I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Being Dutch, it was interesting to read the English translation of a Dutch book instead of just the original version but it never bothered me.

I had never heard of Allene Tew before but had seen the cover of the book in bookshops before and I was very interested to discover her connection with the Dutch royal family. This is a story about love, hope and courage. Allene was a remarkable woman who grew up in the latter part of the nineteenth century and because of her belief in herself and that everything is possible, was able to travel the world and become one of the richest women in the world and even a real princess.

I loved reading about the period right after the turn of the century in America and the lifestyle of the rich before the World Wars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read this interesting story!

Accurately it is more of a 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4.

When i first got this book i thought it would a biography of the lovely American princess told from her point of view, however i was let down as this book is more properly described as a historical retelling of the people that surrounded her as well as the time period that she lived in.
There was little information regarding her story except from the what the author found out about her and her collection of letters.
Still it was a good short read and i would recommend it if you are interested in such settings.

I love historical non-fiction/biographies, mostly when they talk about the lives of fascinating women. In such stories,s you can always find examples of strength and perseverance,e and that is what was projected in this story of Allene Tew. This was a great read, and I would highly recommend it.

I love reading historical fiction but this one sadly fell a bit flat for me. I felt like the author did a great job researching but it felt more like a history textbook. It made it really hard for me to connect to Allene.

A wonderfully entertaining account of an amazing life woman. I am very glad I selected this to try. I enjoy historical family sagas and I especially enjoyed the fact it was American and European. An interesting pursuit of the American Dream. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the social history of the wealthy classes.

I love reading historical fiction about this time period and really enjoyed reading this book. I recommend it to anyone interested in the gilded age.

Historical books are always hard to write if you have limited data. In this particular case there was limited personal resources explicitly relating to Allene Tew. There were 300 preserved letters and a few other newspaper clippings and personal memories of friends, but no journals. Granted the letters are a wonderful source as is the news clippings, but I think if there were journals or diaries it would be enhance the account of her life choices and feelings directly so much better.

I love the fact that Mrs. Tew plus her five other married names was adamant about that you should never look back at what you have done, but look forward to what you can do and be positive and have courage!
She wrote in a letter to her stepson, Henry that “ All girls and boys should be brought up to work these days, or at least know how to. I should think every effort should be to get work for your own dignity.... TRY to make friends, everyone can with an effort.”
She was encouraging without being negative. She still let him be who he was without actually coming out and saying, hey you freeloading guy, it’s time you work or pay rent.

She helped so many people even though she could have turned bitter after the loss of so much! I have to say that I can’t imagine why she isn’t remembered in our history books, but it took a Writer from another country to expose us to such an.benevolent woman and who did so much but was ignored maybe because she came from such humble beginnings and that she had five marriages. I don’t believe she was a money grabber or someone seeking a sugar daddy! I actually think she was taken several times herself!

The author took her letters and made the historical facts of that period come alive with her words. She married a European Prince and also became a Godmother to the Queen of the Netherlands first child. This woman was instrumental in so many ways that it is sad that she was not recognized and America has to clue we had another American Princess amongst our midst!

“Allenes greatest achievement, above her wealth, her titles, her many houses, and her impressive guest book: that despite everything she’d experienced and endured, she always clung to her ability to enjoy life and be grateful for it.”

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Aleene Tew was an American socialite who married 5 times, each time looking for love and money. She was an American Princess through marriage, a widow, a mother, and heiress. This story is non-fiction, but reads like fiction in some parts. Well written, reading it prompted me to Google Aleen Tew and learn more about her life.

Allene Tew was raised in a poor family. The thing she had going for her was her looks. She was said to be very beautiful. Her dream is to be able to live the American dream. She was married five times. She lived through many different difficulties in her life. She lost children and husbands duri g her life. Though she went through many trials and tribulations she was still able to stay cheerful. She had acquired much wealth. She was said to be very charitable and eager to help those in distress.
This story takes you through many era of history. It also tell the story of a strong women who accepts the challenges that life throws her and still comes out the other side.
Great read.

A fascinating book about which inherited wealth does to families and friends. Each chapter is a different American Princess with a detailed story of her life and how money impacted her journey. Some stories are fairly current and others are a century old. Each has a valuable life lesson to learn. This is a fast read. The descriptions are fascinating and an insightful looking into the lives of the top 1 percent of society. The reader will not want to put the book down! Enjoy!

NetGalley provided a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The life of Allene Tew just didn't come across well for me. It couldn't grab my attention I could only read a few chapters before I put it down.

Overall, An American Princess was a well written and researched work but there are a few quibbles I have with it.

First, I finished the book without really knowing who Allene Tew was as a person. There were little first person accounts/sources cited that I think would have added some dimension to her character. This may be because they have been lost to time, and not a fault of the author's choices.

Second, I feel like the latter part of the book was rushed, with less detail into the life Tew led with her last husband. I also found the detail around the settling of her estate (including a prolonged legal battle) a bit confusing. 

If you like reading about America and the privileged class after the Golden Age and the early 20th century, you'll enjoy most of this read.

More than being a Princess (she was for a time being married to a Prince) her life was much more colorful and interesting than being a mere princess.

Born into a pioneering family in a very raw part of the country, Allene Tew aspired for a world much beyond the narrow confines of a conservative, traditional family of modest means. Her first step was her marriage to Tod Hottstetter and though opposed and ostracized for years, she was one determined young lady to show everyone that she was not one to shirk from the first hurdle. Going on after his unexpected death to even better and wider horizons she was astute and clever in business, always expanding her business, landing on her feet and despite the Great Depression made and lost and regained fortunes.

Personal sadness in spades did not diminish this woman and for readers who enjoy history this would be a very good read of a period of American history from the 1800s to beyond the crash of 1929. Detailing her various husbands, their characters and the role they played in her life took up a great part of the book.

Interesting factual read.

Allene Tew was a beautiful girl from Jamestown, New York, who wanted nothing more than to escape the provincial backwater. She met dashing Tod Hotstetter, got pregant out of wedlock and married him. She discovered that, to her surprised, he was heir to one of the wealthiest families in the country. She also discovered that he had an exteme gambling problem. Their first child died in infancy, and they had two more children before his death after twelve years of marriage.

After she was widowed, Allene packed her bags. She and her children moved to New York, and she never looked back. Two years later, she married a wealthy stockbrocker. Sadly, the marriage only lasted one year.

Allene married a third time, this time to an extremely wealthy engineer. They built their dream home, and this was probably the happiest time of her life. It was also the saddest time in her life: she lost her son to a World War I plane crash and her daughter to influenza. Both died in the same week. She also lost her husband in 1927.

Allene married two more timed. Husband number four was a minor German prince, and husband number five was a Russian count. Boyh men married her for her money.

Although Allene was connected to many of the royal families, and counted many celebrities among her friends, she died alone, in winter, living in an uninsulated villa in the French Riviera.

I would recommend this title to anyone looking for a light biography, particularly, a biography of someone listed in the Social Register.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#AnAmericanPrincess:TheManyLivesofAlleneTew#NetGalley

This was a rather dry recounting of history. I learned a lot about this period of time, but I never felt a connection to Allene. She was just a random person but did not invoke any emotion on my part.

The author's research was well done, but the presentation was lacking.

Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Allene Tew grew up in Jamestown, New York during the late 1800’s. Her grandfather was one of the first residents to settle in Jamestown. The Tew family prospered in their new town. They became successful entrepreneurs - all except one, who was Allene’s father. He was given a job as assistant cashier at the family’s bank.

But from Allene’s modest upbringing, she rose to become a member of one of America’s most prominent families, and then to fame as an international society hostess, a princess, and a world traveler. She mingled with America’s high society in the Gilded Age and then became a European princess who socialized with royalty as well as with statesmen including Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower. Her life was blessed in many ways, but she also experienced many tragedies. However, she was not one to dwell on tragedies. Her philosophy of life was to move forward with persistence and determination showing courage at all times.

In this fascinating biography, author Annejet van der Zijl sheds light on the remarkable life of Allene Tew. It’s an unforgettable story, and one that brings history to life.

Thank you to author Annejet van der Zijl, Amazon Crossing Publishers, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this interesting book!

This isn't my normal read but I am glad that read 'An American Princess'. It was interesting and had a lot of history included about her life and social plans.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, freely given.

This was a very interesting historical book. I had never heard of Allene Tew, but what a life she had! This was very well written and factual.
Many thanks to Amazon Crossing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Details
I´ve never heard of Allene Tew even though I´ve studied some American History. She lived a great life and was a woman ahead of her time. Courageous, fierceless and an incredible good negotiator who led the life she wanted during a time that women were supposed to be in the background. The author tells us about her life and gives an accurate account of the historical facts that are intertwined with it. Found it most interesting !
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Allene Tew was a fascinating character a woman who lived life to the fullest many marriages twirling through society the gilded age.Really enjoyed getting to know this interesting character..#netgalley#amazoncrossing