An American Beauty: Sneak Peek: A Novel of the Gilded Age Inspired by the True Story of Arabella Huntington Who Became the Richest Woman in the Country

by Shana Abe

Be one of the first to read this sneak preview sample edition!

For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age and readers of Marie Benedict, Karen Harper, and Ellen Marie Wiseman, this sweeping novel of historical fiction from New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and USA Today bestselling author Shana Abé is inspired by the true story of Arabella Huntington—a charismatic, complex woman born to poverty who became one of the most powerful and wealthy figures of her time.

1867, Richmond,  Though she wears the same low-cut purple gown that is the uniform of all the girls who work at Worsham’s gambling parlor, Arabella stands apart. It’s not merely her statuesque beauty and practiced charm. Even at seventeen, Arabella possesses an unyielding grit, and a resolve to escape her background of struggle and poverty.
 
Collis Huntington, railroad baron and self-made multimillionaire, is drawn to Arabella from their first meeting. Collis is married and thirty years her senior, yet they are well-matched in temperament, and flirtation rapidly escalates into an affair. With Collis’s help, Arabella eventually moves to New York, posing as a genteel, well-to-do Southern widow. Using Collis’s seed money and her own shrewd investing instincts, she begins to amass a fortune.
 
Their relationship is an open secret, and no one is surprised when Collis marries Arabella after his wife’s death. But “The Four Hundred”—the elite circle that includes the Astors and Vanderbilts—have their rules. Arabella must earn her place in Society—not just through her vast wealth, but with taste, style, and impeccable behavior. There are some who suspect the scandalous truth, and will blackmail her for it. And then there is another threat—an unexpected, impossible romance that will test her ambition, her loyalties, and her heart . . .
 
An American Beauty  brings to vivid life the glitter and drama of a captivating chapter in history—and a remarkable woman who lived by her own rules.

58 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2023

About the author

Shana Abé is the award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of seventeen books, including the acclaimed Drákon Series and the Sweetest Dark Series.

She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California, and currently resides in the mountains of Colorado with her very patient husband and a lot of pets.

Reviews

[Sunnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have the full version

I think I have fallen in love with Shana Abe, and everything she has written. Each word seems placed just perfectly . . . odd words, unique words, unusual words, words one doesn’t encounter every day. This was a wonderful taste of the full version, enticing the reader to seek for more and want to reread every word. Can’t wait to buy the full version. You will too!

[Joan Gridley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so much respect for the main character Belle She was brave, brilliant and self reliant in the Guilded Age - not an easy feat. Following her life from a teenage girl to an adult was fascinating.

[D.G. Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a short prequel for the page-turning book, An American Beauty. I loved both books. As I read and enjoyed the full book first, then coming across this sneak peek, I couldn’t resist but wanting to learn more of these real life characters – Arabella Yarrington and shipping magnate, Collis Huntington, which we will learn more about in this short and insightful read that informs us more about how Collis and Belle met, and Belle’s rise to riches from literal rags.

Belle was a woman of resources and well ahead of her times. She had a generous heart and never forgot where she came from. Despite Collis being married and thirty years Belle’s senior when they first met, Belle was a strong woman, years ahead of her real age of only seventeen and never had designs on fetching a man for personal advancement, including Collis, but destiny made her one of the richest women in America of her time – the Gilded Age.

[Book Island · Rating 4 out of 5]

• 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕽𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖊𝖜 •
Arabella Huntington, a real-life self-made millionaire in America, served as the inspiration for the novel An American Beauty. Arabella's own experience with investment is subtly woven throughout this tale. It focuses more on her enigmatic past and how she manoeuvred through high society, forcefully painting a picture of a woman who carved out her own path. a woman who didn't worry about fitting in with the Four Hundred and instead stood her own ground. Instead of trying to fit in with New York's high society, she was proud of who she was and cared deeply about her remarkable life story.

The narrative as a whole is stunning. It flows smoothly, features well-rounded characters, and keeps you interested from beginning to end. The writing style is elegant. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you @netgallay for this ARC.

[Susan Lampe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follows the life of Arabella Duvall Yarrington Worsham Huntington as she finds her way on a path of survival post Civil War and its aftermath into a sleazy gambling salon in Richmond, Virginia all the way to becoming one of the richest women in America in New York City. She becomes the mistress of a man who helps build the railway system across the U.S. and becomes part of the Gilded Age. Engaging read and reminded me of the similar historical novel of the woman who was mistress to Marshall Field in Chicago. Arabella (Belle) is portrayed as a strong woman who learns to rely on her own instincts and is always aware of her responsibilities to her own family.

[HAROLD FRANK PARKER · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gilded Age Legend

A rags to riches story in the Gilded Age of American History. Arabella Huntington grew up poor working the gambling parlors but advanced by marriage and her natural abilities to become one of the wealthiest women in America. This story is well written and carries forward well. It is a historical fiction but reads like a biography. Easy to recommend it to all.

[Louise Annetta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of words. Numerous descriptions. Not much story
I read Wikipedia to fill out the facts. ( snarkiness intended )
Writing beautiful. I finished because it was for my book group and I wanted an informed opinion

[Shannon Janico · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read that poses the moral question of “are there any boundaries you can’t cross to feed your family and make the most of your life?” Will create good discussion and loved the historical insight into the Gilded Age!

[Michele Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction about a young girl supporting her family after the civil war as a saloon girl. She meets a railroad tycoon and makes her own fortune in New York.

[Elise Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entrancing, beautifully written sneak preview. I can't wait to read the entire story!

[Julie Aubin-Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. Shana Abe does a great job describing NYC in the Guilded Age and the social structures. It made me want to read more about that era.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read,

[GinaJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for bedtime reading. It’s interesting enough to read, but not so exciting that you can’t put it down to sleep!