Review #2: The Social Graces by Renee Rosen

Photo Credit: Penguin Random House

Rating this one 8/10 because it is on one of my favorite eras, has great characters, and is 10/10 entertaining. The Social Graces is about New York upper crust society during the Gilded Age - ~1870 -1900. Specifically, the rivalry between Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt.

Vibe: Gossipy! The novel is told by three POVs – Alva Vanderbilt, Caroline Astor, and our Greek Chorus “Society”. If you want a sneak peek into how the rich and famous lived at the turn of the 20th century, here is your opportunity. The wealth is immense, the scandal is greater, and it is cut throat.  

Describe the book in three words: historical, New York, society

Plot: The plot moves, but it is not a beginning, middle, and end. It is a time piece, a character development piece. We learn and grow with Caroline and Alva and society. We are taken back and forth from New York to Newport. The chapters are pretty short and it does not drag. Pretty quick moving for those of us with TikTok length attention spans. I know a fair bit about the Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age and the stories are truly rooted in the true history, which is always a treat.

Characters: Strong females trapped in a male dominated world/time!

Prose: I enjoyed the different POVs, the prose isn’t the star, the characters are!

You’ll like this if you like… The Gilded Age on Netflix, Vanderbilt by Anderson Cooper, Newport Rhode Island