book review: the american heiress

in daisy goodwin's debut as a novelist, she tells the story of cora cash at the turn of 20th century in america and ultimately europe.  i'll admit this was different than the genre of reading i typically favor, and much different than the chick-lit stories i've been spending most of my time with lately.  so if you're like me, you may be slower to get into it.  but don't stop reading!  i promise you, if you give it time you will be hooked.  i finished the book on a cross-country flight which i had intended to sleep through, but by that point the story was just too juicy to put down.

at times, cora is a difficult protagonist to side with or like.  but as you witness her growth throughout the story, you ultimately find yourself rooting for her and hoping she finds true happiness.  to me, the most likeable character was bertha, cora's maid.  i wish the novel had been more of the separate stories of two women - cora and bertha - whose lives are intertwined yet whose experiences are drastically different.  it seemed like that might have been goodwin's intention, but in my opinion it didn't pan out and i was left with some questions about each character's fate.

goodwin does a great job of luring you to turn the page out of pure curiosity and not knowing what could happen next.  (see earlier comment about my intention to sleep on that flight but couldn't put the book down.)  however, for a book of its length, i thought it could have included more dramatic scenes in the place of some idle "filler".  it seemed as if the scenes i wanted more of were abruptly ended instead of fully playing out.  without giving too much away, let me just say that if you're looking for a true love story with a happy ending, you may be left disappointed.

overall, the book was well-written and the story was good, so i do recommend it, especially if you enjoy historical english society.  and keeping in mind that this is daisy goodwin's first novel, i am looking forward to what story she will tell next.

about the american heiress, from the publisher:

It is 1893, in Newport, Rhode Island, and no detail of Cora Cash's lavish masquerade ball has been left to chance.  Beautiful, spirited, and the richest heiress of her generation, Cora is the closest thing that American society has to a princess.  Her debut is the carefully orchestrated prelude to a campaign in which her mother will whisk her to Europe, where Mrs. Cash wants to acquire the one thing that money can't buy for her daughter in the States: a title.

Be careful what you wish for.  Cora makes a dazzling impression on English society - followed by a brilliant match - but finds that the chill in the air of magnificent ancestral homes comes from more than the lack of central heating.  As she gradually learns that old-world aristocrats are governed by obscure codes of conduct and loyalty that can betray even the most charming, accomplished outside, Cora must grow from a spoiled young rich girl into a woman of substance.   

for more information on daisy goodwin and her work, visit her website, check out her facebook page, or follow her on twitter.