To marry an English Lord
Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery in the Gilded age
By Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace
why we picked it
An American heiress seeking an impoverished peer in London is a classic trope that has captivated the literary world since the days of Edith Wharton. In To Marry an English Lord, authors Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace deliver an insightful and entertaining account of the real women who successfully conquered the Ton. This engaging book combines wit and charm while addressing the less polite aspects of these transatlantic unions.
To Marry an English Lord serves as an essential guide for any author aiming to delve into the Dollar Princess trope, offering rich historical context and a range of real-life anecdotes. With its blend of humor and historical insight, this book is not only a fascinating read but also an invaluable resource for crafting authentic narratives that explore the intersection of wealth, love, and societal expectations in the world of Gilded Age romance.
Summary
Discover the true stories behind the women who inspired DowntonAbbey and NBC’s The Gilded Age, the heiresses—including a Vanderbilt (railroads), a LaRoche (pharmaceuticals), and a Rogers (oil)—who staked their ground in England, swapping dollars for titles and marrying peers of the British realm. Filled with vivid personalities, grand houses, dashing earls, and a wealth of period details and quotes on the finer points of Victorian and Edwardian etiquette, To Marry an English Lord is social history at its liveliest and most accessible. Sex, snobbery, humor, social triumphs (and gaffes), are all recalled in marvelous detail, complete with parties, clothes, scandals, affairs, and 100-year-old gossip that’s still scorching.
