The Social Graces
Page 34
Ward McAllister’s life and memoir have been widely documented, and many of his most outrageous quotes in this novel came directly from him verbatim. He did call Caroline “my Mystic Rose” and was her co-conspirator in all things society up until the publication of the Four Hundred and Society as I Have Found It.
Caroline Astor actually was out of town on the night of the opening of the Metropolitan Opera House, perhaps because she knew the Academy of Music couldn’t compete with the new house. However, in order to show the juxtaposition of the two, I have taken creative license and placed Mrs. Astor at the Academy on that same night.
With regards to the Met, I have attributed much of its creation to Alva, and while it’s true that Billy Vanderbilt, her father-in-law, was one of the founding members, Alva most likely played a much smaller role in its development. She was, however, hands-on in every aspect of the creation of Petit Chateau, Marble House and other Vanderbilt properties. She fancied herself an unlicensed architect.
The string of outrageous themed balls really did occur. The chimpanzee ball has been attributed to various hostesses, mainly Mamie Fish and Alva Vanderbilt. Here again the source materials contradict themselves and so, in keeping with Mamie’s character, it seemed more likely to me that Mamie would have hosted the party.
Cornelius Jeremiah Vanderbilt was the ne’er-do-well son of the family. Afflicted with epilepsy, he was institutionalized by his father, the Commodore. He was a compulsive gambler and did contest the Commodore’s will after learning he’d inherited only $200,000. He was a homosexual and did commit suicide. While all that is true, I did take some license in terms of Jeremiah’s relationship with Alva. I cast the two as outsiders that formed a tight bond between them. There is no documentation of their having a close relationship. Also, in the novel, for the sake of pacing, I moved the timeline of Jeremiah’s death from April of 1882 to March of 1883.
Much speculation has been cast upon Alva’s marriage to Willie K. Vanderbilt. We know that he had several affairs while they were married, and here again, the facts become a bit sketchy. Some say Nellie Neustratter was a plant to distract from his real relationship with Alva’s best friend, the Duchess of Manchester. Others say Nellie was just another one of his mistresses. For the purpose of this book, I chose to follow the historical account that had him involved with both women. Also please note that the nickname Duchy was my own invention in order to distinguish between the two Consuelos in the book. There are varying accounts of when Alva’s affair with Willie’s best friend, Oliver Belmont, began. I placed it where I thought it worked best in the narrative, but the truth remains that after her scandalous divorce, she did turn around and marry Oliver.
Speaking of marriages, Consuelo Vanderbilt’s marriage to the ninth Duke of Marlborough has been well documented and recounted. For that reason, I chose not only to focus on the outlandish things Alva did to orchestrate the marriage, but to dig a little deeper and speculate as to how a mother who loved her daughter dearly could have justified such actions.
The ladies featured in the Society chapters are a combination of real and fictional characters. It should be noted that history recognizes two Lady Pagets: Minnie Stevens, an American heiress and socialite, is the Lady Paget in this novel. There is no record of her having been a vegetarian. That was borrowed from the other Lady Paget (born Countess Walburga Ehrengarde Helena von Hohenthal), who often wrote on the subject of vegetarianism.
Much research went into the writing and rewriting of this book. In addition to reading and watching various documentaries and movies from this time period (see complete list below), I went to Newport to see the cottages—which are breathtaking. While there, we ventured onto Cliff Walk, ignoring the signs that read STAY ON THE PAVED PATH. STEEP CLIFFS. HIGH RISK OF INJURY. PASS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I was not wearing the right shoes and had many close calls. I’d probably still be stranded out there now had John, my partner in crime, not practically carried me over the rugged terrain. It was that experience that led to the scene where Alva rescues Emily.
Also, you’ll notice the Astor and Vanderbilt family trees in the front of the book. Because the families were so large and there are so many duplicate names, I limited the individuals on the trees to those people in this book.
If you’d like to learn more about the Gilded Age, Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt, I highly recommend the following:
American Experience: New York: A Documentary Film by Ric Burns
The Gilded Age in New York, 1870–1910 by Esther Crain
The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age: Architectural Aspirations, 1879–1901 by John Foreman and Robbe Pierce Stimson
Alva, That Vanderbilt-Belmont Woman by Margaret Hayden Rector
Alva Vanderbilt Belmont: Unlikely Champion of Women’s Rights by Sylvia D. Hoffert
Mrs. Astor’s New York: Money and Social Power in a Gilded Age by Eric Homberger
The Astors: An American Legend by Lucy Kavaler
A Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs. Astor in Gilded Age New York by Greg King
Society as I Have Found It by Ward McAllister
The First Four Hundred: Mrs. Astor’s New York in the Gilded Age by Jerry E. Patterson
The Vanderbilts by Jerry E. Patterson
What Would Mrs. Astor Do? The Essential Guide to the Manners and Mores of the Gilded Age by Cecelia Tichi
The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When it comes to writing a novel, I rely on a host of people for expertise, support and encouragement along the way. So, it is with tremendous gratitude that I thank the following people: Andrea Peskind Katz, Lauren Blank Margolin and Mary O’Malley, for your honest feedback on a very early draft of this novel. You helped steer me in the right direction.
Brenda Klem and Mindy Mailman, for always being there for me. You are my sisters!
Thanks also to my trusted friends and colleagues: Tasha Alexander, Stacey Ballis, Julia and Len Elkun, Andrew Grant, Sara Gruen, Julia Claiborne Johnson, Abbott Kahler, Lisa Kotin, Pamela Klinger-Horn, Jill Miner and Amy Sue Nathan. Also, a big thanks to the members of the Berkley Chicks and the Lyonesses—I’m honored to know such a talented group of women.
I fear I’m running out of ways to say thank you to the amazing Kevan Lyon, my agent who is truly Superwoman! All you need is the cape! There is nothing you can’t do and do well. So here again, Kevan, I say thank you. To my editor, Amanda Bergeron, my very own Maxwell Perkins! You went above and beyond to help me shape this book, and I thank you for your patience and faith in me while I wrote and rewrote. To my Berkley family at Penguin Random House—especially Ivan Held, Claire Zion, Craig Burke, Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Tara O’Connor, Fareeda Bullert, Elisha Katz, Sareer Khader and, of course, Brian Wilson. You have given me a wonderful home in the world of publishing, and I am forever grateful for all your support and hard work.
And lastly, my love and gratitude to my family: Debbie Rosen, Pam Rosen, Jerry Rosen, Andrea Rosen, Joey Perilman, Devon Rosen and John Dul, who read every word—sometimes more than once—and rescued me on Cliff Walk.
READERS GUIDE
THE SOCIAL
GRACES
Renée Rosen
A Conversation with Renée Rosen
Questions for Discussion
Further Reading:
On Renée Rosen’s Bookshelf
A CONVERSATION WITH RENÉE ROSEN
How did you get the idea for The Social Graces?
Coming up with new book ideas is always more difficult for me than you might imagine. After finishing Park Avenue Summer, I was brainstorming on new concepts and my agent mentioned Consuelo Vanderbilt right before my editor suggested doing something in the Gilded Age. After some preliminary research on New York in that time period, it was obvious that the rivalry between Mrs. Astor and Alva Vanderbilt had the makings
of a really interesting novel.
What were the greatest challenges you found in writing this book?
There were several, but in terms of the greatest challenge, it came down to the characters themselves. Honestly, when I looked at my cast of characters, I realized I had a group of rather unlikable people. On the surface they came across as spoiled, entitled, greedy and superficial. If I wanted to engage the reader, I was going to have to really drill down to find the humanity in these people and find a reason for us to root for them. That in and of itself took many drafts.
How did you go about conducting your research for this book?
I always start with a baseline of reading, and I had a stack of books on the Gilded Age, the Astors and the Vanderbilts (you’ll find a full list at the end of my author’s note), and in addition to that, I watched some videos on the Bradley Martin Ball and the Ric Burns New York series, which was excellent.
From there, I knew I needed some hands-on research, so we went to Newport, where I could visit Marble House and Mrs. Astor’s cottage (though Beechwood was under renovation when we were there). After touring the mansions and taking in Newport, I went to New York and visited Trinity Church and Trinity Cemetery. Unfortunately, the original homes of Caroline and Alva are no longer there. The Empire State Building sits on the site of Caroline Astor’s townhouse, Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s mansion is now Bergdorf Goodman, and the Waldorf-Astoria has since been relocated.
What did you find most surprising about Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt?
Oh, there were so many things! I didn’t know, for example, that Caroline was such a devoted mother. According to the research, she dearly loved her children and doted on them. I was also surprised by how understated she was early on, before the nouveau riche began exerting their influence. As for Alva, I had no idea that she divorced her husband and remarried, especially during a time when that was considered the ultimate taboo for a woman. I was also surprised that she became so active in the women’s suffrage movement.
You’ve written in various time periods from the 1800s through the 1960s. Do you have a favorite time period? And what’s the biggest difference when it comes to writing in the distant past versus the more recent past?
I’d be really hard-pressed to choose a favorite period—I find it fascinating to go back in time, regardless of the era. Typically, I fall in love with the period I’m currently writing about, because for several hours a day, I lose myself in the work, living back in that era.
Regardless of what years or century a book is set in, I’ve found that each time period presents its own challenges. When you’re writing about the 1800s or the early 1900s, you really have to educate yourself on the most basic things and imagine living without the modern conveniences of electricity, plumbing, etc. And the fashions—people really want to know about those fabulous gowns and hats, and you need to get those right. As you move forward on the timeline, you need to make sure you’ve got your facts straight because some of your readers will have been alive during the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. If you misstep on even a little detail, you’ll pull them right out of the story. They’ll lose confidence in you as an author and your so-called authority on the subject.
Since we were under quarantine when you were still writing this book, how did COVID-19 affect your process and your book?
Thankfully, I had just sent the book to my editor the week before the shelter-in-place orders went into effect both in New York and here in Chicago. There was still much work to be done, but I was grateful that the majority of the heavy lifting was already completed. But that said, like everyone else, I was terribly distracted and so very heartbroken over the suffering in this world. It was hard to concentrate. Hard to pull myself away from the news. It took me a couple of weeks to get my head back into the book and even then, I was still easily distracted for those last few rounds of edits.
What’s your writing process like? Do you outline? What is the most difficult part for you?
Oh, if only I could outline, my life—and my editor’s life—would be so much easier. Unfortunately, my brain doesn’t work that way. For me, it’s the physical act of writing itself that helps me access my characters so they can tell me their stories. Knowing where to begin the story is always the most difficult part of any book for me. My agent has pointed out that I generally write the first one hundred or so pages over and over again until I find the vein of the story. I’ve come to accept that this is just part of my process. I’m sure it would be more efficient to outline, but I know I’d never be able to follow it.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Mother-daughter relationships play a large role in The Social Graces. What did you think of the various mother-daughter dynamics in the novel? Do you think mothers still exercise as much influence over their daughters today as they did in the Gilded Age? Do you think that in today’s world daughters are more outspoken with their mothers?
Alva’s best friend and her daughter’s godmother, Consuelo Yznaga, the Duchess of Manchester, has an affair with Alva’s husband. In the book, Alva says she feels her friend’s betrayal is worse than her husband’s. How do you feel about that? Is there a so-called Girl Code between friends? Do you think Alva should have forgiven Duchy?
Because women in the 1800s had few opportunities outside the home, they sought positions in society and took these roles very seriously. Do you find this frivolous or an act of survival? Is it fair that the opinion of one society matron could make or break someone’s reputation?
When Caroline found out that her daughter Carrie had not been invited to Alva’s masquerade ball—the event of the season—Caroline was forced to pay the social call that thereby let the Vanderbilts into society. Do you think Caroline did the right thing for her daughter, or should she have stood her ground? What were your thoughts on the weight of this one gesture made by Mrs. Astor?
If you suddenly inherited millions of dollars, how do you think it would change your life, and what would you do with a windfall like the one Willie K. and Alva received?
The society pages and gossip columns were a new phenomenon in the 1880s. How do you think the press affected the behavior of the society matrons?
A secondary theme of this book is the relationships between sisters. We see it with Alva and her siblings as well as the Astor girls. Whether it was a matter of comradery or rivalry, how do you think these relationships influenced the characters?
The Gilded Age was definitely a time of the “haves and have-nots.” The divide between rich and poor was vast back in the 1800s. Do you think we’re still living in a world of “haves and have-nots”? To what extent are things different now? How are they the same?
FURTHER READING: ON RENÉE ROSEN’S BOOKSHELF
GREAT HISTORICAL FICTION
The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
And They Called It Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen
OTHER BOOKS I’VE LOVED
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
Photo by Charles Osgood Photography
Renée Rosen is the bestselling author of Park Avenue Summer, Windy City Blues, White Collar Girl, What the Lady Wants and Dollface. She is also the author of Every Crooked Pot, a YA novel published in 2007. Renée lives in Chicago and is at work on a new novel about Estée Lauder.
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