Well-behaved women seldom make history. — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is right. Here at Two at Twenty-Seven, we live by the three F’s: faith, family and feminism. (Personally, I would argue for a fourth: food.) We’re all about that girl power! And A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts brings us all the good girl vibes about making the world a better place for us gals.
Additionally, historical fiction is all the rage these days, and we’re here for it. Who doesn’t love a good story that’s also based on true events? Plus, author Therese Ann Fowler does a phenomenal job weaving in the day-to-day “struggles” of the rich during this time period. Now, I don’t necessarily “Keep Up” with those Kardashians, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sucker for lifestyles of the rich and the famous. And the Vanderbilt family brings the DRAMA. Think family shame from lavish lifestyles, crashing yachts, affairs and competitions to see who has the biggest and best mansions—spoiler alert: the Biltmore Estate wins—and you’ve scraped the surface of the Vanderbilts. What started as a monopoly on the U.S.’s railway lines turned into millions of family dollars through investments and business ventures. Underlying all of that drama, however, is a more poignant story: the remarkable life of a Vanderbilt in-law and eventually the evolution of one of the country’s first forward-thinking feminists.
Alva Smith is a soon-to-be wannabe in the world of the rich and needs to marry someone with status soon–not only for her family’s status, but for their livelihoods, after her father’s cotton business is nearly bankrupted by the outcome of the Civil War. When a prominent Cuban heiress (and Alva’s best friend) proposes a union between Alva and their second son of the recently shunned yet prominent Vanderbilt family, Alva would be foolish to deny the offer. She accepts. The marriage is arranged. And the world opens up for Alva and her three sisters in New York City.
Now, I know you’re reading this and thinking, “Why do I want to read the story of an insanely rich person? How does this relate to me?” I thought the same thing about 50 pages in. The truth is, Alva Smith Vanderbilt is anything BUT a “well-behaved” woman by the standards of the Gilded Age. She throws a costume party to get back at a socialite who denied her mother-in-law a box at the opera, she designs mansions and works hand-in-hand with a male architect to bring the buildings to life (gasp!), and more. My personal favorite would be Alva’s ability to see beyond the status of those traditionally rich families and create new trends. In order to get back at that pesky Mrs. Astor who (still) refused to give the Vanderbilts a box at the opera, she worked with a team to found The Met—for all to consume fine art. The world thanks you for your gumption, girl!
Beyond all of that excitement, I was deeply pensive about Alva’s story towards the end. She continually contemplates many of life’s deepest questions—the most frequent surround the subject of love. What is love? Is it marrying for comfort? Is it committing yourself to your partner no matter their profession or standing, even if it means putting you and your family in a lesser position? Is it even attainable in this life? Through all the twists and turns, Alva’s belief that love is out there to be found leads her to make one the grandest decisions in the fight towards gender equality in the Gilded Age. (Read it, you’ll understand.) I believe there are women everywhere that will forever be grateful for Alva Smith Vanderbilt and her ardent bravery.
It’s annoying I know, but I gotta make a not-so-shameless plug mid-review for Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. Fowler first came on the scene in 2016 with the life story about Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald and her rollercoaster relationship with F. Scott. A striking read that invokes empathy and sympathy, Z sheds some light on mental health and the toll it takes on all family members, especially women. In my humble opinion, Z is a better story, but A Well-Behaved Woman is a better book. Pick it up if you want a throwback and a dose of drama from the roaring 20’s and 30’s. And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Despite coming out in late 2018, this book has stood the test of time. A solid 4.5 out of 5 stars, A Well-Behaved Woman will have you cheering for Alva all the way. Who runs the world? GIRLS!