A Well-Behaved Woman Audiobook By Therese Anne Fowler cover art

A Well-Behaved Woman

A Novel of the Vanderbilts

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A Well-Behaved Woman

By: Therese Anne Fowler
Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
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About this listen

The New York Times and USA Today best seller

"More than a rewriting of history, this is history reimagined from a fresh angle, delivered here with energy, sensitivity, and flair." (AudioFile Magazine)

This program includes a bonus interview with the author.

A Well-Behaved Woman is the riveting audiobook about iron-willed Alva Vanderbilt and her illustrious family as they rule Gilded Age New York, from the New York Times best-selling author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.

Alva Smith, her Southern family destitute after the Civil War, married 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 designed and built nine mansions, hosted grand balls, and arranged for her daughter to marry a duke. But Alva also defied convention for women of her time, asserting power within her marriage and becoming a leader in the women's suffrage movement.

In A Well-Behaved Woman, Therese Anne Fowler paints a glittering world of enormous wealth contrasted against desperate poverty, of social ambition and social scorn, of friendship and betrayal, and an unforgettable story of a remarkable woman. Meet Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont, living proof that history is made by those who know the rules - and how to break them.

Praise for A Well-Behaved Woman:

"A Well-Behaved Woman is an extraordinary portrait of a strong, fascinating woman who rose above societal convention and even her own expectations to become so much more than anyone might have predicted.” (Christina Baker Kline, New York Times best-selling author of A Piece of the World and Orphan Train)

“Oh how I loved every instant I spent in the world Fowler has recreated here. The story of Alva Vanderbilt is elegantly and emphatically told. Prepare to be enthralled!” (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times best-selling author of The Perfect Couple)

"To step into Therese Anne Fowler's stunning novel is to step into Alva Vanderbilt's rarefied world of sprawling homes, delicious society intrigue, and incomparable Gilded Age luxury." (Allison Pataki, New York Times best-selling author of The Accidental Empress)

©2018 Therese Anne Fowler (P)2018 Macmillan Audio
Biographical Fiction Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction New York Scary Historical Women
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Fascinating Story • Compelling Storytelling • Talented Narrator • Vivid Descriptions • Intriguing Historical Fiction
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You get pulled into their lives in the first chapter and it doesn't let you go until the end.

a story that stays with you.

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Loved the voice of this book! Both that of the performer and of the character. Highly recommend.

Great historical fiction

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I lived hearing the story of Alva Vanderbilt. The book shows us a glimpse into the actual development of New York.

loved it

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This story is one I wish I would have known sooner. Gives incredible insight to a woman so unknown to history (and before this book me!) and the early movements of the suffragette movement.

Alva Should be in More History Books

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This is a lovely interesting book. Hard to put down.
Wanted to read more from this author.

Loved this CD.

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Well-written story, good narrator. Made me want to look further into some of the characters' real lives. Will look forward to my book club's discussion

Enjoyed

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Beautifully written tale of a woman coming into her own while living in a era of suppression and male privilege.

When History Is Brought to Life

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Well written novel about a powerful women in history and beautifully read!! I enjoyed every word!

Excellent!!

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I loved this audio book about Alva Vanderbilt. It was well-written and well-read. The author did a fabulous job of taking historical facts and meshing them with believable fiction.
The narrator did an impressive job of voicing each character and various accents. I was not put off at any point with her reading.
I'm glad that there was enough historical information on Alva that the author could formulate a broad picture if the real woman. Too many women in history are a side note or lost under all if the "great" men.
If you love history and fiction then give this book a try.

A Rare Female Perspective During the Gilded Age

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I had just come back from visiting the mansions in Newport Rhode Island so the timing of reading this book was great. Excellent historical fiction about a lady who very little was known to me. It’s a fast and interesting read

Wonderful read

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