Alva Smith is desperate to save herself and her family from poverty. With the help of her friend, she attracts the attention of a wealthy Vanderbilt. All too soon, however, she learns there is more to life than money and a position in society.

I have been fascinated with the Vanderbilt family since I visited the mansions built by different members of the family. This fictional look at the slightly controversial young woman had my attention from start to finish.

The plot was heavily based on fact but told in a fictional way. The reader follows Alva's life from just before her marriage to her later years. It would have been easy to portray her as a cold-hearted, social climber, but the author skillful casts her in a sympathetic light. Alva just wanted to save her family however she could, and since the richest bachelor of her acquaintance was interested, of course, she would accept.

There are a few sex scenes, detailed enough to make me blush. They were made even more awkward by the advice Alva was given to just lie there and bear it.

Overall, a fascinating look at how Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont may have been. I would recommend this to readers who are interested in a fictional telling of a historical figure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel revolving around Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont. (I think I got all the names in). Before reading, I had an image of the Vanderbilts as this iconic American family; monied, respected, elevated. Now I know better. Before marrying Alva, the Vanderbilts didn't enjoy the elevation of being part of old New York. As in, they weren't invited to the best parties, couldn't be a part of the best clubs, or have boxes in the best opera houses, etc. Alva came with no money, but she did have class. While there was a lot of martyring going on, I was happy when her blinders came off. For a woman who championed women's rights, african american rights, the poor, and was such a huge supporter of architecture and the arts, it was painful to see her so unhappy in her personal life. Additionally, after finishing, I immediately wanted to research more about her life. In my book, any novel that can inspire the desire to learn more, is a must-read.

This was a really well written study of the times and class structure of society in the late 1800s. Having recently read a nonfiction novel about Cornelius and Edith Vanderbilt I was very interested to see how this book compared. Needless to say I was not let down. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and anyone interested in the Vanderbilt family.

This book had all the trappings of those I love. It is set in the Gilded Age among the elite of NYC and Newport, Rhode Island – two of my favorite places. It is the story of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, who marries into the Vanderbilt clan. She is a fascinating character; a socialite and formidable suffragist who tapped her husband’s family fortunes to champion building projects throughout New York and Rhode Island.

So, how come I struggled with it? The elements were all there, but there weren’t any insights that made me go “hmm, now there’s something I hadn’t thought of.” It was missing the literary magic that made me want to stay up all night long to learn how Alva was going to win over, outsmart and eventually educate all of the swanky, swarmy and self-important characters lounging in her living room night after night.

I am going to keep Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman in the return-to-when-in-another-frame-of-mind pile because I think I truly believe it has a lot to offer. It just didn’t call out to me this read through.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by this book as soon as I hear about it. I have been interested in this era in history for some time and the Vanderbilts are undoubtedly icons of the time. The story moved a little slowly at times, but I felt it was well researched and the scene set nicely. Overall, an enjoyable read from which i felt I learned more about this time in history.

This follows the life of Alva Vanderbilt, which I found fascinating. It is a well written book with some beautiful language used in parts. For me it was a little slow, and while I enjoyed it I didn’t love it. It was very Downton Abbey in that it was easy to read and very pretty but it wasn’t gripping.
I was given a ARC copy from NetGalley all opinions are my own.

There are bound to be some comparisons between this novel and Downton Abbey. While I would be quick to point out the differences between the two, not to mention the 20 so years that separate the events it did give me some idea of how the Gilded Age society worked and thrived. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Downton Abbey or wants a peak into the excess of the Gilded Age.

Like reading Downton Abbey (which means I guiltily enjoyed it).



Review copy provided by publisher.

For me, the mark of a good historical novel is how quickly and deeply I care about the author’s depictions of the issues of the past. Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman had me immediately engrossed in the world of monied NYC society during the Gilded Age. Based on the life of suffragist, socialite, and champion of architecture Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, this novel details a world in which power is doled out according to the number of generations a family has lived in American wealth. After a short courtship and engagement, Alva marries into one of the wealthiest families in The Empire City, and sets out under great opposition to establish the Vanderbilt clan as a model of culture and progressivism.

Fowler’s detailed characterization of her protagonist shows Alva’s evolution from a woman who needs funds to save her family from destitution to a socialite who will not let her family be a mere member of the second wave of American wealth. The best passages of book are when Alva is examining her life; she questions the assumed roles of freed slaves, woman’s responsibilities, and the nature of love vs a marriage of convenience. The final act of Alva’s renewal is the transformation to a woman liberated from society’s ties, a person who will never take no for an answer.

There are memorable phrases and sentences on virtually every page of Fowler’s text. Her research into the social relationships, the cultural mores and the material trappings of the age is impressive. This is a book I can and will recommend for many reasons.

A Well-Behaved Woman is a novel told through the eyes of a woman who does not settle for convention. The connections to our current struggles in gender politics are not hard to see. Fowler states in her Author’s Note after the text that she was compelled to tell Alva’s story “to combat the way notable women in history are too often reduced to little more than sensationalized sound bites.” The author masterfully accomplishes this task in A Well-Behaved Woman.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Therese Anne Fowler for the advanced copy for review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy. I read Z about Zelda Fitzgerald before, so I’m familiar with Fowler’s work. This novel is about Alva Vanderbilt. I was very excited to read about this suffragette and last of the Gilded Age, but the novel was just “okay.” There’s nothing that set the story apart or made it exceptional. I’d be interested to learn more about Alice Vanderbilt and Consuelo Vanderbilt, though.

This is an enthralling story of an exceptional woman and her times. It brings Alva Vanderbilt to life and enables us to live vicariously in a time and a manner that is unimaginable to most of us. I am very glad I got a chance to know this woman.