, I wanted to know more about the characters. It was an interesting perspective of the time, also the excess of wealthy Americans during this time and the struggle of the British aristocracy.

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

She did great transitions from American to English accents, something that usually slips in books like this.

Was The American Heiress worth the listening time?

It was an interesting story of the time period, always makes me glad to be a woman now, not then!

Any additional comments?

Would read more from this author.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Interesting period piece

I read many of the reviews of this novel before I decided to purchase it. Many of them gave a mixed opinion. I'd say that is a good description. The American Heiress definitely represented the wealthy, semi-selfish American heiress who had a rough time adjusting to the titled English society. Her husband is at the opposite end of the spectrum being a semi-self-centered penniless English lord. The author contrasted the two cultures well. She developed the characters well enough so that I wanted things to work out but at the end, I was just glad to see it end. The narrator did a clear job of differentiating the various characters which added to the story. This was a good book and justly deserved a good rating but I didn't quite love it.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Good Start...but floundered in the end...

Where does The American Heiress rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely lower on the list. While I liked the book overall, I was waiting for it to end so I could start another story. It is not one that stuck with me, unlike a lot of other audible books.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

All in all, it was a very drab story with the "scandal" being not so scandalous and predictable. I also think they make is seem as tho Ivo is bipolar, happy and then raging mad all in one paragraph...

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Interesting and Compelling

The story was compelling - at times I felt the emotions of Cora as she was pushed around or dominated by different characters. I totally disagree with a review I read where it said "nothing happened", but then maybe that was written by a man. The only complaint I had was the abrubt ending that was a little short of totally believable, like the writer ran out of time/room so just wanted us to trust her on that was how it ended instead of letting us feel it, like with everything else in the story. Overall it was worth reading and I enjoyed the notes in the back (again in spite of what another reviewer said about that). I read this on Kindle and listened on Audible. I thought that option was overpriced, but nice.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Scandalously Good

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Daisy Goodwin’s debut (?!) An American Heiress. It had shades of Edith Wharton and even more so Dominick Dunne. It tells mostly of Cora Cash, the richest American heiress of her generation who all her life has been coached in one art—marrying well. It ends up better than she could of hoped when she chances upon a Duke and quickly becomes Duchess of Wereham. But her reception in England is mixed as she is forced to navigate the unfamiliar rules and contend with a moody husband. We also get glimpses of her title grabbing mother, her good hearted but opportunistic maid, and the American boy she left behind which really completes the circle of the late 1800’s society life. Sure it’s a little formulaic, and it’s gossipy, and the characters come off abrasive in the beginning (not helped by an aggressive over narration by Katharine Kelgren), but the story does develop and before you realize it you are completely sucked into Cora’s cause. I’ve read that the character may have been inspired by Consuelo Vanderbilt. Could you ask for a more perfect commute companion?

7 of 8 people found this review helpful