The Gilded Edge

Two Audacious Women and the Cyanide Love Triangle That Shook America

By: Catherine Prendergast

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

“The Gilded Edge is a compelling read from start to finish. Gripping, suspenseful, cinematic. This is narrative nonfiction at its best.”—Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The Butchering Art

Astonishingly well written, painstakingly researched, and set in the evocative locations of earthquake-ravaged San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula, the true story of two women—a wife and a poet—who learn the high price of sexual and artistic freedom in a vivid depiction of the debauchery of the late Gilded Age

Nora May French and Carrie Sterling arrive at Carmel-by-the-Sea at the turn of the twentieth century with dramatically different ambitions. Nora, a stunning, brilliant, impulsive writer in her early twenties, seeks artistic recognition and Bohemian refuge among the most celebrated counter-culturalists of the era. Carrie, long-suffering wife of real estate developer George Sterling, wants the opposite: a semblance of the stability she thought her advantageous marriage would offer, threatened now that her philandering husband has taken to writing poetry.

After her second abortion, Nora finds herself in a desperate situation but is rescued by an invitation to stay with the Sterlings. To Carrie's dismay, George and the arrestingly beautiful poetess fall instantly into an affair. The ensuing love triangle, which ultimately ends with the deaths of all three, is more than just a wild love story and a fascinating forgotten chapter. It questions why Nora May—in her day a revered poet whose nationally reported suicide gruesomely inspired youths across the country to take their own lives, with her verses in their pockets no less—has been rendered obscure by literary history. It depicts America at a turning point, as the Gilded Age groans in its death throes and young people, particularly women, look toward a brighter, more egalitarian future.

In an unfortunately familiar development, this vision proves to be a mirage. But women's rage at the scam redefines American progressivism forever.

For listeners of Nathalia Holt, Denise Kiernan, and Sonia Purnell, this shocking history with a feminist bite is not to be missed.

©2021 Catherine Prendergast (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“The Gilded Edge is a gripping tale set in the bohemian culture of Gilded Age California. Prendergast paints an electrifying portrait of a tragic love triangle, featuring the beautiful young poet, Nora May French, her counterpoint, the pragmatic Carrie Sterling, and Carrie’s philandering husband, George. With skill, humor, and biting insight, Prendergast reveals the cost of being a woman in a world dominated by men, placing the stories of the women center stage.... A page turner, The Gilded Edge reads like a mystery novel. A poignant and fascinating story of the past, but also a story of the writer herself.” (Charlotte Gordon, author of Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, The Woman Who Named God, and Mistress Bradstreet)

“What a story! With the eye of a detective, Catherine Prendergast has brilliantly pieced together the shocking history of the birth of the famed Carmel-By-the-Sea.... Prendergast’s vivid storytelling draws you into the debauchery, weaving the poetry and words of the famous and not-so-famous into a narrative that challenges the sanitized version of Carmel’s founding. The women, she discovered, paid the price in those early years in lost lives, careers, ruined reputations, and broken marriages while the men achieved greater accolades. Prendergast puts those women back in the center of the story where they belong, fueling a breathtaking tale about the real lives of the “New Woman” of the early 20th century.” (Kate Clifford Larson, New York Times best-selling author of Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter)

"Catherine Prendergast so vividly recreates the bohemian circles of early 20th century California that I felt transported back in time, witnessing first-hand the challenges, triumphs, and tragedies of Nora May French and Carrie Sterling, her brave and brazen heroines. The Gilded Edge is a highly evocative and unforgettable read." (Abbott Kahler, New York Times best-selling author (as Karen Abbott) of The Ghosts of Eden Park)

Unique form of historical storytelling

The author inserts her own research pursuits into the story, which is jarring at first, but ultimately very satisfying. As a librarian, I appreciated reading about her experience in archives.

Great book

Interesting book. Terrific scholarship and research. Terrific all the way around. I appreciated all of it.

Why?

Nothing in this book was particularly shocking. The book is about three miserable people who, when together, make each other more miserable. The end result was deadly but not particularly interesting. Extensively researched but too long. Half as much book would get you the same result.

engaging history, but felt a thumb on the scale

interesting story albeit delivered with what comes across as a rather heavy-handed bias, both in the writing and narration. would have been more compelling if the facts where simply stated without the obvious and unnecessary spin.

What School Never Taught You

I was an English major and a librarian for most of my professional career. In other words I know the value of meticulous research and good writing. This book and its presentation does not disappoint. Not only does it shed new light on well known authors, but also introduces writers that I never knew before but will now pursue.
Having just returned from a trip to San Francisco made the book even more intriguing. And the last few pages that recount the author’s personal professional experiences and perspectives are spot on in my experience and philosophy. What a powerful finish to a book that delivers much more than I anticipated.

Women’s Disposable Leagcy

This story, while touching on and walking through the polished history of idyllic Carmel, exposes a powerful example of talented women swept that are under the rug. The men, even the truly talentless, go on to enshrined stature despite running in the same circles.

If you’ve been to Carmel and walked by he paths described in the book your view of the place will change. After finishing the story one can only wonder about the origin lies we are told about other cities.

This nonfiction story of “stuff you couldn’t make up” will hit you in the gut if you are a man. We deserve it.

interesting story, well read & superbly researched

Such an intereting story. I felt almost as though I was there. Catherine Perdergrast background researched brought out details I'd never read before.