A Well-Behaved Woman

Reviews / Votes

A very lively read * Independent * A pacy, elegant novel, powered by a heroine who parlays her pluck into real clout. * Mail on Sunday * Fascinating . . . a glittering depiction of a woman ahead of her time who absolutely refused to be second best * Red * A fascinating tale of liberation and self-sufficiency that conjures up the work of Edith Wharton . . . a wholly absorbing tale that transports the reader to the Gilded Age of the 1800s. It's the perfect Sunday afternoon-in-bed read. * Stylist * Sheer brilliance -- Book Wars * Stylist * Therese Anne Fowler's portrait of this feisty, forward-thinking woman is enthralling * Good Housekeeping * Sure to enthral * Harper's Bazaar * Like Gossip Girl minus more than a century. * The Skimm * This novel is a treat. Fowler's attention to period detail is both mesmerising and delicately drawn and the cast of recognisable characters such as the Astors, the Mandevilles and those from the British aristocracy are intriguing. The novel offers an unsentimental, thought provoking and nuanced examination of an extraordinary life during a time where women were grossly undervalued and oppressed. Alva demanded and achieved more, altering the course of women's lives in unprecedented ways. Fowler has articulated her narrative in an utterly fascinating account of gender politics that still bears a deep resonance today. Alva's story has been resurrected and made newly unforgettable. * Irish Times * A very lively read . . . with Alva's social manoeuvring depicted in all its glory, along with her willingness to defy social convention as an advocate of African American rights, a divorcee and, later, a prominent campaigner for women's suffrage. * Irish News * Fowler's Alva is tough, cagey and unwilling to settle for the role of high-society ornament - what's not to like? * The Washington Post * A tale well-researched and honest, it returns to Alva Smith Vanderbilt that which many historians have taken away: her voice * New York Journal of Books * Like its subject, A Well-Behaved Woman draws beauty from paradox: it is both detailed and fast-paced, loving and critical, heart-breaking and hopeful * Chicago Review of Books * Now's a good time to start adding to your collection of historical heroines. Alva Vanderbilt should be right up there. With A Well-Behaved Woman, Therese Anne Fowler repeats the same magic she did in her 2013 novel Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald: she fictionalises the story of one of American history's most fascinating women * Refinery29 * In this enticing novel, Therese Anne Fowler introduces us to Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont, a remarkable woman who was the epitome of the expression "well-behaved women seldom make history' * Good Housekeeping US * In the vein of Fowler's Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, A Well-Behaved Woman follows the rise of another unsuspecting heroine of American history: Alva Vanderbilt * InStyle * This novel is like wallowing in a jacuzzi: relaxing and invigorating. Delightful * Irish Examiner * Nothing short of mesmerising * Kirkus * As accomplished as its subject, redoubtable socialite and women's suffrage crusader Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, Fowler's engrossing successor to 2013's Z: a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, again showcases her genius for seeing beyond the myths of iconic women * Publisher's Weekly * Captivating . . . I dare you not to dive right in * Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife * This is a wonderful book! Fowler's portrait is so nuanced, so complicated by context, and so informed by her own capacious generosity that we can't help being drawn in * Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves * Not just breathtakingly alive, but dazzlingly and profoundly timely. A must-read masterpiece. * Caroline Leavitt, the New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You * A fascinating tale of Gilded Age manners and mores, and one remarkable woman's attempts to transcend them. * Chris Bohjalian, No.1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant * Activist, egalitarian, philanthropist, trailblazer - these are the qualities of a historic leader . . . Alva's gumption and glamour will resonate with modern women and remind all that history belongs to those who courageously persevere. A sparkling, powerful story that needs to be heard now more than ever. * Sarah McCoy, New York Times and international bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables * Immensely readable . . . an extraordinary portrait of a strong, fascinating woman * Christina Baker Kline, New York Times bestselling author of A Piece of the World * Oh, how I loved every instant I spent in the world Fowler has recreated here . . . Prepare to be enthralled! * Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Couple * The story of Alva Vanderbilt is long overdue for a telling, but it was worth the wait . . . a delicious book * Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Girls in the Picture * With you-are-there immediacy fuelled by assured attention to biographical detail and deft weaving of labyrinthine intrigue, Fowler creates a thoroughly credible imagining of the challenges and emotional turmoil facing this fiercely independent woman * Booklist * Fascinating * Garden & Gun * A very lively read . . . Fowler is particularly good at the competing voices which vie for young Alva's attention as she tries to secure a wealthy husband who will shore up the fortunes of her impoverished family. * Irish Examiner *