AN AMERICAN BEAUTY
A Novel of the Gilded Age Inspired by the True Story of Arabella Huntington Who Became the Richest Woman in the Country
Amidst the opulent glamor and vicious social circles of Gilded Age New York, this stunning biographical historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor conjures the true rags-to-riches story of Arabella Huntington — a woman whose great beauty was surpassed only by her exceptional business acumen, grit, and artistic eye, and who defied the constraints of her era to become the wealthiest self-made woman in America.
1867, Richmond, Virginia: Though she wears the same low-cut purple gown that is the uniform of all the girls who work at Worsham’s gambling parlor,
Amidst the opulent glamor and vicious social circles of Gilded Age New York, this stunning biographical historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor conjures the true rags-to-riches story of Arabella Huntington — a woman whose great beauty was surpassed only by her exceptional business acumen, grit, and artistic eye, and who defied the constraints of her era to become the wealthiest self-made woman in America.
1867, Richmond, Virginia: Though she wears the same low-cut purple gown that is the uniform of all the girls who work at Worsham’s gambling parlor, Arabella stands apart. It’s not merely her statuesque beauty and practiced charm. Even at seventeen, Arabella possesses an unyielding grit, and a resolve to escape her background of struggle and poverty.
Collis Huntington, railroad baron and self-made multimillionaire, is drawn to Arabella from their first meeting. Collis is married and thirty years her senior, yet they are well-matched in temperament, and flirtation rapidly escalates into an affair. With Collis’s help, Arabella eventually moves to New York, posing as a genteel, well-to-do Southern widow. Using Collis’s seed money and her own shrewd investing instincts, she begins to amass a fortune.
Their relationship is an open secret, and no one is surprised when Collis marries Arabella after his wife’s death. But “The Four Hundred”—the elite circle that includes the Astors and Vanderbilts—have their rules. Arabella must earn her place in Society—not just through her vast wealth, but with taste, style, and impeccable behavior. There are some who suspect the scandalous truth, and will blackmail her for it. And then there is another threat—an unexpected, impossible romance that will test her ambition, her loyalties, and her heart . . .
- Kensington Books
- Paperback
- April 2023
- 384 Pages
- 9781496739421
Buy the Book
$16.95
About Shana Abé
Shana Abé is the award-winning, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of sixteen novels, including the Sweetest Dark Series and the Drákon Series. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California, and currently lives in the mountains of Colorado.
Praise
“This is an interesting examination of a lesser-known figure from the Gilded Age, one whose story extends beyond the confines of late-19th-century New York…This story of one woman’s ascent offers a fascinating look at the choices she made to become a Gilded Age titan.” —Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. When Arabella meets the extremely wealthy and quite married railroad tycoon Collis Potter Huntington, she is seventeen, beautiful, and absolutely impoverished. Why do you think Arabella becomes romantically involved with the married man who was 32 years her senior? Do you believe she loves him? How were her feelings for him different from her feelings for Edward?
2. What do you think Collis’s first wife, Elizabeth, thought when Arabella was hired to care for her? Did Elizabeth punish Arabella for the open affair she had with her husband?
3. Collis and Arabella each rose to riches after greatly impoverished childhoods. Describe how they each accomplished this. Do you think this was a bond between them?
4. Would you describe Arabella’s rage-to-riches story as a “Cinderella” tale? What parallels are there, and where do the two stories diverge?
5. Arabella says early on that she is never afraid, but do you think that is true? What do you think she really feared?
6. Who do you think was the love of Arabella‘s life?
7. Discuss the title of this book. What role did “beauty” play in Arabella‘s life?
8. Discuss Arabella’s life from a feminist standpoint. In what ways did she promote feminist ideals? In what ways was she a victim of the society of her times?