De Amerikaanse prinses

by Annejet van der Zijl

Am 13. April 1927 geht Allene Tew im Hafen von New York an Bord der Mauretania. Sie lässt ein Leben hinter sich, das ihr alles geschenkt hatte, wovon sie als junges Mädchen vom Land träumte: Wohlstand, Ansehen, Mutterglück und die Liebe ihres Lebens. Fast alles hat sie wieder verloren. Doch an diesem Tag bricht sie auf in eine neue Welt. In Europa wartet auf sie ein neuer Ehemann, eine Zukunft als echte Prinzessin, russische Gräfin und Patentante von Königin Beatrix.
"Die amerikanische Prinzessin" ist die Rekonstruktion eines faszinierenden Lebens vor dem Panorama von zwei Weltkriegen, Bankenkrach und Revolution. Vor allem aber ist es die bewegende Geschichte einer außergewöhnlichen Frau, die den Mut hat, ihren eigenen Weg zu gehen bis zum bitteren Ende.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Historical, Ebooks, Biography Memoir, Audiobook

278 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2015

About the author

Annejet van der Zijl is a Dutch writer. Born in 1962, she studied mass communication at the UVA in Amsterdam and did a MA International Journalism at City University in London. She worked in magazine journalism until 2000, meanwhile publishing her first book Jagtlust, about a ramshackle villa that in the sixties was a meeting place for many artists and poets. Annejet van der Zijl lives in Amsterdam with her husband, a journalist.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book would be more appropriate as "The Many Loves of Allene Tew." This book is more about the people that surrounded Allene than it is about herself. Through most of the book, Allene is a secondary character. Allene Tew was a young woman from the late 19th century who came from a pioneering family and married into a higher social status. Although her first husband was from a wealthy family, he was not highly regarded and less so once he married the young woman from the country. Her husband Tod Hostetter was the first in a long line of husbands. Each marriage seemed to edit her social status, not always for the better and she eventually wed a Dutch prince and a German count. She suffered some tragedies in life but also found sources of great love and strength.

I wanted to like this book but I felt that Tew was a very one-dimensional character. I never felt that we truly got to know her. Most of the book was dedicated to the men in her life, giving the reader great details of their rise and fall in society. The book also seemed to be more of a history lesson on life during the periods that Tew lived. This information was at times very elementary and even repetitive. The reader learned more than once that John Jacob Astor died on the Titanic.

Although this was a non-fiction book, I think it would have been more enjoyable as a historical fiction story and the author could have envisioned Tew's character and thoughts. The way the book came across was more of "here's the facts." Tew did this and then did this based on newspaper articles and genealogical records. I do wonder how much of the flatness of the story and the elementary discourse was due to the translation from Dutch to English.

All in all, the information was interesting but the overall story just seemed to drag on with the minutia of detail on everyone and everything except Allene Tew. Perhaps the story is more interesting in its native language, but I suspect it comes across the same. This would be a good book for someone not familiar with the Gilded Age through World War I.

I received this book gratis through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Solita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love historically accurate books - and this one is no exception!
It reads like it's a story the author created but it really happened...
and I think this adds to the beauty of this book!

It is a very easy, captivating and wonderful book!! The story flows so well and the author made a masterpiece!

[Melisa]

April pick on Amazon First Reads🙌

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to clarify that I read this book in English and not in the edition pictured here, but I couldn't find the English edition on Goodreads.

When you mention "American royalty", most of us think of the Kennedy family, especially of the 1960's when JFK and his beautiful wife Jacqueline virtually become "Camelot". Later on, their son, John Jr. would carry on the tradition of being a public figure.

Truthfully, I had never heard of Allene Tew, about whom this book is written. What an amazing life she had! Born in upstate New York the late 1800's to what was then referred to as a "lower class" family, Allene's life would eventually include becoming one of the richest women in the world.

Beautiful at age 18, Allene impulsively married Tod Hostetter, a man she met at a dance, and who she hoped would bring some adventure into her boring life as they relocated to Pittsburgh, far away from small town life in Jamestown that she was used to. She had no clue how wealthy Tod was, having inherited a fortune from his father, nor did she know about his addiction to gambling and his mood swings. Tod's family did not welcome Allene at all. They felt he had married beneath himself and took it out on her. They did, however, have 3 children together. He died 12 years later, and Allene fled to the big city (NYC).

Tod would not be her only husband. Eventually Allene wed four additional men, but there was only one she called he true love.

Allene was an intelligent woman, and guarded her wealth carefully, following the stock market and making wise decisions. She invested in many overseas properties, including castles and chateaus, which were richly decorated and well taken care of.

In her life, she also suffered many tragedies, including the death of her beloved son. She faced the stock market crash of 1929 head on, weathering it the best she could as her fortune slowly disappeared. She came out with far less than she started with, but was able to rebuild her fortune over the coming years, living by the words she gave as advice to all "courage all the time".

The book includes some of her personal letters which were quite interesting.

As to how Allene really did become an "American Princess", that story lies in being in the right place at the right time. So as not to spoil it, I will only say it involved the Russian revolution.

I highly recommend this book, rich in historical detail and successful in revealing the true Allene Tew, American Princess.

[Vicki Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of this woman before, but the title peaked my interest. The book was very interesting and covered a period of time I enjoy reading about. It moved along well, but at times didn't give as many details as I would have liked. I thought I might have trouble because of the translation, but it was easy to follow. A solid read for those who like historical biographies.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book especially since I had not heard of Allene Tew.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly an interesting book about a woman who had it all. She led an amazing life but it was one that had intense loss and sadness.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this well done look into her life. Definitely recommend it, if you are looking for a woman who was strong, courageous, and never let life get her down.

[Astrid Langeveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik zou niet zo heel snel zelf voor dit boek hebben gekozen. Ik lees boeken die over geschiedenis gaan het minst. Maar dit boek heeft mij echt verrast. Het leest makkelijk weg en het was echt bijzonder om meer te lezen over Allene Tew.

[Chris D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable yet inconsequential biography of a woman who was noted mostly for marrying five times, usually to rich men at the time of her marriage to them or European men who had titles needed her money. Most of the book was about the men in her life and not too much about Allene Tew of Jamestown, New York.

The author was able to gleam more information about Allene during her later life and those parts of the biography were more interesting than the earlier portions. Allene's life was not just marrying for money or titles and there were some tragedies that she had to endure that are effectively recounted in the book.

This was written in Dutch and translated into English and some of the American history in the book was probably aimed at her Dutch audience. It is not a long book so it was a fast read about a previously obscure American who lived a long and eventful life.

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bijzonder onderhoudende literaire non-fictie over een wereldvrouw die zich door vele tegenslagen heen met veel intelligentie en vol goede moed door het leven slaat. Het boek geeft een prachtige inkijk in begin 20e eeuwse Amerika en Europa. Ook blijkt Allene Tew een hele hechte connectie te hebben tot het Nederlandse koningshuis. Annejet van der Zijl heeft een spannende biografie geschreven.

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[HMS · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
OK, so this took me a LONG time to read, but I finished 75% of it in one sitting, just sayin'
Because of the timeline of her life, brief histories of certain events must be included and history is not my favorite genre. I had the beginning of high society in 1880s New York, the Spanish American war, the sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the Lusitania, the 1918 flu epidemic, WW I, stock market crash of 1929, and WW II to get through. Although not tediously detailed, it is important to understand the facts of these events so that the reader may understand how the events impacted her life.
Allene Tew was not wealthy when she came into this world but she was smart and beautiful and used both to her advantage. As a matter of fact she was born above the livery stables her father attended but used that to become an excellent horsewoman.
At a young age she caught the eye of a very wealthy young man, they fell in love and married with two children soon to follow. Makes for a lovely romance, but of course things aren't always what they seem and that is why her third marriage is to the love of her life, one of the founding engineers of a little company named General Electric by the way. What a wonderful life they had and great adventures too, until death claimed her beloved Anson. She goes on to marry a surly German Prince (gets outta that one before she learns he's a Nazi and WW II breaks out, whew!) becomes the godmother to the Dutch Princess Beatrix and finally, a countess.
IT IS ALL TRUE, that is the kicker! I read a lot of romance and if this was the plot to a book I was reading, I would laugh my ass off while throwing it onto the DNF pile.
The thing that intrigued me most is that like many of her contemporaries, she bought her titles (married men who were titled and broke because of taxation (U.K.) or their countries no longer recognized said titles-Germany and Russia after WW I) but she didn't end up broke. Behind that pretty face was an excellent businesswoman who shocked and surprised many of the men in her life. IMHO, her personal philosophies are sorely needed today.
Slow to start, but I enjoyed reading about this incredible woman.

[lynda moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have been a good Research Paper

I never got to know Allene. Lots of history facts and lots of facts about homes she bought and sold. I'm an English major and found the sentences too long and found the structure cumbersome. It forced me to re-read to see who the sentence referred to. sorry not a memorable book for me

[Lady Alexandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"An American Princess. The Many Lives of Allene Tew" by Annejet van der Zijl is a beautifully written, fascinating biography of Allene Tew, who had such an adventurous life that it is hard to believe it really happened. She married five very different men, including millionaires, a prince Heinrich Reuss the Thirty-Third and a Russian count Kotzebue. She travelled a lot in her lifetime, she changed countries and continents, bought and sold houses. She divorced husbands, faced horrible personal tragedies and ostracism. Her bravery and ambition took her from Jamestown, New York to mansions of American high society and royal palaces in Europe. Her life story is shown on the canvas of the ever-changing American society and the eventful history of America and Europe.

Allene came from a family of pioneers and self-made successful entrepreneurs. She was a beautiful girl with blue eyes and blond hair that easily caught men attention. What is more, she was smart, ambitious and wanted to experience life at its best. She lived in the Gilded Age, time of unprecedented expansion and optimism in America, when anyone could become a millionaire, or at least it seemed so. In that time women had limited ways of changing their fates and having an eventful, fulfilling existence. The one way to achieved it was of course a marriage to a man of means. Young and beautiful Allene eloped with a young, handsome millionaire against his family wishes. In few years she conquered the high society of Pittsburgh and her husband’s family. She had enough spunk for ten women! Nothing was impossible for her. As she wrote in one of her letters: “If one has the will and persistence, one CAN do things.”

But her character shined the brightest at the time of tragedy and crisis. She was brave enough to get divorced when husbands disappointed her and made her life miserable. She had enough courage to risk her heart again and again. She held her head high when tragedies struck and she lost loved ones. She was a positive force in lives of many people. She changed their life for the better and got things done. Honestly, I would love to have a friend or an aunt like her. Not only because she was resourceful and was a powerful force to recon with, but because of her positive outlook on life and people. Despite pain and disappointment she keep on enjoying her life and loving people.

What I adore most about Allene is that she never lost her spunk. Even when the financial crisis changed millionaires into paupers she was able to hold her own and emerge after a few years victorious. She didn’t care about other people opinions and judgment in society, when her happiness and future were at stake. I also adore the fact that she managed to marry her true love and that she was happy with him till death separated them. When other people would only see disappointment, devastation and hopelessness she was able to see friends and chances for a positive change.

Overall, Allene Tew was a charming, strong-willed and courageous real-life Cinderella. If you want to read a story about a real-life Cinderella, you have to read this book.

I received "An American Princess" from the publisher via NetGalley. I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.

[Dettie Leestafel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allene Tew was voor de schrijfster interessant vanwege het feit dat ze steeds meer ontdekte over die vrouw, waarover in Europa verder weinig bekend was. Allene was een vrouw die Annejet van der Zijl dankzij haar boek over Bernard min of meer ontdekt had. Ze kwam erachter dat de vrouw vijf maal getrouwd was, haar twee kinderen op één dag verloor en erg rijk was en daardoor een gewilde huwelijkspartner voor de verarmde Europese adel was.

Echter... de levensloop van die vrouw was misschien bijzonder, maar de vrouw zelf niet echt. Ze was rijk, kocht veel huizen, richtte ze mooi in en verzamelde kunst, maar verder is ze eigenlijk niet erg interessant. Ze stond nergens voor zoals bijv. moeder Theresa of streed nergens voor. Tenminste die indruk heb ik niet. Ze was aardig en vriendelijk en erg gastvrij, maar meer niet.
Ze ging wel door, maar dat doen zoveel mensen.

Opvallend is dat Annejet van der Zeil zo weinig kritiek heeft op deze vrouw. In haar andere boeken wordt toch vaak een flinke kritische noot over haar hoofdpersonen gekraakt. Misschien is het daarom dat het verhaal een beetje voortkabbelt.

Annejet van der Zijl heeft een gedegen reconstructie geschreven over het leven van Allene Tew, het plattelandsmeisje dat uiteindelijk prinses werd. Natuurlijk is het evengoed wederom een knap en degelijk staaltje werk maar dit boek spreekt me toch minder aan dan haar voorgaande boeken.

[Joy D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allene Tew (1872 – 1955) was an American born into a family of modest means. Through marriage, she gained wealth and became a socialite during the Gilded Age. She married five times during her life. She traveled widely, and the book follows her travels from the US to England to Germany to France. She became a princess through marriage to a German aristocrat, though this is a small portion of the book. It is a biography of a woman of privilege who endured several tragic personal losses.

The author documents her life, marriages, children, bereavements, and resilience. It covers the impact of historic events, such as WWI, Spanish Flu, stock market crash of 1929, Great Depression, and WWII. Part of the appeal of the book is in the portrait of a woman of a bygone era, where the goal was to forge ahead through life despite tragedies. It could have used a few more quotations from Allene herself, but I am sure the source material was limited. I enjoyed it as an example of how historic events impacted the life of a real person.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I read this book!!

I chose this book as my Kindle First book this month when I saw that the woman whom this biography is about had married someone from Pittsburgh, which is where I live. This biography is so interesting, the woman, Allene, is an incredible person with such an unbelievable story that had it not been a biography, I would have thought it unbelievable! It also made me see my city and my country through the eyes of the past as well as the author’s, who is from the Netherlands. It was so interesting to get a different perspective on the history of the United States from these two remarkable women: the one the book is about and the author. I highly recommend!!!

[Johan van Haersolte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boeiend en bewogen leven maar minder boeiend beschreven dan ik had verwacht. Het boek bood mij onvoldoende psychologisch inzicht in de hoofdpersoon en bleef te veel aan de oppervlakte. Ook verbaasde me verschillende spel- en grammaticale fouten die een (eind-)redacteur niet had moeten missen. Waarom bijna ieder Engels citaat laten volgen door de NLse vertaling?

[Angela McVay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well researched book, and it seemed to be more of a history lesson during her lifespan more than Allene’s personal story. I listened to this one on audio on my work commute, and I think I would have absorbed more having read it instead. Allene was married 5 times throughout the course of her life and married very wealthy men. I was bothered by how many millions of dollars that was wasted by some of her husbands and her step-son. It’s just hard to fathom that kind of wealth and waste.

[Bianca | biancs.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heel graag gelezen en er ook nog wat van opgestoken!

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the biography of a strong-willed woman but includes an overlay of post revolution US history and world history of both world wars. I did not know of this woman and I cannot recall how I learned of this book. It might have been through my challenge group, or it might have been an Amazon Crossing feature. In any case, it was a pleasure to read, if for no other reason than I appreciated the US being shown by an outsider as the land of opportunity rather than a nation of intolerance as is being done today by many of its citizens.

When the title includes the words "many lives" it isn't an exaggeration. Allene Tew was married 5 times. Included is a family history chart and all of these are enumerated, so you know it going in. I couldn't but notice that her second husband died after the wedding of the third marriage, so there must have been a divorce. And that before the first world war when divorce was simply. not. done. Allene Tew may have been born into a poor household - she lived over the stable in her early days - but she came from a larger very wealthy family. Because of that larger family she came into contact with other very wealthy people and she had beauty enough to marry into wealth.

The author clearly liked her subject and little negative to say about Allene Tew. Allene had an outlook that wouldn't be a bad one for most of us to adopt.

She grew up with something better than wealth, a dream—the American dream, in which you could become whatever you wanted, wherever you came from.

And if there was one thing that was truly American, it was the belief that it was always possible to start again.

Perhaps this was Allene’s greatest achievement, above her wealth, her titles, her many houses, and her impressive guest book: that despite everything she’d experienced and endured, she always clung to her ability to enjoy life and be grateful for it.

However I found this, I'm glad to have gotten to read it. It isn't great literature, nor even the most well-written biography. But it was a good thing to have in front of me for a couple of days and I'm happy to give it 4-stars, even if it probably belongs toward the bottom of that group.

[Achour · Rating 4 out of 5]

“An American Princess, The Many Lives of Allene Tew” by Annejet van der Zijl is an interesting historical fiction novel. It is about the fascinating and remarkable life of Allene Tew who lived during the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. I enjoyed reading about Allene Tew. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman who became one of the wealthiest women in the US in this time.

Along well developed chapters, we follow Allene in her very busy life through US and Europe. She was married multiple times, experienced the grief and anguish of losing her children as well as she went through scandals of divorce. Despite the fact that her life was at times dramatic, she never lost her determination and she had never allowed her personal tragedies to limit her life or threaten the future.

Annejet van der Zijl wrote an admirable biography of an American lady she she also brillantly described very well the society where Allen lived in. Descriptions of the time period were really interesting and informative. Actually the author drew a good picture of events that happened at that time: mass arrivals of immigrants to the US, pioneering families building American nation, the Gilded Age, the Spanish epidemic flu in 1918, the Great Depression of 1929 that led to financial crisis that changed millionaires into poor, WW I and WW II, etc.

The only disappointment was that sometimes there were so many details to the point that I was wondering what certain details had to do with Allen. Despite this issue, I think the book is well written.

I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction

Read: June 2019
Source: NetGalley and the Publisher: AmazonCrossing

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed: April 27, 2019
NetGalley

Noun: The Gilded Age: is defined as the time between the Civil War & World World War I during which the U.S. population and economy grew quickly, there was a lot of political corruption and corporate financial misdealings and many wealthy people lived very fancy lives.

If you enjoy reading about American pioneers and their immigration to America; the Gilded Age, or/and the Victorian/Edwardian eras, An American Princess by Annejet van der Zijl is the book for you.

A well-crafted, researched and interesting story about American girl from Wisconsin that was ahead of her time and a trail blazer.

Before there was Meghan Markle, Rita Hayworth , Grace Kelly, Princess Caroline Lee Radziwill , Queen Noor of Jordan there was Allene Tew.

Allene was married multiple times, experienced the grief and anguish of losing all her children. Went through the scandal of divorce but by 1945 she was one of the wealthiest women in the world.

She was a socialite , trend-setter and a world traveller before it was a thing. Her hobbies was buying and decorating houses and apartments from New York , Newport , Paris, Rome, and the south of France . She decorated them and then move on to collect something new.

I enjoyed reading about the life of Allene Tew , she is an interesting subject . In some ways, her life remicent to some of Edith Wharton book's characters and The Custom of the Country comes to mind.

#AnAmericanPrincess #NetGalley

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allene Tew grew up in Jamestown, New York during the late 1800’s. Her grandfather was one of the first residents to settle in Jamestown. The Tew family prospered in their new town. They became successful entrepreneurs - all except one, who was Allene’s father. He was given a job as assistant cashier at the family’s bank.

But from Allene’s modest upbringing, she rose to become a member of one of America’s most prominent families, and then to fame as an international society hostess, a princess, and a world traveler. She mingled with America’s high society in the Gilded Age and then became a European princess who socialized with royalty as well as with statesmen including Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower. Her life was blessed in many ways, but she also experienced many tragedies. However, she was not one to dwell on tragedies. Her philosophy of life was to move forward with persistence and determination showing courage at all times.

In this fascinating biography, author Annejet van der Zijl sheds light on the remarkable life of Allene Tew. It’s an unforgettable story, and one that brings history to life.

Thank you to author Annejet van der Zijl, Amazon Crossing Publishers, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this interesting book!

[Susan Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is first and foremost a biography. The woman portrayed, Allene Tew is pretty remarkable because she was determined to live, and live well. She never gave up on her dreams and when obstacles got in her way she adapted. She was a dreamer and survivor who learned to succeed despite the restrictions on women during this time.

It is also a history book. Much care is given to provide a history of America from the mid-1800’s through the mid 1950’s when she died. Some reviewers have complained that this reads like a history book. In some sections it does, but the history is absolutely essential. If the reader were not familiar with the events of the Gilded Age, for example, they might not fully understand why some of the events in Allene’s life were so impactful.

If you like well researched biography and history, I think you will enjoy this book.

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bij deze blijkt mijn weerstand tegen non-fictie (of is dit fiction?) ongegrond en van de baan. Wat een fijn boek, niet alleen door de toon van Van der Zijl, ook heel leuk om over New York te lezen in de jaren 1900-1950.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the bio of "American Princess" Allene Tew. I'm always astounded when I read about the colorful lives of the society mavens of the late 1800s/early 1900s. Allene, literally born in the back room of a blacksmith's shop, was the only daughter of the youngest (and somewhat lackluster) son of a well-to-do northern family. She went on to have five colorful marriages, became a Princess, a Countess, and the godmother to the queen of the Netherlands. She dined with royalty, Nazis, and future leaders of their respective countries. But despite all the glitz and glam, she ultimately had a very sad life, losing both her children, one of her stepchildren, and her beloved third husband to various ailments. She was criticized in the press for her multiple marriages and even with her enormous wealth (for the time), shunned by the very society she aspired to but ultimately thumbed her nose at. I think the lesson here is that money won't buy happiness.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting woman

This biography of an actual American princess who lived from the latter half of the 19th century until her death in 1955 is pretty good.....not great. There was ample newspaper headline information, but lacked the personal aspect of this woman....how she felt as from personal interviews, memoirs, diaries, etc... I didn't really get a full picture of this very interesting woman.
I had never heard the name before and do thank the author for making her known to me. I love reading about women with unusual historical background. Her real story is her advantageous marriages....very fortunate of her. She did well and she seems to develop into a businesswoman, but the information here is unclear. I gave it 3.5 stars in my opinion and recommend to readers who want a historical biography about this little known lady.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend this to all feminist. A story of survival.

Writing a summary of this book does no justice to the author. It is by far one of the best historical/biographical books I have read. The story of a woman who lives through the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, two World Wars, multiple divorces, death of loved ones & the pettiness of high society. Her head held high and her dreams untethered she moves through life with joy and optimism to becoming one of the wealthiest American women of her day. Today's feminist s would learn a lot from this novel as would our coddled youth today. A story of history, wealth, survival, love and loss. Something for everyone.

[April Cote · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this biography. It as more like a brief history lesson on the time period, which was enjoyable, but made me forget I was supposed to be reading about a woman and the supposed exciting life she lived. I learned more about the other people in her life and seemed to only learn a little about Allene. I know she was married several times and rich. I learned nothing about her personality or anything that helped me to understand her as a person. I have it three stars because i love history and the historical tidbits were interesting.