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The American Heiress

A Novel

Daisy Goodwin, read by Katherine Kellgren

Macmillan Audio

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Daisy Goodwin, read by Katherine Kellgren The American Heiress

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"Anyone suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms (who isn't?) will find an instant tonic in Daisy Goodwin’s The American Heiress. The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers in the mind." --Allison Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of I Don’t Know How She Does It and I Think I Love You

Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.

Witty, moving, and brilliantly entertaining, Cora’s story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James.

"For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn’t always buy them happiness." --Daisy Goodwin in The Daily Mail

One of Library Journal's Best Historical Fiction Books of 2011

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Daisy Goodwin Katherine Kellgren

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Book Excerpts

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THE AMERICAN HEIRESS (Chapter 1)

The Hummingbird Man

Newport, Rhode Island, August 1893

THE VISITING HOUR WAS ALMOST OVER, SO the hummingbird man encountered only the occasional carriage as he pushed his cart along the narrow strip of road between the mansions of Newport and the Atlantic Ocean. The ladies of Newport had left their cards early that afternoon, some to prepare for the last and most important ball of the season, others so they could at least appear to do so. The usual clatter and bustle of Bellevue Avenue had faded away as the Four Hundred rested in anticipation of the

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The American Heiress Book Trailer

"Anyone suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms (who isn't?) will find an instant tonic in Daisy Goodwin's The American Heiress. The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers in the mind." --Allison Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of I Don't Know How She Does It and I Think I Love You

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin--Audiobook Excerpt

Listen to this audiobook excerpt from Daisy Goodwin's novel An American Heiress. Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts', suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England.

Reviews

Praise for The American Heiress

Praise for the Audiobook Edition of The American Heiress

“Dripping with acerbic affectation and perfect British and Newport upper-crust accents, Katherine Kellgren deliciously portrays wealthy, beautiful, naïve Cora Cash…This story is filled with a full cast of unlikeable characters…Kellgren delivers each perfectly and convincingly conveys the worst that lack of character has to offer on both sides of the pond.” – AudioFile Magazine

“Ketherine Kellgren, a truly accomplished voice actress, affects a la-di-da intercontinental accent for the narration of this puree of Edith Wharton, ‘Downtown Abbey’ and pulp romance.” – The Washington Post

“This audiobooks is full of historical detail about the lives of the rich and famous at the turn of the last century, from fashion and food to living spaces and manners. I think I listened to the descriptions of Cora’s Parisian-made trousseau about five or six times so that I could picture each sumptuous, amazing gown clearly in my mind.” – Star-Telegram

“When I first started buying audiobooks, I always went for ‘bang for the buck’ and with 13 hours of listening time to the pleasant voice of Katherine Kellgren, you definitely get your money’s worth on this one.” – 5 Minutes for Books

“This audio presentation, narrated by Katherine Kellgren, who moves with effortless authenticity from the haughty Mayfair drawl of the Prince of Wales to the self-important, Southern tinged cadences of a rich American society matron, is bound to top the list of super-summer-beach listens.” – BookPage

“Goodwin’s attention to period detail and her inclusion of perspectives from many different characters carries the book through 14 hours of listening. Katherine Kellgren assigns distinct voices to every character" – Publishers Weekly

“I think this was a perfect audiobook for this time of year. Each time I listened, especially when driving in my car in this 98 degree heat, it would carry me away to this other world that Daisy Goodwin created.” – Bookin’ with Bingo

“The characters are varied and lively and brought to life skillfully by narrator Katherine Kellgren. Those who read Daphne de Maurier and other authors in the genre will enjoy this title. Recommended.” – Library Journal

“From the first plummy tones of Katherine Kellgren’s voice, you know you’re in for a guilty pleasure…This is ‘Upstairs/Downstairs,’ ‘The Age of Innocence’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ rolled into one.” – The Winston-Salem Journal

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Praise for Print Edition of The American Heiress:

"The detailing is beautiful, the great phalanx of historical characters amusing, and the relief of reading a novel that puts enjoyment first so rare and gratifying that I am ready for a sequel." --Amanda Foreman, author of GEORGIANA, DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE, winner of the Whitbread Prize for Biography

"A shrewd, spirited historical romance with flavors of Edith Wharton, Daphne du Maurier, Jane Austen, Upstairs, Downstairs and a dash of People magazine that charts a bumpy marriage of New World money and Old World tradition.... Goodwin’s debut, a knowing, judicious blend of Gilded Age extravagance, below-stairs perspective,...and sophisticated social tableaux, offers reader satisfaction....Superior entertainment." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Top-notch writing brings to life the world of wealth on both sides of the Atlantic. This debut’s strong character development and sense of place will please fans of historical romance, including book club members." --Library Journal (starred review)

"This lush look at Edwardian excess and scandal on both sides of the Atlantic...is a propulsive story of love, manners, culture clash, and store-bought class from a time long past that proves altogether fresh."

--Publishers Weekly

"Deliciously classy. A story that gallops along, full of exquisite period detail." --Kate Mosse, author of LABYRINTH and SEPULCHRE

"I was seduced by this book, rather as Cora was seduced by her duke: with great skill and confidence. Intriguing, atmospheric, and extremely stylish, I was still thinking about it long after I had reached the end." --Penny Vincenzi, author of THE BEST OF TIMES

"Sparkling and thoroughly engaging…a delight. Filled with vitality and peopled by a vigorous supporting cast of characters…the story of a poor little rich girl learning the hard way… makes for a highly enjoyable and intelligent read." --London Sunday Times

In the Press

THE AMERICAN HEIRESS by Daisy GoodwinKirkus Book Reviews
Read the Kirkus Review of THE AMERICAN HEIRESS . A shrewd, spirited historical romance with flavors of Edith Wharton, Daphne du Maurier, Jane Austen, Upstairs, Downstairs and a dash of People magazine that charts a bumpy marriage of New World money and Old World tradition.
- Kirkus Reviews

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About the Author

Daisy Goodwin, read by Katherine Kellgren

DAISY GOODWIN, a Harkness scholar who attended Columbia University’s film school after earning a degree in history at Cambridge University, is a leading television producer in the U.K. Her poetry anthologies, including 101 Poems That Could Save Your Life, have introduced many new readers to the pleasures of poetry, and she was Chair of the judging panel of the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction. She and her husband, an ABC TV executive, have two daughters and live in London. The American Heiress is her first novel.

Daisy Goodwin
Katherine Kellgren