Shana Abé

"An American Beauty" is the story of Arabella Huntington, from her impoverished beginnings thru to her arrival on the scene of New York's Gilded Age. While this is historical fiction, I became enthralled with Arabella's tale and how she navigated the circumstances of her life. The author writes so beautifully and descriptively. Her atmospheric writings puts you right in the center of a glittering gathering hosted by Mrs. Astor at Delmonico's, the ancient Aztec pyramids in Mexico, the rough and tumble wildness of Texas, and the grace and beauty of Europe. The story keeps surprising, and I found myself doing parallel research as I read.

A wonderful way to wile away the hours.… (mais)

Collis Huntington is a multimillionaire, railroad baron. When he encounters young Arabella, he is immediately smitten. Collis is married but that does not stop him from moving Arabella and her whole family to New York. Arabella is a shrewd young lady. She begins to buy property and eventually amasses her own fortune.

Well, I put this book WAY on the back burner. I was given a preview copy and, yes, I started it. But I swear…I could not get into it. And it just sat there and sat there. I finally started it back up after months of it staring at me on my must read list. And y’all, it is a pretty dad blame good read. I am so glad I picked it back up! (I almost didn’t!). I would have missed a true gem!

I really enjoyed Arabella. She is smart, unique and tough. She does what she has to do to insure her family will be safe and never be hungry again. She was raised very poor. So when she saw a chance to escape, she took it. And this did not come without trials and tribulations, especially in this time period.

The narrator, Gail Shalan, is a wonderful asset. I am not sure if I have ever listened to a book narrated by her. I will be on the lookout for more.

Need a very good historical fiction about a woman who does not stop…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.… (mais)