Heiresses

Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heiresses and us, regular mortals, are two different types of humankind. The first, who was born into money, look at the world in a completely different way. One of the many differences is the danger money brings. Laura Thompson takes the reader way back into the seventeenth century when women were nothing more but property in a hands of their husbands. They were forced into unwanted marriages, some kidnapped, and some ended up in an asylum. But with each century they improved their positions and equality in the world.

My favorite part of the book was the end of nineteen and the beginning of the twentieth century. That’s the beginning of feminism and drastic change in the world of “old” and “new” money. The book combines many interesting stories of the heiresses. Many of which are referenced in multiple classical novels by Jane Austin, Edith Wharton, etc. This is a very relaxing and entertaining read with short “biographies” of the world’s wealthiest women. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free and advanced copy of the book.



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