The author of The Second Mrs. Astor, a New York Times bestseller, returns with a captivating new book that will enchant fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, as well as readers of Marie Benedict, Karen Harper, and Allison Pataki. This sweeping work of historical fiction is inspired by the true story of Arabella Huntington, a woman whose extraordinary beauty was only surpassed by her exceptional business acumen, determination, and artistic vision. Defying the societal constraints of her time, Arabella rose from rags to riches to become the wealthiest self-made woman in America.
In 1867 Richmond, Virginia, Arabella stands out among the girls working at Worsham’s gambling parlor. Despite donning the same low-cut purple gown as her peers, it’s not just her statuesque beauty and practiced charm that set her apart. Even at seventeen, Arabella possesses an unyielding grit and a determination to escape her life of struggle and poverty.
Collis Huntington, a railroad baron and self-made multimillionaire, is drawn to Arabella from their initial encounter. Although Collis is married and thirty years her senior, their temperaments align, and flirtation quickly evolves into an affair. With Collis’s assistance, Arabella moves to New York, assuming the role of a genteel Southern widow. Utilizing Collis’s seed money and her own astute investment instincts, she begins accumulating a fortune.
While their relationship becomes an open secret, no one is surprised when Collis marries Arabella after his wife’s death. However, to gain acceptance into “The Four Hundred”—the elite circle that includes the Astors and Vanderbilts—Arabella must prove herself not only through her immense wealth but also through taste, style, and impeccable behavior. Some suspect the scandalous truth and attempt to blackmail her, while an unexpected and impossible romance poses another threat, testing her ambition, loyalties, and heart.
An American Beauty vividly brings to life the glitter and drama of a captivating chapter in history, centered around a remarkable woman who lived by her own rules.