Recently I devoured Renee Rosen's new release The Social Graces. I knew before starting that it was about Alva Vanderbilt and her social feud with Caroline Astor - that's actually why I picked this one up. A few years ago I was introduced to Alva and her formidable conquest of Gilded Age Society in another book - one that would pair beautifully with Rosen's. That made me start thinking about other books that would pair/read well together ...
The Social Graces by Renee Rosen (2021)
Read Together:
This is Alva Vanderbilt's story, and it is an engrossing and fascinating read. Having read this first, I enjoyed seeing the differences in how she was portrayed, depending on the focus of each book.
Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict (2018)
This pairing might surprise you a little, but as I was reading about the class distinctions and growing unrest, I remembered this one. Like Alva, Clara Kelley took advantage of every chance she came across to better herself and her place in the world - but "behind the scenes." Benedict writes a captivating tale about what might have helped Andrew Carnegie's journey to philanthropy.
Jennie Jerome was one of the American heiresses who married into British nobility (as Alva's friend and daughter both did). Her story is both similar to and very different from Alva's, but it is no less intriguing (and quite a bit more colorful).
Confession time: I haven't read this one yet, but it has been bumped up on my TBR list after finishing The Social Graces!
This is Consuelo Vanderbilt's story, after her marriage to the Duke of Marlborough, and I very much look forward to reading about her "ever after."
