Most people who have an interest in business/finance, philanthropy, history or European history have heard of the Rothschild family, and the Rothschild name has become synonymous with money and power. The founder of the family was Mayer Amschel Rothschild & this book is written from his wife Guttle's perspective.
It reads like a series of diaries & I was initially unsure if this was an actual translation of real diaries (like Anne Frank's book) or a novel. It is a novel, but it reads like an autobiography & is very cleverly done. In places there are gaps, huge jumps & some slightly confusing references to people or events which again gave it the authenticity of diaries rather than a novel.

We follow the story of Guttle from a teenager who falls in love with the dashing Meir Rothschild who she spies from her window, through to the end of her life aged 90+. We see how her husband moves from humble beginnings to greatness and how he ensures that his wealth is "kept in the family" through the partnership & bequests to his five sons, We also see a loving father who doesn't neglect his daughters, but recognises that the custom at the time means they are not part of the Rothschild family after marriage & to ensure loyalties are never divided, he gives them handsome marriage allowances instead of legacies on his death. The five sons ultimately established themselves in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Naples where they changed the way business was done across Europe. However rich they got, members of the family never forgot their humble origins & philanthropy has always been one of the key traits of the family.
Overall, a very enjoyable read.

Disclosure: I received this book free from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

The First Mrs. Rothschild is a fabulous historical fiction novel that is well written and has well developed characters. A must read.

The First Mrs Rothschild by Sara Aharoni is a recent translation and is based off of journals and corespondents of Gutle Rothschild and her relationship and life with Meir Rothschild in the lare 1700s and early 1800s in Frankfurt, Germany.

This is a fabulous novel depicting a true and historical relationship and the environment and adversities that Jewish persons had to live through and deal with at that time. It was definitely sad to see our people were struggling through adversity even then.

A great read. 5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review.