I have read and enjoyed every book that Marie Benedict has written,;whether that be alone or alongside Victoria Christopher Murray. Her books are based on the actual lives of overlooked, yet important women throughout history. The Witch of Wall Street is the story of Hetty Green who was an American businesswoman who became the richest woman in America through her extensive financial lending at very low interest rates during panicked times during the Gilded Age.
I was so excited to see this book available on NetGalley and enjoyed reading this book so very much. I highly recommend The Witch Of Wall Street to all of you, who love reading about successful women especially during the time in our history when society dictated that women do not belong in a “man’s world “. Reading this book kept me awake into the early morning hours just so that I could finish this.
Thank you to NetGalley, to St.Martin’s Press and to the Queen herself, Marie Benedict. ❤️

First, thank you, NetGalley and St Martin’s, for letting me get an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

6/5 — stars

Oooooh, once I picked up this book, I wasn’t able to stop reading it until the end. I knew I was going to like it. I have a love for anything Regency or Gilded Age related, but this book was a masterpiece.

First, the writing. I don’t know what Marie Benedict puts in this book, but it was like a drug. It flowed so perfectly. I didn’t feel like it was clunky at all. It flowed with an ease that I only find in a few authors, and I don’t read those authors as much nowadays. In the blink of an eye, I spent most of my afternoon reading this book, and I didn’t even notice.

Now, let’s talk about the story. It follows Hetty Robinson, who was a real person, and I don’t know how I had never heard about her before. More women like this should be taught in history classes. She was one of the richest women in the Gilded Age. She was self made and was known most of the time as the Witch of Wall Street, though from time to time she was called the Queen.

A woman succeeding in a male dominated field (at that time, though nowadays women are killing it everywhere) could only be one thing or the other, but most of the time, she was the first. She was such a strong and intelligent woman. Marie took some creative liberties, as she explains in her note, and this is her version of Hetty, but it was still incredible.

I recommend this book to everyone who likes anything Gilded Age related, historical female figures, or a quick read that flies by.

I just love the way Marie Benedict finds these lesser known female trailblazers and tells their story from a different perspective. Hettie Green was not a name I was familiar with and I found her account fascinating and well written. The story was so fresh to me I read this book in a day and it was engaging, fast paced and enjoyable and felt myself wanting more at the end. Very satsifyin and well done. Thanks for the early read and much luck with the book.