Mrs. Astor Regrets: The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach
Author:
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 6
This is a tragic story of love, greed and revenge, a love-hate relationship between mother and son that permeates a family and continues to the next generation. With more than 200 interviews plus exhaustive research including medical records and court papers, this biography leaves no stone unturned in exploring the world of renowned socialite Brooke Astor.
However, this book truly shines when the author gets down to business investigating how Ms. Astor lived during the last years of her life and whether or not there was elderly abuse. Anecdotes and recollections of her son and his lawyers are contrasted starkly with those of her grandsons, close friends, business associates, and former employees. Key documents, long-forgotten letters, family pictures, and meticulous notes taken by her nurses (often in code) help paint a vivid picture of what happened behind closed doors.
Although intriguing in that it provides a behind-the-scenes insiders look at what really goes on in New York old-money society, it struggles a bit with keeping a coherent flow as interviews and flashbacks are interwoven throughout, in a valiant effort to be objective and get all points of view of the parties involved. Things do pick up once you get past the first half of the book and you have a better sense of whos who. A glossary of people or index in back would have helped.
Given that this book focuses a lot on the years following Mrs. Astors 100th birthday, readers hoping to get a complete biography of her life may be disappointed (The Last Mrs. Astor by Frances Kiernan might has much background of her early years, although it skims over the guardianship lawsuit).
In all, Mrs. Astor Regrets is interesting read, with lessons to be learned about what could have and should have been. Was she the true victim? Was it revenge? It will keep you reading till the end.
However, this book truly shines when the author gets down to business investigating how Ms. Astor lived during the last years of her life and whether or not there was elderly abuse. Anecdotes and recollections of her son and his lawyers are contrasted starkly with those of her grandsons, close friends, business associates, and former employees. Key documents, long-forgotten letters, family pictures, and meticulous notes taken by her nurses (often in code) help paint a vivid picture of what happened behind closed doors.
Although intriguing in that it provides a behind-the-scenes insiders look at what really goes on in New York old-money society, it struggles a bit with keeping a coherent flow as interviews and flashbacks are interwoven throughout, in a valiant effort to be objective and get all points of view of the parties involved. Things do pick up once you get past the first half of the book and you have a better sense of whos who. A glossary of people or index in back would have helped.
Given that this book focuses a lot on the years following Mrs. Astors 100th birthday, readers hoping to get a complete biography of her life may be disappointed (The Last Mrs. Astor by Frances Kiernan might has much background of her early years, although it skims over the guardianship lawsuit).
In all, Mrs. Astor Regrets is interesting read, with lessons to be learned about what could have and should have been. Was she the true victim? Was it revenge? It will keep you reading till the end.
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