Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age

I'll admit to a certain partiality towards the history of the American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, subsequently the first wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough.Growing up on Long Island as I did, where her parents had their original summer estate, the story of Consuelo's marriage to the Duke was well-known. Some referred to her bethrothal as a sale, a fabulously wealthy American girl traded off to be the bride of a titled Englishman who was close to destitute.On a personal basis, my family was among the founders of the incorporated country club which, decades later, bought Consuelo's own Long Island estate; I married my first husband in Consuelo's beautiful English-style garden. Therefore, while I feel no sense of commonality with her, I do feel a connection.Having said this, it will be no surprise that I have read most of the biographies and autobiographies of Consuelo and her mother, Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont. From this vantage point, author Amanda Mackenzie Stuart has done an excellent job in her book, CONSUELO AND ALVA VANDERBILT: THE STORY OF A DAUGHTER AND A MOTHER IN THE GILDED AGE. Not even Consuelo's own autobiography gave as clear a sense of her humanity as Stuart does here; similarly, none of the books about Alva and her dedication to the women's suffrage movement gives as good a picture of that lady herself.Without question, these were two extraordinary women, sharing at least three stories. In fact, three stories may have been one story too many for easy integration into a combined biography that is manageable in scope.The prose used by the author, while adequate, never crosses that important line to engaging. While the subject always is interesting, the book sometimes fails to be.There are a number of niggardly flaws, admittedly minor at best, yet the quantity of these flaws, in such a serious work, disrupt the flow of the history. And I cannot understand why the foreign phrases with which the book is peppered never are translated. Surely not every reader of an English-language publication can be presumed to talk French.Alva was a complex woman; by modern standards, probably one who was disturbed. In the simpler times when she ruled society, money easily smoothed over one's glaring peculiarities.After the death of her second husband, she lost herself in the suffrage movement. That the cause was important and worthwhile, there is no doubt. This importance does not explain Alva's allegiance to it, however, which almost bordered fanaticism. Nor does this explain her self-centered vision of a movement that, ultimately, impacted the rights of women across the globe.Her daughter seems to have been a kinder, more generous, personality, just plain nicer all around. Consuelo obviously had the greater capacity to love and be loved. Blessed with a very long life, she had close and loving relationships with friends, servants and, most importantly, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.The part of the book about the suffrage movement does not sustain the pacing of the biographical sections, even though the juxtapositioning of the gilded age with the disenfranchised lower classes does provide food for thought.Overall, this remains a work of the highest level of scholarship.

Alva Vanderbilt was swimming in money via her Husband, the long suffereing William Kissam Vanderbilt, Often referred to as "Willy K" Consuelo suffered a great deal of emotional abuse from her controlling mother, Alva. When Consuelo fell in love with a local boy, who didn't have wealth or connections, Alva forbid her to see the boy again. Every quickly Alva arranged the marriage of her daugher to cash poor Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough who was, at that time, the Master ofIn her autobiographyBlenheim Palace , It was t hrough the Vanderbilt fortune that the Palace was returned to it's orginal splendor. Her husband was referred to as "Sunny," though he was anything but "Sunny" towards his wife, whom he did not love and certainly did not care for. Eventually he requested an annulment, which Consuelo agreed to. Alva testified in court that she forced her daughter into the loveless marriage. By this time mother and daughter were on much better terms. Through this marriage she became Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough. Consuelo Vanderbilt later described how she was required to wear a steel rod, which ran down her spine and fastened around her waist and over her shoulders, to improve her posture. She was educated entirely at home by governesses and tutors and learned foreign languages at an early age. Her mother was a strict disciplinarian and whipped her with a riding crop for minor infractions. When, as a teenager, Consuelo objected to the clothing her mother had selected for her, Alva Vanderbilt told her that "I do the thinking, you do as you are told. Alva at one time owned nine mansions which she had a great deal to do with the design of each home. Alva was one of the first female members of the American Institute of Architects. Aside from designing her own mansions she was contracted to design many more. Alva became very active in the Woman's Right To Vote" campaign. Both mother and daughter eventually enjoyed happy second marriages. Alva is the author of two very amusing quotes:"Just pray to God. She will help you.""First marry for money, then marry for love."

I love reading about this time in history and all things Vanderbilt! Great book, I felt sorry for Consuelo though!

This appears to be a very well researched and well written book. The author crafts and melds the details very carefully and politely. Consuelo survived the overbearing wrath of her mother (Alva) in every area of life both as a child growing up and then into an arranged marriage. But all was not lost: Consuelo waited 27 long years before she could marry the man she loved. She radiates a great strength and a genuine sweetness of character that shows through in her kindness and graciousness. The author is a master of how to craft the story line and bring it to life without being patronizing or playing on the sympathy and emotions of the reader. And what about Alva? Read the book and there may be a surprise ending that nobody saw coming!

This is a good book that provides more details on this incredibly fasinating family. Alva Vanderbilt had decided that no "untitled" American was good enough for her daughter and sets out to ensure that Consuelo marries a "title" but then consigns her daughter to a loveless marriage in a foreign country. This book also highlights the importance Alva played to the women's liberation movement of the early 1900's. I do wish that they would have gone into more depth about the relationship between Alva and Consuelo as well as Consuelo to her two sons. I can tell from the other book I read about Consuelo, "The Glitter and the Gold," that Consuelo was an extremely private person, so it may be that these details just no longer exist. The concept of an arranged marriage is so foreign to our modern lives that it's hard to imagine. That alone makes this book a very intriguing read!

I found this book to be very boring. I didn't even finish it. :(

Maybe it's me but I find this trying to be more of a dissertaion submission about Social behaviour at the turn of the previous century .I think it is maybe that I am not high brow enough for the book .What I really wanted was a 'story ' not a book where I have to really take notice of every point so that I can mentally refer back to it .The author is clearly a very learned woman who has great skill at collating and sorting information but it feels like she is frightened of being accused of not writing a 'learned ' piece of work and is reluctant to fall into what she might see as ' common gossip ' .It seems that every event she describes has to be analysed and scrutinised before she moves onto the next event .Quite frankly , and this is my failing and not hers , I pick up my Kindle reluctantly - like I feel I must read it every night , rather than WANT to read it .I normally , in a paper book , flick to the photographs when I lose the thread of the text , but haven't mastered the 'flicking ' art on my Kindle yet . To be fair ,I have now got a good feel for Alva Vanderbilt's persona and am persevering to get to Consuelo.It has been interesting in the whole to be fair . Maybe I should just accept my own failings and stick to less ambitious works .

Call me awful, but I thought this might be jucier that it was, with the full story of this infamous, doomed arranged marriage between an English Lord and an American heiress. Not really interested in 'Consuelo the Saintly Benefactress' which is what the last half of this (not small) book seems to be about. I decided against finishing it in the end. Sorry Amanda Mackenzie Stuart.

Found this book by chance and on the whole it is very informative of a lifestyle few would have any insight. A little long winded at times and quite a lot of assumptions but nevertheless a good read. It is however a great pity there are no photographs which would have brought to life the major players in the story

Great story - visited Newport last year and so was interested in the lives of the Vanderbilts Well written, detailed and very readable.