Two fictitious women named Cora
end up in similar circumstances as American heiresses to European aristocrats
in the 1890s. In Julian Fellowes’ Downton
Abbey, the popular PBS series, and in the acclaimed novel, The American Heiress, written so
beautifully by Daisy Goodwin both Coras are based on many real-life wealthy
American women.
At the end if the nineteenth
century it has been estimated that 450 American heiresses married European
aristocrats: earls, counts, princes, dukes, viscounts, marquises, barons, and knights.
The wealthy in general and the heiresses in particular became the first true
celebrities in American life as Ms. Goodwin precisely points out.
“The New York Times suggested
in 1893 that as much as fifty million dollars might have accompanied the
American brides as they sailed across the Atlantic for their new lives in the
decayed and impoverished estates of the great aristocratic families.” From Titled Americans, 1890: The Real Heiresses’
Guide to Marrying an Aristocrat.
We can only imagine the
relationships of these heiresses with their noblemen. Most of the marriages
appear to be loveless and arranged: the heiresses gained titles and the crumbling
estates rose up like the phoenix. But what about love and marriage? In Downton Abbey, the love between Countess Cora and Lord Grantham took a few years to
cultivate. On the other hand, Cora Cash and the destitute Ninth Duke of
Wareham, meet accidentally and fall in love before either realize the other’s
circumstance.
If you’re a Downton Abbey fan I say there’s a
fair-to-middling chance you’ll enjoy The
American Heiress. And in my humble opinion don’t believe the reviews that
state Daisy Goodwin’s ending is predictable.
Hmm, I do like Downton Abby, I'll have to put this book on my TBR list.
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