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    The American Heiress: A Novel
    The American Heiress: A Novel
    The American Heiress: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    The American Heiress: A Novel

    Written by Daisy Goodwin

    Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

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 Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals.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

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateJun 21, 2011
    ISBN9781427212306
    The American Heiress: A Novel
    Author

    Daisy Goodwin

    Daisy Goodwin is a television producer and writer. She is married with two children and lives in London.

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    Reviews for The American Heiress

    3.5/5

    527 ratings82 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The main character in this book, Cora, seems to me was inspired by the life of Consuelo Balsam (née Vanderbilt, ex-Duchess of Marlborough), also an American. Differently from Consuelo, though, Cora is spirited and has a mind of her own. But like Consuelo, Cora has a domineering mother, very much like Alva Vanderbilt, Mrs. Cash (who is also a Southerner like Consuelo’s mother). From their trips in the family yacht, to the contraption Mrs. Vanderbilt used to put on Consuelo in order to keep her spine straight, many are the similarities. In Consuelo’s book (The Glitter and the Gold) she tells the same story Cora mentions: that of waiting for the butler to send someone to make the fire, a task much below his rank, while her grace almost froze! As with Consuelo, Cora’s groom leaves her for a hunting trip until the night before the wedding. A nice read.
    • 2/5
      This book was very cliché. My main issue is I did not like any of the characters. Typically you want to like at least one character and hope they come out on top by the end. The main female is naive and innocent and all the male has to do is touch her and she forgives everything. The leading male is not very likable and is the stereotypical man with some brooding secret that he won't talk about. The audio was not great. The voice for the 2 mean mothers and the villainous woman are all the same and horribly over exagerated. I had a hard time finishing it but I did because I have a strange habit of refusing to not complete a book that I've started. I won't be reading the author again though.
    • 4/5
      A debut novel from Daisy Goodwin. A showy story set in the world of diamonds, pearls and tiaras but also showing the real world of the 19th century aristocracy on both sides of the Atlantic. You would think that being rich would be a dream come true but to the New York wealthy it is not as simple. Cora's family had 'new' wealth made from the flour mills that Cora's grandfather had so successfully built up. However, Mrs Cash's ambitions to be accepted by 'older' members of the aristocracy like the Astors were proving extremely difficult. Even the wealthy held prejudices against each other!When Mrs Cash brings her daughter to England to introduce her into the world of Lords and Ladies, they find another world entirely. The British who are no longer as rich as they would wish, find themselves looking to gain financially through marriage to the new wealthy Americans. Of course, the British aristocracy are so set in their ways, it is completely alien to Cora - even the servants have their peculiar little ways.A brilliant depiction of the jealous, conniving, scheming and duplicitous world of the aristocrats. Know your place! I am sure that some of what went on in the late 1890's still goes on today. Take a look at the Royal family - you could almost draw some comparisons with the Charles and Diana story.
    • 3/5
      Predictable but well structured to make it enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      Cora Cash is one of the wealthiest young women in America … and her ambitious mother, who has not been accepted into Newport “society,” wants to marry her off to a foreigner with a title. Cora won’t be the first – after all, it’s the 1890s and buying a title is common among daughters of the moneyed class.The Cashes are wealthy beyond belief – father is a flour king – but Cora has given her heart to an American, Teddy VanDerLeyden. Her mother does not approve. Cora is whisked off to England where she promptly falls for a duke, literally. The American Heiress is a romance, pure and simple. Nothing more, nothing less. And if it satisfies the cravings of Downton Abbey fans until the next installment arrives, that’s even better. This is an OK story with OK characters and OK writing.
    • 3/5
      I guess I would not recommend this book. Midway the story sort of stalled for me, and I just stopped caring about the characters. I did manage to finish it though. I felt the writing was mediocre.
    • 2/5
      Set in both New York and England during the Gilded Age, this book follows the story of Cora Cash, a beautiful heiress famous for being the wealthiest young lady in America. Her scheming socialite mother only wants one last thing for her daughter: a title. And so, Cora is sent to England to find a husband of nobility, where she finds herself soon engaged to Duke Ivor of Wareham."My Last Duchess" was a weakly written, predictable, and insipid book that I was only too happy to eliminate from my shelves. The first thing that annoyed me was the author's constant throwing about of stilted descriptions of grandeur, obviously meant to be impressive. Rather than give the book an atmosphere of elegance and wealth (which is what normally comes to mind at the mention of the Gilded Age), I simply felt that she was tossing names and sums of money about at random.An example from the first few pages: "The Cash household had its own Hall of Mirrors, which the visitors who had been to Versailles pronounced even more spectacular than the original."Rather than show us the finery that the heroine is privileged to, Goodwin only ever tells us. Everyone in the book is aghast at the fact that the Cash family has their own trans-Atlantic steamer, and then the author throws in the fact that Cora brought along eight of her favorite horses on the voyage. But we never actually 'see' this ship for ourselves, or get a description of it. We are simply told that it is enormously expensive, and that's all that we really need to know.Cora is constantly referred to as "the richest girl in the world," or "an American princess," or "a billionaire."It just all seemed so very over the top and silly.All of the characters are neglected, even the main character of Cora. I never liked her - at the beginning, she was a spoiled, foolish girl. At the end, she was the same.She says to a man at one point: "Would you like to kiss me? Most men want to, but I am just too rich."I certainly never felt that I got to know her. In the first few chapters, the reader is given the impression that she is a strong-willed girl longing to break free of her mother's controlling grasp. It could have been an interesting plot development, but it is dropped within the first twenty pages.Cora's mother seemed set to become a major, interesting character, but she fell out of the plot entirely less than halfway through. Much the same for Teddy, a love interest of Cora's, who leaves and then weakly re-enters the book later on without ever being in much focus.None of the characters were focused on enough, and none of their relationships made very much sense to me. The supposed "romance" between the Duke, Ivo, and Cora was trivial and uninspiring. In fact, I would have to say that no love ever existed between them, and nor is it ever likely to. Cora conveniently (but utterly by chance) takes a fall off her horse while riding through the Duke's property. Also by chance, he happens to stumble across her and rescue her.Before they have shared even twenty minutes together, they are engaged. The society and gossip papers of two continents are obsessed with the couple's wedding, but they themselves approach it nonchalantly. The book seemed to always be highlighting the fact that their relationship lacked passion, and was cool and distanced - boring, even. I assumed that this was some sort of set-up so that Cora could leave Ivo in the end, but it turned out that it was just the way that their relationship was. Despite their obvious lack of any chemistry, the book also insists that they love each other.There is a revelation at the end of brothers falling in love with the same woman, who cheated on both of them, leading one brother to attempt suicide. His brother encouraged him, but then tried to save him, but failed, and convinced himself that he had killed his sibling, then went on to convince himself that the woman had actually made him kill his sibling, whilst both hating and loving her. The woman, to make the man angry, married a rich man, who was another sibling...All this boggling information was dumped on the reader in exactly this manor - rushed and nonsensical. Perhaps if it had been built up, and written with a bit of finesse and talent, it would have been interesting.But here, it was so C-grade soap opera, I skimmed the paragraph without even trying to make sense of it all.This was an extremely obvious, shakily written book that was sorely in need of an editor. Not recommended.
    • 4/5
      Cora Cash is a sheltered, wealthy, American heiress and her mother is determined to marry her off to someone, anyone in Europe with a title. Cora sees marriage as her means of escape. The Duke of Wareham seemed to be the perfect answer. The story is one that is told over and over. The historical time period is researched and brilliantly brought to life in the story. The many secrets that are teased out from all the characters come together in one final climax that will make any romance reader sigh. I was reminded while reading of the books by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Fitzgerald, and du Maurier. I would like to know what authors influenced Goodwin. The descriptions of clothing, great halls, and dark English architecture on the cliff with the woods and sea are all necessary parts of the story. Lavish parties where there is the embarrassing misbehavior to which the heroine, because she is American, is not a part of the understanding crowd. I easily read this book in a couple of days. It fun and light reading. This is a vacation book. It is the kind you either take on vacation, or the one you read when you just need something you don’t have to think too deeply about. I liked it, I liked the way it ended, of course the happy one you wanted, and I liked the characters. Not the kind of reading I would do all the time, but sometimes you just have to ignore the world and read for the fun of it.
    • 4/5
      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."Cora Cash was one such young woman....a daughter of flour fortuneMother's sole purpose seemed to be Cora's refinement and ultimate marriage to British title.I found our path through the British social scene to be witty, moving and entertaining.There are secrets, traps and betrayals and decisions involving money and happiness.I agree with the author (Daisy Goodwin) on the merits of audio. Ithink it gives a distinct freshness and connection to the characters and the time period.4*
    • 3/5
      The American Heiress: A Novel is a book that one asks oneself, why was this written? The young heiress from America had a riding accident and wound up in the arms of a Duke. The story went downhill from this point. It was not the kind of book that one learns about the history of one country or the other. It was not the kind of story that one feels any kinship towards the characters. The story just drudged on and on. Consequently, the book only received three stars in this review.
    • 3/5
      Very intersting to see a portrayal of the American side of the regency era. The book kind of stressed me out, though -- has quite a quota of tension, drama and unkindness, even if all seems to come right in the end.
    • 4/5
      Great characters.

      Terrifically woven tale. Characters were well defined. The plot was ever so slightly twisty in the end. Well done on many fronts.
    • 3/5
      thought it was well-written and intriguing, but at the end it sort of peters out without a satisfying close -- I really wanted to know more about the small/side characters (the Hummingbird Man, the maid) too!
    • 2/5
      Oh dear, this book was a disaster from the start. It was way too long and slow for my liking, and very little actually happened. "The American Heiress" did have a fairly strong "Downton Abbey" feel to it, although it lacked the excitement and wonderfully diverse characters that the tv series had. Personally I thought the characters in this book were flat and one-dimensional, and I disliked them all. From the start Cora was spoilt and foolish and nothing really changed, so there was zero character growth throughout the novel.As for Duke Ivo, for a central male protagonist, he was pathetic! He had no redeeming features and, despite claiming that he loved Cora, he became angry at her when she discovered his indiscretions. How dare he! Then there were his mood swings - there were numerous times when I could cheerfully slapped him.Overall, "The American Heiress" was a weak, underwhelming read. It had the potential to be better, but was basically a poor, historical Mills and Boon romance without any substance.
    • 4/5
      Very loosely based on Downton Abbey, enjoyable twist at the end
    • 4/5
      ‘The American Heiress’ is an enthralling story about a willful, young American debutante, Cora Cash, who falls in love and marries a British Duke, Lord Wareham. Cora’s family is astoundingly rich, and when she weds the cash-strapped, but handsome Lord Wareham, or Ivo, she is unprepared for the aloof and sometimes distant emotional nature of her marriage. Set in the late 1800’s, this story reminds me somewhat of Downton Abbey, whose main character, also named Cora, weds into a family of British aristocracy. Throughout this novel, Cora Cash struggles to navigate her way through the constraints of affluent British society and to please her brooding and secretive husband, Ivo. Without giving too much away, I will say that I was unprepared for the way that the story was resolved, and I was unable to relate to her choice of action at the end. Nevertheless, ‘The American Heiress’ seems to offer a well-researched and interesting depiction of a wealthy American debutante. It presents a fascinating snapshot into a magnificent era, much removed from our lives today.
    • 2/5
      This book is about beautiful and wealthy Cora Cash, one of the richest girls in America. Her family has everything except a title, so Cora's mother is determined to have her marry royalty. They head off to England, where there are plenty of dukes looking for wealthy American wives to help defray the cost of their aging estates.

      Cora accidentally falls off her horse and is found and rescued by Ivo Maltravers, Duke of Wareham. Cora find the whole thing utterly romantic and within a few days they are engaged. There is no doubt Ivo is marrying Cora for her money and though Cora knows that, she still thinks they are “in love”. The story then proceeds with Cora making lots of social blunders and "polite society" making fun of Cora.

      I usually enjoy historical fiction set in the early Twentieth Century but this was an exception. If you're looking for a captivating historical read, look somewhere else. The one saving grace, and the reason I kept reading, was the occasional chapter narrated by Cora's lady's maid, Bertha, a young black woman who describes some of the action from her perspective.
    • 3/5
      A rich American debutante whose family seeks a royal title for her, and a titled but money-strapped Duke, may seem like an ideal coupling, but this relationship is not the stuff of fairy tales. Cora, a bit head-strong, falls in love with the Duke, and he is taken with her, but has a shadowed past. Interesting characters, both main and secondary, add much enjoyment to this sweeping tale that sometimes seems like it will never end. The plot drags a bit in the middle, but the conclusion makes the journey worthwhile.
    • 2/5
      This was billed as a Downton Abbey read, but really is more akin to Rebecca. Not terrible, but disappointing because I was anticipating the former. The "mystery" really isn't much of a mystery and the ending is weak.
    • 4/5
      I quite enjoyed this book. Daisy did a great job of capturing England back in the late 1800's. You get to know the characters, you get pulled into the storyline and the stories and you can really visualize everyone and the surroundings without her having to go into too much details. It flows very nicely. It's a nice and enjoyable read. I would recommend this book.
    • 3/5
      It was ok.
    • 3/5
      Brain candy. Easy, fun and fluffy read.
    • 4/5
      American Heiress. Daisy Goodwin. 2010. Goodwin’s novel is a classic romance and a quick read for those who like a fast, interesting read. It is a modern retelling of the novels of James and Wharton about wealthy American women who go to Europe to find to find a husband among the poor lesser nobility who need money to maintain their life style and ancestral homes. This book contains are the expected descriptions of the life styles of wealthy Americans and poor English gentry. It also includes a social climbing mother, a hateful mother-in-law, a spurned lover, and, of course the beautiful American girl and the handsome duke. It is fun to read if you like this sort of novel.American Heiress. Daisy Goodwin. 2010. Goodwin’s novel is a classic romance and a quick read for those who like a fast, interesting read. It is a modern retelling of the novels of James and Wharton about wealthy American women who go to Europe to find to find a husband among the poor lesser nobility who need money to maintain their life style and ancestral homes. This book contains are the expected descriptions of the life styles of wealthy Americans and poor English gentry. It also includes a social climbing mother, a hateful mother-in-law, a spurned lover, and, of course the beautiful American girl and the handsome duke. It is fun to read if you like this sort of novel.
    • 5/5
      The first time in Saturday, December 10, 2011, that I saw this cover, I thought it looked so beautiful, I was a bit unsure if I should buy it or not but now I'm glad I did. I started reading this novel in Friday, March 7, 2014, and one review that mentioned the similarities between this book and Downton Abbey got it right.
    • 4/5
      Slow to get going but definitely worth sticking with. In a nutshell, the premier fin de siecle American heiress, Cora Cash, travels to Europe after her childhood friend and love snubs her. Through a fortunate accident she then lands the most eligible bachelor. Dazzling wealth, a title, and what she thinks is love and happiness surround her until a stark truth comes to light. All is not as it seems as she navigates the treacherous social scene of the old world English aristocracy, especially with a rival love interest seeking to thwart and humiliate her. Though not a new story line, the characters are well developed, the scene set dramatically, and the ending a bit surprising. Not quite on par with Austen but still a satisfying read.
    • 3/5
      I was totally enthralled with Downton Abbey - watching as many episodes on Netflix that I could. So, this was a great follow up book!The story takes place at a time when America was filled with new millionaires due to all the industries here while England was filled with dilapidated estates in need of cash. The idea of an American heiress traveling to England with deep pockets in need of a husband is a great place to start the story.Cora Cash is a filthy rich spoiled daughter of a flour baron and an incredibly driven mother. Mrs. Cash's sole purpose seems to be proving her importance through what she can buy and that includes her gilded daughter. Then a fateful coming out party and a flaming headress sends the mother and daughter to England to branch out and find a husband.And that is where the book gets better. I liked Cora so much more when she was growing up - when she was becoming her own person, not her mother's shadow. But, it is a book - so true love doesn't come easily! There is an evil mother-in-law, a lost love that doesn't want to stay lost, and all the mysteries of English country living. Cora is the most real personality in this glittering facade.I was a little disappointed in how quickly the book came to an end. There was a lot of build-up and then - boom - it was over. That left me wanting more! But, I would recommend this! It's a great tale and a fun summer read!
    • 3/5
      If you are a fan of Jane Austen and/or Edith Wharton, do not believe the reviewers who claim that this book is similar to the remarkable literature produced by these fabulous writers. Daisy Goodwin's work falls flat for several reasons. One, she inserts a modern voice into the work; the characters sound decidedly too 21st century. Secondly, the grammatical errors alone were enough to induce me to stop reading. Every page was rife with comma splices. Has Goodwin never heard of a period or a semicolon? And third, the work lacks the depth of a novel such as The Age of Innocence, which is, in my humble opinion, one of the most perfect novels ever written. I definitely do not recommend this book to anyone expecting something resembling good literature.
    • 4/5
      It is the late 19th century. When rich American Cora and her mother head to Europe to find Cora a husband with a title, Cora doesn't actually expect to fall in love. But she does. She and Ivo soon get married and Cora moves to England. However, their life isn't what Cora expected it to be. Despite not liking most of the characters in the book, I quite liked the book. But wow, what a bunch of stuck-up rich catty people! However, it was still entertaining to read.
    • 4/5
      Loosely based on the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt, the author did a very credible job of portraying the loneliness of life as a Duchess in England. Far away from America, and the busy social life of balls, dinners and high society, now, life in a cold castle visited by those with titles and a multitude of layers upon layers of social snobbery, Cora Cash longs to fit in and understand all the rules.Knowing that she was married for her wealth, longing for love and loyalty, Cora must hold her head up high as the poisonous darts hit their mark of vulnerability.Money cannot buy love, but it can buy a title, a castle that your wealth must repair, and the sad company of those who thrive on nastiness.Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Not a single shining head turned in her direction as she followed Lord Bridport into the throng. Cora was not sure how she felt about this, to be anonymous was an unfamiliar sensation.I picked this up from the clearance rack at my local Half Price Books because not only did the cover catch my eye but the book summary made it seem like a book that was right up my alley. While Cora was a character that I did like, I spent the whole time reading this book feeling sorry for her. It seemed like she was always being put down by some of the other characters (mostly the bitchy women she was surrounded by) and I kept yelling at her to get a backbone and either slap the bitchy women or start speaking up for herself. Cora may be extremely rich but she is also naive.This book has been compared with some great authors (Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and Daphne du Maurier) but what I found that could be compared to some classic literary greats was the relationship between Cora and the Duke. I could definitely see shades of Heathcliff and Catherine in regards to the Duke and another character in this book. I also could see shades of Scarlett, Ashley, and Melanie in Cora and Duke's relationship (I figure Cora would be the 'Melanie' in this situation). I was never quite satisfied with the relationship between Cora and the Duke but that is probably because I never liked the Duke.I liked that not only did readers follow Cora but they also followed her maid (I guess you could call her that, I don't really remember the correct term) Bertha. To see how their lives really differed but were also quite similar in some ways added extra depth to the story. I didn't really like any of the other secondary characters (well probably except for Teddy) because they all treated Cora like garbage.All throughout the book I was impatiently waiting for Cora to stick up for herself. After the revelations towards the end I was excited to see Cora finally get a backbone. Quite frankly they were not revelations to readers because even though it was new to Cora readers could see it coming from a mile. I was really disappointed with the ending and it felt like quite the letdown. The ending looked for sure like it was going one way but then it took a turn for the worse and I was not pleased with how the characters ended up. It didn't seem like anything changed at all and I hated seeing Cora end up where she did.