Miriam Frank may not be well-known today, and that’s fine. She was a scoundrel. She had talent, speaking four languages and translating books. Her early life was rough. Illegitimate, abject poverty, absentee father. But she chose to bankrupt her soul with lovers, affairs, a ménage à trois. She may have left her fortune to a worthy cause, but was not an admirable person. I felt like I needed to shower after reading about her. Well-written, but not worth reading.

Diamonds and Deadlines is an interesting, fun biography about an historic figure that I'd never heard of before. Mrs. Frank Leslie was a fascinating person who lead a colorful, rags to riches life. I enjoyed the way this book was written. There was so much detail, not just about Mrs. Leslie, but also about those she interacted with, the cities she visited, and the times lived in. Sometimes, detail can just bog you down, but in this case, it brought the story to life. I really liked that it was clear when the author was giving researched information & when she was guessing about how or what might have happened. If you are interested in history, biography, or stories of strong women who succeeded despite societal expectations, I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of Diamonds and Deadlines in return for an honest review.

I'm sure the book is very interesting and others will enjoy it. I found it too dry and encyclopedic. Had to put it down.

I am absolutely enthralled with the gilded age. This non-fiction biography of a historical figure it was most interesting to read. While nonfiction the events were so exciting but it felt like reading fiction. I highly recommend.