A WellBehaved Woman

by Therese Anne Fowler, Hachette

There’s something utterly seductive about the opulence of America’s Gilded Age and it is into this world that Z author Therese Anne Fowler plunges us with the fascinating Alva Vanderbilt. This is fiction with a cleverly structured plot, but the author’s impeccable research shines through. “I always stick to the facts, inasmuch as they can be known,” Therese tells The Australian Women’s Weekly. “I had a timeline of documented actions and events, and a lot of hearsay, and had to reconstruct what was possibly true.” Alva and her sisters have been raised with all the expectations of a highsociety existence but with the family facing bankruptcy, marrying well is paramount. It’s 1885 and 21-year-old Alva is determined to land heir William K. Vanderbilt, from the shipping and railroad dynasty. This she manages, but not all money is equal, and taking on the stigma of the Vanderbilts’ newmoney sheen is a challenge. What’s more, her husband is lacking in most departments, including fidelity. But Alva’s stubborn refusal to be quashed by the society snobs and her strength to wrestle the reins of her marriage is powerful and triumphant, and her journey is very on point with current gender battles. Ultimately Alva defies convention in all she does, not least becoming a leading suffragette, and watching her forge that path is breathtaking. “My point of entry was an article I came across about Gloria Vanderbilt, who most of us know as a fashion designer,” says Therese. “When she was a child, her aunt [Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney] sued her mother for custody. It’s quite a story and made me wonder, who are these people? I went down the rabbit hole and came up back in 19th-century New York, with Alva. I discovered that the image we’re given of her just didn’t match her actions, and became fascinated as to how and why that might be. “I found the Gilded Age spellbinding. While there’s no question about the excesses, extreme wealth also gave rise to some of the most remarkable homes and fashions. Come for the spectacle, and stay for the story of how a conscientious woman navigated her life amid all of that.”