The Secret Lives of the Edmonts

About the Book

A sophisticated novel about the excesses and lifestyle of the fabulously rich in 1895 New York and Newport. A scandalous newspaper story creates a crisis for the unconventional heroine, forcing her to choose between her tycoon husband, the British marquess who seduced her at fifteen, and her latest very young lover. The contrasts between rich and poor are stunning: she plans to ride a camel into her ballroom while a sweatshop burns and a mob invades the grounds of her mansion. Reviewers say: “unforgettable and provocative,” “successor to Wharton and Auchincloss,” “first-rate historical fiction.”

About the Author

Lucy Kavaler is the author of 17 books, and is internationally recognized for her writings on the lifestyles of the rich and for her expertise as a social historian. She wrote The Astors, A Family Chronicle of Pomp and Power, which is often described as the "definitive" biography of this fabulous dynasty, and was the inspiration for The Secret Lives of the Edmonts and its magnetic heroine. She was recently interviewed on A&E's Biography. Books are frequently cited on Best Books of the Year Lists and appear in anthologies and foreign editions. Reviewers praise her "exceptional narrative gifts," and say "her skill as a raconteur is without peer.