New Book - A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler (Pages 1 - 81)

 

First Published:  October 16, 2018

This is a novel about Alva Smith, who eventually became Alva Vanderbilt.

In these pages Alva and her family are struggling financially as her father was sick. The only way to survive this solution was to marry someone rich. Her friend Consuelo Yznaga introduced her to WK Vanderbilt. At a party WK asked her to talk to him, and he proposed and she agreed. After that, Alva longed for and dreaded the marriage equally. They had to put off the wedding when WK's niece Alice died. This delay was a relief, but soon she realised that without the marriage things were going from bad to worse financially.

The book shows us a string of real people. The focus is Alva Vanderbilt, nee Smith (January 17, 1853 – January 26, 1933).

Alva's best friend was Consuelo Yznaga (1853 – 20 November 1909). 

Alva's became engaged to William Kissam Vanderbilt (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920).

In the Vanderbilt family Alva first meets:

- Alice, WK's sister-in-law. Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt (née Gwynne; November 11, 1845 – April 24, 1934) was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.

WK's sisters were:

Emily Vanderbilt (January 31, 1852 – July 28, 1946)

Florence Vanderbilt (January 8, 1854 – April 11, 1952)

Lila Vanderbilt  (September 20, 1860 – July 10, 1936)