THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

''A glittering depiction of a woman ahead of her time who absolutely refused to be second best'' Red

Alva Smith, her Southern family destitute after the Civil War, marries into one of America''s great Gilded Age dynasties: the newly wealthy but socially shunned Vanderbilts. Ignored by New York''s old-money circles and determined to win respect, she designs and builds nine mansions, hosts grand balls, and arranges for her daughter to marry a duke. But Alva also defies convention for women of the time, asserting power within her marriage and becoming a leader in the women''s suffrage movement.

With a nod to Jane Austen and Edith Wharton, bestselling author Therese Anne Fowler paints a glittering world of enormous wealth contrasted with desperate poverty, of social ambition and social scorn, of friendship and betrayal, and an unforgettable story of a remarkable woman.

''A very lively read'' Independent

''A pacy, elegant novel'' Mail on Sunday

''Wholly absorbing'' Stylist

''Like Gossip Girl minus more than a century'' The Skimm

''Enthralling'' Good Housekeeping

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*PRAISE FOR Z: A NOVEL OF ZELDA FITZGERALD, A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*

''Brilliant. Read it, read it, read it'' Daily Mail

''Superb'' Independent on Sunday

''Utterly compulsive reading'' Stylist

''A treat'' Sunday Times