American Beauty: Novel of Arabella Huntington

I can only start this review one way. Wow! What a story!

The author begins near the end of 1902, with Lucy, a sales clerk, from The Town Topics Publishing Co. arriving to see Mrs Huntington. Lucy’s employer is trying to gouge the widow of Collis P. Huntington to pay the hefty price of $10,000 for a copy of its newest publication “Fads and Fancies of Representative Americans at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: being a Portrayal of their Tastes, Diversions, and Achievements.”

From there, the author sends the reader back to 1867 and into the life of Arabella D. Yarrington – a beautiful 17 year old- who is working as a champagne girl at one of the many illegal drinking and gambling houses that Johnny Worsham owns in Richmond. Arabella’s father has died and left behind his wife and five children on the verge of starvation. Arabella’s job makes the difference between their eating or starving.

Arabella is not only beautiful, she is smart. She is determined. She is a planner. And she wants her family out of poverty. When she meets Collis P. Huntington, she believes she has found her way out. But only if she consistently plays her part.

This well researched novel takes the reader through all the feels. Emotionally hard at times, Arabella (Belle) moves forward in her planned out life to rescue not only her mother and siblings but herself. When she needs to reinvent herself, she does just that.

The story, set in The Gilded Age, takes the reader to glorious places and the opulent buildings and homes that were popular during that time. During this period of her life, Belle, with thoughtfulness and grace, faces rejection from a very judgmental society. She is judged. She is shunned. But, she perseveres in creating the life she wants for her family.

This beautifully written, well researched novel is historical fiction at its best as the author tells the story of the real Arabella Yarrington and how she fought, planned, changed, and honed her skills to become the richest woman in the country.

I loved this book. The author’s beautifully written descriptions make the Gilded Age, and all its excess, come alive for the reader. Not only a solid five star read for me but a new author discovered! Well done, Shana Abe.

A page turner

This richly worded novel is a biography of Arabella Huntington. That is, in as much as what facts of her life survived the best efforts that her very deep bank balance were unable to expunge or that people who knew her in the second half of the19th century and the first part of the 20th century wrote or spoke about after her death.
The author, Shana Abe, who also wrote the exquisite “The Second Mrs. Astor,” researched the remaining facts diligently and then filled in the gaps with a wonderful imagination.
The result is a powerful and heady mixture that holds the reader’s interest throughout the novel.
I have just f inished ‘The Second Mrs Astor’, and it seemed a propitious time to follow on with ‘An American Beauty’.
In truth, I am glad to have read two such novels in a row.

Belle is fascinating and the story was well written with historical accurate facts so much so that I looked it up on the Internet several times to see pictures of the buildings and the people. Next week we will be reviewing it at my book club.

It began slow as the characters were introduced. A bit of a “wader” story at this point. Then midway through it sped up finishing well.

I loved this book so much I could barely put it down and read it in 5 days. It is very well written and drew me into the world of the characters in an engaging way. It is also exceptionally well written.