Of course, I liked Becoming Duchess Goldblatt. I follow her on Twitter.

I must admit, however, that I will dutifully forget much of this book in favor of the imaginary creation. I quote the Duchess frequently and believe in her fervently. She amuses, amazes, scolds, celebrates, and praises her readers. Her Grace delights me time and time again.

Having never been much of a follower of celebrities (or politicians), it came as a surprise to me that I joined the multitudes who worship Her Grace.

"Search your heart. If you can say you did your best today, you may have popsicles for dinner."
"I'm trying to be quiet and gather strength to be a voice of encouragement for you loons, who somehow need me and somehow found me."
"As a fictional utopia, Crooked Path doesn't have any police to defund. Much like heaven, this town is run by librarians in sensible shoes who make house calls."

Enough said. Enjoy.

NetGalley/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Memoir. July 7, 2020. Print length: 240 pages.

It was a dreary day when I first discovered Duchess Goldblatt's account on Twitter. Her tweets are not the norm, and her profile picture looks exactly like Portrait of an Elderly Lady. Who would think to create such an account and why? I soon started following her and she is a positive ray of sunshine in the sometimes(often) negative Twitter world.
Becoming Duchess Goldblatt describes this anonymous author's journey both personally and professionally. A woman who lost her job, her husband, and many of her friends. She managed to create a safe and welcoming space,
that made her feel less alone. I never read any of her Tweets without feeling that there is room for kindness in this crazy and chaotic world. Everyone is welcome to bask in the warm glow of acceptance.
This was a perfect self-isolation read and it was lovely to learn more about the woman behind the curtain. This book publishes in July, and might I suggest you seek her account out to see is this memoir would appeal to you. Thank you for your wisdom, your Grace!

Her Grace, Duchess Goldblatt is a twitter celebrity. An 81-year-old literary icon, she has brought people together in her name: in bookstores, museums, concerts, coffee shops, and along the way, brought real friends home —foremost among them, American singer-songwriter, Lyle Lovett.

I first encountered her through the several authors I follow on Twitter. Her persona is represented by Frans Hals’ Portrait of An Elderly Lady (1633), considered one of his most impressive portraits. The image could not have suited Her Grace better. Her tweets are heart-lifting, profound, cheeky, fun, and often the very words you need to hear in that moment.

Becoming Duchess Goldblatt is two stories: that of the reclusive real-life writer who created a fictional character out of loneliness and thin air, and that of the magical Duchess Goldblatt herself - a bright light in the darkness of social media. Fans around the world are drawn to Her Grace’s voice, her wit, her life-affirming love for all humanity, and the fun and friendship of the community that’s sprung up around her.

Her book reveals the person behind the anonymous personality - her journey through a difficult childhood, a broken marriage, and the continual part-time separation from her young son. Creating this identity was a way to get online and familiarize herself with social media. Until the writer in her decided to expand her persona and provide her with a story.

There are a handful of people in this world who have actually met Her Grace. She often wonders if she and the Duchess are separate people or the same and how she can befriend hundreds of people here when in reality she considers herself friendless.

The book is soul stirring and relatable in so many ways; a truly fascinating account of an anonymous writer with a fictional online personality.

This ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was certainly blown away by how incredible this book is. It's deeply felt and gorgeously written. A standout, for sure.

Nothing like I expected, but I was not disappointed. This memoir of a writer who pulls herself out of grief and depression by creating an online alter-ego who showers love and support upon strangers is charming and inspiring. I may be late to the party, but count me as a true fan of Her Grace.

It was a pleasure reading about how Becoming Duchess Goldblatt—became!

The author’s frank and candid sharing of how her tail-spinning personal life led her to reach out in the Twitter world to become the Duchess, was endearing and engaging.

It’s a memoir full of honesty, without duplicity and wonderful humor.

I had to go on Twitter to check her out and sure enough, she is truly unique and one-of-a-kind.

Becoming Duchess Goldblatt, is a lovely read. Refreshing and feel-goods-galore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for the read of Anonymous’, Becoming Duchess Goldblatt.

Opinions expressed in my reviews are my own.

This is the non-fictional account of the person behind the curtain of the Duchess Goldblatt twitter account. Much like in the Wizard of Oz, there is some discombobulation in learning of the everyday-ness of a public figure. Overall, I enjoyed the book and definitely appreciated the author’s personal arc, but the early parts of the book and some of her takes about people in her life are decidedly un-Goldblattian and, frankly, a bit cringeworthy. An interesting memoir to be sure. For fans is the twitter persona and those who enjoyed The memoir Educated.

Read this memoir if you love Duchess Goldblatt, wisdom, or Twitter! This is a great quarantine read full of humor, warmth, and community.

This was a perfect quarantine read. Humor to keep you smiling balanced with serious content to keep thinking. I haven't recommended the book too much yet, but have been talking up the Duchess Goldblatt Twitter account - setting the stage for book recommendations.

Duchess Goldblatt is a beloved faux-figure who tweets hilarious bon mots that have attracted legions of followers, the most notable of which is Lyle Lovett. This anonymous memoir is the real-life story of the woman who was going through a rough and lonely patch in her life, and created the Duchess Goldblatt character as a way of connecting with others on Twitter. Online "her grace" seems to be someone who lives a merry life of leisure and literature, but in real life, her creator provides a candid look at the hurt and confusion she was experiencing. Many people go through hard times and feel alone, but in creating this character, the author shows us how she found a measure of peace and a tribe of people who have endured similar struggles and survived. The book was an absolute delight to read, in large part because we get to know DG's imaginative creator and see how she built this icon who has brought joy to her many followers. Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and the Duchess herself, whoever she is, for providing me with this galley in exchange for an honest review.

As a loyal follower of the twitter account of the one and only Duchess Goldblatt I was touched moved by this open honest revealing look at the woman behind the name.The Duchesses real life story was so surprising so moving .I read this in one sitting.Ive tried to guess who the Duchess really was her book explained so much. #netgalley#harpercollins

I wasn’t ready for how wonderful this book would be. The story of a women who brings herself back from the brink of shattering by creating Duchess Goldblatt, I read this in one sitting.

To say this is a memoir is not doing it justice. Most readers know by now that Duchess Goldblatt is a pseudonym for a female author who has over 20,000 Twitter followers. Why Twitter? Why the name Duchess Goldblatt? Because she can. She's the Duchess. Seriously though, a few years ago the Duchess hit a rough patch in her personal life and found herself without her safety net of friends, family and coworkers. Sending tweets became her way of connecting with others using the persona of the dignified, ever-loving (evergreen love) Duchess. This is a book that will make you laugh, and nod as you relate to the trials of life that she goes thru. But make no mistake. The Duchess is like us, but she's not. The same, only different.
Some will ask don't you want to know who the Duchess really is in real life? Well, I'm a librarian and I could do the work to discover

In 280 characters or less, Duchess Goldblatt has captured the hearts of many in the twitterverse. Her often humorous observations or tender affirmations act as a salve in these modern times. But where did Her Grace really come from? In this moving memoir we learn the true origins of Duchess Goldblatt-- and that makes us lover her even more!

I loved reading Becoming Duchess Goldblatt, a memoir written by the anonymous Twitter account that has garnered a multitude of followers—from the famous to the unknown. As a Twitter user I was intrigued by this mysterious account by Duchess Goldblatt that spouted bits of wise philosophical statements and humor with a quick wit and a caring heart. I was also mesmerized about the real person behind the account, a woman trying to start over as her personal life was falling apart. Read this memoir if you love Duchess Goldblatt or even if you’ve never heard of her because the story of the woman and the community she created is the kind of feel-good story we need right now.