Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe (2024)The Astor family is probably one of the most well-known throughout American history, starting from humble beginnings to become one of the wealthiest families in the country. In this book, Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe detail the Astor family tree, from how they started, to ruling the Gilded Age, to falling in spectacular fashion in the early 2000s. I've always loved Gilded Age history and the Astors factor prominently there, so I was excited to learn more about this family. It does get a bit confusing when so many family members have similar names, and some of the chapters made me scratch my head at why they were even included, but I did really enjoy this book. 4 stars
This novel imagines the courtship and brief marriage of John Jacob "Jack" Astor and Madeleine Force, his second (and much younger) wife, before his untimely demise on the Titanic. Madeleine is just 17 when she begins a relationship with Jack, and this coupled with his famous name cause them to be swamped by press. Even in tragedy and heavily pregnant, Madeleine cannot escape them. I thought this book was just beautiful. It's practically impossible to know the true nature of their relationship, but Abe imagines it as a love match on both sides. The feelings she is able to evoke through her words are so lovely - it's romantic, it's ethereal, the way the two are so entranced with each other that everything else fades away. I truly felt transported and invested in their story, although it is bittersweet knowing how quickly and sadly their story would end. 5 stars
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I read some YA fantasy from Abe but didn't know about this book. Interesting people she selected to reimagine. I can see how this would be emotional.
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