A quick and entertaining read, that makes you want for a sequel. Set on the brink of change, readers will romanticize tradition one moment, and root for rebellion and change the next. Prior to the debut of two daughters, Joshua Wilcox risks all for the future of the Elevated, an above ground train in New York. The risk highlights the early days of New York transportation, industrialization and investment. Meanwhile, while two Wilcox daughters and Mrs. Wilcox experience the implications of risking all in the changing upper-class New York society. Although lacking in diversity, readers will be transported a golden age of New York society and wish for more.

New York the gilded age a wonderful read.Perfect for fans of Bridgetown.I was drawn in to the story love the drama .Will be recommending.#netgalley #putnambooks

The Gilded Age is having a moment, isn't it? Movies, YV and Books are turning to this time in teh 19th century when New York society in full swing shifted from the blue bloods to new money. Experienced writer Carol Wallace, author of To Marry an English Lord, an inspiration for Downton Abbey, knows exactly where to find the fiction in this slice of history. The Wilcox family represents the New Money asserting itself in Old New York society. Mother Helen Wilcox has one desire: to successfully launch her daughters into society. From the upper crust herself, Helen's unconventional--if happy--marriage has made the girls' social position precarious. Then her husband gambles the family fortunes on an elevated railroad that he claims will transform the face of the city and the way the people of New York live. Wilcox daughtersJemima and Alice navigate the rise and fall of their family--each is forced to re-examine who she is, and even who she is meant to love.Wonderful details and characters with enough history to set the scene. Enjoyable from start to finish. Add Our Kind of People by Carol Wallace to your Historical Fiction list.

Loved! It neatly wrapped up at the end following a very fun read. Fans of Bridgerton will like this! I certainly did.

High society in New York - where traditions, social connections, family names are important. Helen Wilcox has two daughters set to debut and her life is about to change as she rebels against societal norms...again. Her first rebellion was marrying Joshua Wilcox. He comes from a lower class than her family - and becomes a successful business man of new money.

Jemima and Alice, the daughters, waffle between following tradition and making their own connections. It's an interesting story of "back in my day we..." and "why can't we...".

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

You’ll need to be in the right mood for Our Kind of People, but there’s an easy test to see if you are. If you read the first scene, in which Helen’s about to be late for an important social occasion, while her daughter Jemima worries that her mother might arrive late. Both think a great deal about the potential social consequences of lateness, and then the scene ends before you can see if any of those worries happened and if there was any social fallout from her arriving late. So if you’re in the mood for that level of slow-paced manners novel, the rest of this book will be perfect for you.

I’m frequently in the mood for stories of women going to their dressmakers for an outfit that’s flatteringly eye-catching without being too ostentatious, within the bounds of the style of the season, of course. So I just loved these scenes of who cut who at the opera or who to invite to social events or how to restyle last year’s fashions. It doesn’t quite feel like a manners novel, though, because the characters aren’t engaged in social rituals and following social codes as much as the characters are constantly worried about messing up. Our Kind of People is much more a story about people worrying about potential social consequences, than a book about social customs. Like real worries, a great deal of the characters’ stress comes from things that never come to pass. All this time inside their heads helps readers get to know our characters very well.

In a few places, the sense of scale felt slightly off for me. So much of the book is characters saying I couldn’t possibly! Whatever would people say?! about things like an unchaperoned walk in the park but when there are actual shocks and scandals, the family just absorbs them and moves on. There’s a great deal made of Helen’s husband having the wrong background for old New York families, but when he does things that I expected to be scandalous — driving his own family while dressed as a coachman, or losing so much money they lost their house — the family just sort of accepted and absorbed it without much fallout. The same thing happened for a certain romance that seemed shocking and scandalous.

The slow pace really worked for me with the storyline about the elevated railroad. I imagine that having all the family’s money tied up in a terribly risky new business would have felt tense and grinding for the family. Most readers will know that there’s a train in Manhattan, and that the High Line was an elevated train line, but I didn’t know who built the elevated train or whether one of the founders got pushed out at the last minute or how any of that would go down.

The slow pace also worked for the gradual warming or cooling of relationships over time, or of a reputation changing. Maybe even social class changing? We get to see characters grow and change over the course of the novel, but remember that growing and changing might mean inviting a friend without an old-money background to the opera or holding a coming-out ball at a different venue.

We also get to see amazing scenes of old New York, with wildly different neighborhoods. This the a time where the new train was a speedy, upscale method of transportation around the city, and not dirty and constantly held for signal failure.

Our Kind of People would be a good fit for fans of Debutante, although of course the time period is wildly different.

The setting: New York City's Gilded Age. "Helen Wilcox has one desire: to successfully launch her daughters into society. From the upper crust herself, Helen’s unconventional—if happy—marriage has made the girls’ social position precarious. Then her husband gambles the family fortunes on an elevated railroad that he claims will transform the face of the city and the way the people of New York live, but will it ruin the Wilcoxes first? As daughters Jemima and Alice navigate the rise and fall of their family—each is forced to re-examine who she is, and even who she is meant to love." [should this last sentence have been a red flag for me?!]

I really thought I would like this book, BUT. The writing was ok but the plot way too predictable a trajectory; I saw it coming [which I do not enjoy].

Lots about societal strictures and the times but for a far better account about the social scene and growth of New York City, read the superior Vanderbilt by Cooper and Howe--[nonfiction]--a tome of that time though also deals with the before and after.

I found some of the book boring, repetitive, and superficial.

I did enjoy the description of a "regally upholstered matron."

I did not know that the mark of adulthood for a girl was putting up her hair. [so I learned something and much about the beginning and growth of the elevated--which is a substantial part of the novel].

Many descriptions/contrasts between old and new money.

Conflicts between mothers and daughters and sisters [both of two generations].

So not necessarily for me, but others may enjoy far more than I did!

In early twentieth century New York high society family and social connections were almost everything. Money mattered too, and old money vs new money are changing societal norms. In this world women aren't trying to break a corporate glass ceiling, marriage is the measure of "success". This is a tale of a family that bridges the gap between the old and the new. Helen Wilcox from a fine old family made an unconventional marriage. Her husband is gambling the family's resources to build an elevated railway. Their daughters are due to come out into society but how is that going to play out?

New York’s old money society is scandalized by lots of things, but especially by newcomers whose “people” have no discernible social standing or family money. But times are changing in the 19th century as new ideas begin to succeed on their merits. All of a sudden, nouveau riche is almost as good as old money. But for women, the most important thing is finding a suitable husband. Interesting look at high society as it used to be in New York City.

I did enjoy the book, and I especially like the character of Jemima, the older daughter. I love historical fiction featuring Gilded Age New York!

I LOVED this book so much and it will be easy to recommend. Comparisons of Bridgerton and Downton Abbey come to mind when I think about how to describe this book. It was so, so good. At first glance, this book is about a mother trying to launch her daughters into society during the Gilded Age. However at its core, it is about so much more. I truly adored this book and will be recommending it highly! All the stars!

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Netgalley, I was chosen as an early reviewer!


*****Coming out Jan 11, 2022*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Set in the Gilded Age, Helen and Joshua Wilcox mingle with New York’s Elite who are all about keeping up with the traditions and appearances. Helen Wilcox is also all about making sure her girls, Alice and Jemima, have a successful debut and navigating the social scene. Jemima is not so sure she wants to make her debut as she feels awkward around boys. As the story progresses, you learn more about Helen and Joshua’s unconventional marriage where Helen married outside of her social circle to a less educated man. This put the couple at a disadvantage socially. How will society view their unconventional views? It also didn’t help that Joshua made risky financial decisions regarding the Elevated Railroad. Will this put his family in a financial bind and put his family’s future at risk? Does this affect Jemima’s and Alice’s debut? Just by Joshua’s uneducated knowledge of the elite and his risky financial decisions, this makes for a highly entertaining story!

An interesting read that portrays a different perspective on how a couple who was not always accepted, made an impact on the elite whether the socialites chose to admit it or not. A great book club pick!

A enjoyable read about a well do to family and their ups and downs during the gilded age in New York City

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I enjoyed this book. It was easy to get into and I was able to connect with all of the characters. There was never a point where I felt board while reading. I also felt that the book ended at the perfect spot.

I always love a good New York high society story, and found this one to have an interesting perspective. The Wilcox family has begun the debuts of the two oldest daughters when Mr. Wilcox's fortune vanishes in an unfortunate gamble. As Mr. Wilcox works feverishly to prove that his elevated train is the wave of the future, Mrs. Wilcox is left to pick up the crumbling pieces of their societal positions and work to successfully introduce her daughters to society and find them suitable husbands.

I found this book to have a refreshing twist because it focused on change - change and progress in transportation - the descriptions of the horse-drawn vehicles to the elevated trains, industrial growth, and the power money has over the acceptance into society. The character of Annabelle van Ormskirk was similar to the legendary Mrs. Astor whose approval was necessary for acceptance into Society and without it - families suffered permanent disgrace. Mrs. Wilcox's character grew in the story, as she began to understand that one woman's opinion of her family should not dictate her daughter's debut or marriages. Bullies are alive and well in even the most polite and proper of societies, and Mrs. Wilcox showed that the most successful method of dealing with a bully has not changed over the centuries: you must stand your ground and stand up to them.

Good story of the industrial revolution and how society changed with modern day advances.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable book. I could really relate to the characters!

This book was exactly what I thought it would be. Set in the gilded age of New York in the 1880's it tells of a family whose lineage goes back to that of the Dutch settlers...that is on one side, the wife's. Helen Maitland defies convention as she marries "beneath" her station to Joshua. Wilcox. Testing the conventions of the times, social and economical, it is at this point where we meet Jemima and Alice Wilcox. Jemima is the older sister and she is about to enter society, meaning she is to be come a debutante and find a husband. Not so easy for a family who is outside of eligible society, where the field is filled with those bachelors who are not troubled with money, fame or families of the societal wealth. Further having a father whose dream it is to build an "elevated" railway in New York, who couldn't care less of what society thought or for that matter didn't necessarily adhere to the social rules of those peers. Jemima, for all that she cares, would rather read a book instead of being led to what it takes to find a husband as she is not comfortable with the mores of the gilded age.. What we have here is a tug of war, "old money" versus "new money." Society is changing, yet there are those who snub families and judge them contemptuously when they don't meet their standards. It is a painful process to be snubbed and criticized by those you believe are your peers.

What we have here is a book that solidly enables the reader to become invested in this story. You find yourself somewhat like a fly on the wall as you read of the goings on in the family behind closed doors. Well written, the author has made it possible to take a step into the past and give the reader a glimpse of yesterday.

My thanks to NetGalley Penguin Group – G. P. Putnam's Sons Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As Helen is preparing to launch her daughters into society, her husband loses the family fortune through investments in an elevated railroad. Forced to move in with her mother, Helen and her family are shunned by high society.

This was a fairly predictable book. It seemed to be based loosely on the Astor and Vanderbilt families. The book utilized multiple points of view, but tended to shift without warning. This made the book feel jarring. Overall, a bust.

High society in the 1800's can be overwhelming when you marry out of your acceptable social network. Helen married for love, endured snubs, along with loss of their family home.

Joshua finally became successful and their daughters can be presented to society in style. Helen decides to forge new paths and leave old society behind.

This is a wonderful read that shows perserverence, love and forging your own path can bring happiness.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC.

Such a well-written, historically accurate telling of New York society at the turn of the last century. Fans of Downtown Abbey should find this an enjoyable read. I know I sure did.