American Duchess by Karen Harper
Part of the back cover copy said, "Before there was Meghan Markle, there was Consuelo Vanderbilt." Frankly, they have a thin connection, only in that they're American women who married British aristocrats. Meghan is a film star, while Consuelo was basically American royalty due to her family's fortune.
I was captivated by Consuelo being forced to marry a Duke in England when she was eighteen and in love with someone else. But how interesting that she later divorced and married the love of her life. The lavish homes and palaces seemed so boring but Consuelo livened things up by spending time with local people and doing the best she could for them.
I loved her friendship with Winston Churchill, her gentle relationship with her father, how her relationship with her mother shifted over the course of her life. I wish the story hadn't ended during the Second World War because I wanted to know how her later years played out.
General consensus: Glosses a lot but probably out of necessity as the author is trying to cover so many years and not churn out an encyclopedia. I was just hungry for more detail. But truly, a great way to learn history and I've already recommended it to my mother.
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