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Book Review of Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon

Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon
Mistry avatar reviewed on + 105 more book reviews


This is a wonderfully written book about Hetty Green. Sharing the same hometown as her, I had heard of her from time to time growing up, usually in local History classes. But this book really opened my eyes to her and how she lived her life.
Reading about New Bedford, Ma in the mid 1800's and onward, and how she traveled between there and New York, yet not ever really setting down roots, because she refused to pay taxes, especially nowadays, made me chuckle and, yes, admire her!
She was strong, intelligent and her business acumen sharp as a tack.
Learning about her family, her shrewd mind for business and how she lived her life was extremely interesting.
And I learned, at my ever increasing age, that the huge mansion we would see when we went to the beach at Round Hill in S. Dartmouth with my grandmother every summer, belonged to her son. I'd never connected "Colonel Green" with Hetty Green. I've really enjoyed this book. Easy to read, not weighed down with pithy details. Definitely worth the read!