What the Lady Wants: A Novel of Marshall Field and the Gilded Age; Library Edition

by Renée Rosen

In late-nineteenth-century Chicago, visionary retail tycoon Marshall Field made his fortune wooing women customers with his famous motto: “Give the lady what she wants.” His legendary charm also won the heart of socialite Delia Spencer and led to an infamous love affair.
 
The night of the Great Fire, as seventeen-year-old Delia watches the flames rise and consume what was the pioneer town of Chicago, she can’t imagine how much her life, her city, and her whole world are about to change. Nor can she guess that the agent of that change will not simply be the fire, but more so the man she meets that night.…

Leading the way in rebuilding after the fire, Marshall Field reopens his well-known dry goods store and transforms it into something the world has never seen before: a glamorous palace of a department store. He and his powerhouse coterie—including Potter Palmer and George Pullman—usher in the age of robber barons, the American royalty of their generation.
 
But behind the opulence, their private lives are riddled with scandal and heartbreak. Delia and Marshall first turn to each other out of loneliness, but as their love deepens, they will stand together despite disgrace and ostracism, through an age of devastation and opportunity, when an adolescent Chicago is transformed into the gleaming White City of the Chicago’s World’s Fair of 1893.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Romance, Historical, Adult, 19th Century

1 pages, MP3 CD

First published November 4, 2014

About the author

Renee Rosen writes about the women behind iconic brands who possessed a fierce entrepreneurial spirit that would shape American pop culture.

A recurring theme throughout her work is women who built America and the hidden stories behind pop culture. Rich in research and nostalgia, her novels are perfect for fans of Marie Benedict, Alison Pataki and Fiona Davis.

She's the USA Today bestselling author of 8 historical fiction books, including: LET'S CALL HER BARBIE, FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL, THE SOCIAL GRACES, and PARK AVENUE SUMMER.


Renee now lives in Chicago where she is working on a new novel set at Woodstock.
. You can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/ReneeRosenAu..., https://twitter.com/ReneeRosen1 or visit her website at www.reneerosen.com

Reviews

[Heidi (on slight hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written HF novel but 60% in I realized that I just didn’t care. No doubt Marshall Field was a retail genius (with a little help from Mr Selfridge) but I don’t understand Delia’s undying love for him.

In real life, it seems the first wives of historically great men get the shaft in one way or another. They’re either left in the country, shipped off to a sanitarium, or unceremoniously divorced. To be honest, I don’t care to read another book from the point of view of the mistress or second wife. If you do, I highly recommend Loving Frank — it’s much more engaging.

That said, I love Chicago and the rich history. The name dropping from the 19th century was fascinating. (I appreciated learning the details of The Haymarket Affair which was a Trivial Pursuit topic I always failed to answer correctly.)

(Reviewed 8/11/18)

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on true story, and set in Chicago when it was the pioneer town.

After the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, the path of two people crosses, Delia Spencer and Marshall Field. Delia is the daughter of a successful merchant and “a proud Chicagoan and one of the men who’d built up the city in the very beginning, long before the boom began.” Marshall is a groundbreaker in rebuilding the city after the fire. He goes from dry goods store to creating a glamorous palace of a department store.

Delia is married to Arthur Carton, who harbors a secret, which later leads them to mutual agreement between them. Her good friend is married to Marshall Field, who is much older than Delia.

Marshall is a passionate visionary and it’s his brilliant ideas that make him stand out for Delia. He, on the other hand, has always admired high-spirited, vibrant women like Delia. The attraction between them grows, and later, they stand together despite disgrace and ostracism.

The story is driven by personal drama, confrontations and desires, which are richly imagined. Both characters of Delia and Marshall are strong characters, but at the same time, I wished there was more to character development of Delia. What she wanted despite being with Marshall and what made her thrive.

The story is interesting, but at the same time I wasn’t engrossed by it. I wanted the pace to be a bit faster.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renee Rosen won my attention with Dollface, and scores again with What the Lady Wants. An extremely competent writer providing interesting historical fiction mixed with intriguing characters. Rosen is an author to watch, she’s on my list of favorites.

Rosen’s writing style is polished and vibrant. Descriptive enough without being overbearing. Every word serves a purpose, no added nonsense simply to fill a page. Her prose is engaging causing the reader to drink in every chapter at full speed. She creates a page turner with her exact and smart prose.

Rosen possesses a knack for nailing the era, people, social proprieties. You feel the essence of Chicago, its resilience and determination. The historical facts are knitted perfectly with the narrative. The novel commences with The Great Chicago Fire and the narrative continues to blaze. The pace is set as you try to outrun the smoke and flames gripping the city as it destroys and kills. The Haymaker Affair wasn’t dwelled on, rather introduced to once again show the resilience and courage of Chicago. A significant event in history enhancing the characters, adding another intricate layer to both plot and protagonists. No doubt the ambiance of 1800′s Chicago is experienced from the comfort of your own home. A true time travel experience.

A romance filled with trials and tribulations. The characters and era make the romance aspect rather tragic and plausible. The plot is actually exciting and your curiosity is heighten not knowing exactly how all will play out. I love a romance full of roadblocks and Rosen provides plenty adding a sophisticated angle in a difficult era. Many scenarios are highlighted in a smooth manner creating for a unique marriage.

“Delia understood the power of an Inconvenient, unconventional love that couldn’t be denied.”

Characterization is where Rosen shines. She gives us four unique and diverse characters. The characters evoke the readers emotions in some form and of course Delia is your quintessential smart, strong independent woman, a trail blazing feminist. Despite her circumstances and choices she is the heroine of the story. She has a moral compass along with Marshall Field thus intensifying the romance portion. Nannie is villainous enough to excuse Marshall’s affront causing you to feel a great deal of sympathy towards their blustery union. Nannie and Arthur are tormented, truly the catalysts of joining Delia and Marshall subtracting their immediate attraction and connection.

“We’re married to two ver complicated people, aren’t we? I don’t know about you, but for me it’s a very lonely existence.”

Rosen creates an engaging story with thrilling characters. She blends numerous themes allowing the reader to select one or more most fitting. Her novels are enthralling and keep the reader on their toes. Her female protagonists never disappoint. Her narratives are unique and full of creativity and she knows Chicago and showcases its history and mystique. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, it worked for me on all points. I was impressed with Dollface and pegged Rosen for an author taking it up a notch with each of her projects and she does. I anxiously await her next novel, this endeavor was exceptional. A must add to your reading list, especially fans of historical fiction and romance, and the 19th century era, a novel you will devour lickety-split.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where I got the book: my local library. ***SPOILER WARNING***

The reviewer’s dilemma

First of all, let me declare an interest. I’m writing a novel based on exactly the same location and time period and which, like Rosen’s novel, involves the department stores of Chicago’s State Street. The big difference is that my novel features fictional characters—Marshall Field might get a walk-on part and his name certainly gets mentioned, but that’s it.

There’s a line of thinking that says I therefore shouldn’t be reviewing this book at all. On the one hand, you could argue that I’d be tempted to underrate the book to make mine look better. But on the other hand, it would be in my interest to overrate the book, because readers tend to want more on topics they’ve just read about—so I want this novel to do really well. However you look at it, I’ll admit to a bias.

In the end I think the two forces pushing aginst me balance each other out like matter and antimatter, leaving a vacuum (OK I’m sure that’s not scientific—don’t quote me) into which I can cheerfully insert an honest review. A long review, because there are some issues here that matter to me possibly more than they’d matter to the average reader who is NOT writing a novel based on the same, etc. etc. And I can’t do it without dropping in a spoiler here or there.

The novel as a novel

Let’s get the actual critique out of the way first. This was a three-star read for me, meaning (in Goodreads terms) that I liked it but wasn’t crazy about it. If the ratings system had percentages, I might go up to a 3.4, so I definitely liked it more than I disliked it. The things that annoyed me were:

a) substantial research dumps, especially near the beginning of the book but sprinkled around in about the first third or so.

b) some very wooden dialogue, again mostly at the beginning of the book.

c) name- and fact-dropping that I think was supposed to emphasize the scale of luxury in which these people lived (the square footage of their houses, the makers of their furniture and accessories, etc.) but that I personally didn’t find appealing in a novel—I might have found these details easier to swallow in a biography. Yet again, this tendency started off strong but diminished as the novel progressed.

Are we seeing a theme here? The impression I got was of an uncertain start but a much stronger finish, an issue that could easily have been addressed in the editing stages. These weren’t big, difficult structural flaws, just normal technical issues that plague any novel early on in the creative process.

I’m not including the cover in my review as that’s generally beyond the author’s control, but I’m mentioning it because as inaccurate covers generally do, it needlessly prejudiced me before I’d read the first page. What The Lady Wants is set in the 1870s and forward, while the model’s dress and hair are from, I think, the 1860s—so it went on The List. Dangit, Penguin Random House, with all the resources available to you could you get your nineteenth-century decades right?

My final gripe about the novel as a novel is that Delia never really grew for me. She starts off as a generally nice woman who’s blessed or cursed, depending on your outlook, with a great deal of extra time on her hands, and that’s pretty much how she ends. I was bitterly disappointed to find that the only point in the novel where she tackles an exciting venture was made up. Delia’s life, although no doubt busy in the sense that her men and her family occupied her time, is second or third fiddle to the careers, torments and/or achievements of the men in the novel. It’s a problem inherent in the choice of main character, but it’s still a problem so I’m mentioning it.

The novel as jumping-off point

And that brings me to the whole series of thoughts I’ve been having about this biographical novel. Biographical fiction is a sub-genre I’m always slightly uneasy with, since I prefer my fiction to be fiction and my biography to be biography, with footnotes pointing the reader to the original source of information. On the other hand, like many readers I use biographical fiction as a jumping-off point to get me interested in a character or a time, and in this respect the book succeeded—except that I found myself wanting to read more about Marshall Field and Arthur Caton, rather than Delia. Those of you who follow my reviews will recognize my perennial gripe about kings-and-queens HF where the real action’s happening offstage while the womenfolk sew and have babies.

Of course I could turn that gripe around and say, as indeed I think, that Rosen did a good job showing the general reader just how restricted even wealthier women were a mere hundred and fifty or so years ago, in one of the most sophisticated parts of industrialized America (more restricted than they’d been a hundred years before that, as Susan B. Anthony pointed out during the celebrations for the centennial of the American Revolution). Women of Delia’s class had very few options as to where to shop and eat (and subsequently use the bathroom), forcing them firmly back into the domestic sphere—how can you live an active public life when you’ve nowhere to eat or pee? The development and growth of department stores like Marshall Field’s can be viewed as the vanguard of the women’s liberation movement—odd in a way, because the motivation behind the innovations made by Field and his ilk was pretty much entirely commercial. They saw the gap in the market inherent in the simple fact that while the men might earn the money, it was the women who spent it, and—like Amazon today—built huge empires on giving their target customer exactly the experience they wanted. The example of Amazon’s probably a good parallel as to just how disruptive this new way of thinking was.

What’s a novelist to do?

So as far as the novel shows the public sphere of Delia’s world, I have no worries. On the private side, however, I start asking questions because Rosen, as her thorough Author’s Note reveals, invents plausible but entirely fictional explanations for the state of Delia’s and Marsh’s marriages and the untimely deaths of their spouses. Specifically, she portrays Delia’s husband Arthur Caton as a closeted homosexual in love with an entirely fictional friend, while Nannie Field is depicted as a narcissistic, vindictive laudanum addict. Those are great story lines that create some nice plot elements around the central story, a long-lasting affair that was certainly rumored to have taken place (and I find I’ve no problem with that premise, since it’s supported at least by anecdotal evidence).

Hilary Mantel (BBC History Magazine Vol.16 no.1) has said that “a novelist is concerned with the part of human experience a historian cannot process: the unconscious motive, the random event.” Novelists can and do write into the blank spots in the record, and it’s absolutely true that the record tells lies—even biographers have to be selective or speculate on what might have happened. As Philippa Gregory, a biographical novelist who’s been criticized for, well, just about everything she’s ever written, has said, “When people critique historical fiction for accuracy, they forget we rarely know for sure what happened, so history books are often the best guess at the time.”

Unrevealed homosexuality and unconfessed addiction are probably the commonest ways in which novelists fill in the gaps these days—and the majority of twenty-first-century readers take such suggestions in their stride. In fact they impose their own standards of toleration and understanding to such a degree that it’s often impossible for the novelist to depict the depth of revulsion and condemnation such revelations might have aroused in their characters’ time for fear of their reader transferring those outdated attitudes back on to them, the novelist, and tossing the book away in disgust. I found myself nodding with approval when Arthur’s fictional lover describes their relationship as ‘unnatural,’ which is exactly how it would have been viewed back then, but noted that he was the only character in the know who reacted that way.

So to what extent can novelists make the past their playground? I’ve debated this point before, quite coincidentally about another Chicago novelist; let’s put it this way, I’m unlikely to be invited to many literary parties around here. I’ll admit that my angst over possible inaccuracies only grows significant when the novel’s set in the nineteenth century and in a setting I know—I understand all about the inaccuracies in, say medieval-era novels and TV shows but there I can just sit back and enjoy myself (I’m looking at you, The Tudors). The trouble is, I’ve got a pretty good idea about how the characters and their friends would have felt about these fictional revelations, and I’ve done enough rooting around in 1870s Chicago to feel protective about them.

This is one of those instances where I’d positively invite the author to comment—perhaps not here, but I can think of places where a debate about where plausibility, the historical record and a good story collide in biographical fiction could be both entertaining and enlightening. And even if we never get round to the discussion, I’m happy to have read a novel from Chicago’s post-Fire history—I’ve recommended it to a few readers who I know would enjoy it as an entertaining, undemanding read.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wholeheartedly love the television shows The Paradise and Mr. Selfridge. That's why I was so eager to read this story, about Marshall Fields, the famous department store owner of Chicago, and his mistress, Delia. I was deeply engrossed in this tale. Yes, it's pretty much just a love story, the story of an adulterous affair and the complications behind it, but it's not a lewd affair. You can sympathize with both the hero, Marsh, and Delia.

Never judge a couple until you know their stories and situations.

Delia and Marsh love each other and are both in interesting marriages. Marsh is married to an emotionally unstable and vicious woman and Delia is married to a man who does not desire her. So readers will find themselves rooting for the couple despite the scandal.

But Delia grated on me at times. I thought her character was well done as far as the affair. She battles with guilt, doesn't know how to handle Nannie, ponders whether or not she's being punished when bad things happen to her--all feelings to be expected from a woman in the middle of an affair. Following her, we see how society shuns her and yet not Marsh, who is engaging in the same "crime".

I felt that was superbly done, as is the writing. But what got on my nerves was Delia's lack of a backbone and frankly, her overall...worthlessness and inability to think for herself. She's literally just a rich woman who has never done a day's work in her life. She's coddled, pampered, never steps foot in her own kitchen. Does nothing. Has earned nothing. This becomes more evident as the unions begin to protest against her lover's harsh ways. And really, is an eight-hour work day so much to ask? While workers are fighting for their rights, she sits there sketching, playing the piano or solitaire. That's her life. To be fair, the author stayed true to the real-life woman, I'm sure.

They hated the wealthy and all they'd had to do was look at her in her fine tailored dress and her dog with her diamond collar, and they would know that she was the enemy.

I hated how Delia just blindly defends Marsh and judges the protesters without even once trying to see how they live their lives. She lives in a jeweled bubble with no knowledge of the lives of the workers, the poor, and doesn't care. It's not until 60% into the story that she forms any kind of opinion of her own on an issue--the sham trial and following execution.

But even confined to her bubble, Delia manages to inform readers of the worker riots, the fires, and the coming of the World's Fair. And here I want to say that I began to like Delia. Keep in mind that we're with Delia from a teenager to old age. In this time period there's going to be growth and maturity. I liked how she took care of her sister (though at the same time I think she was spoiling the family), how she encouraged Marsh to have better relationships with his kids, and what she did at the Chicago World's Fair--though I'd have liked more details about what exactly she was doing. The bit about the woman architect was wonderful.

My other quibble is that the story never takes us into the lives of the store employees. As a Selfridge fan, I was rather hoping this novel would also go behind the scenes. Unfair expectation of me, however, as the story is told following Delia, a woman who as I said above, lives in her jeweled bubble. I seriously doubt she'd ever have gotten to know any store employees. And the blurb doesn't promise this, so I should not have expected it.

Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glamor, glitter, love, shopping, and ​famous names thrown around...what fun it was reading WHAT THE LADY WANTS.

WHAT THE LADY WANTS is set in Chicago during the 1800's when retail stores and innovations were beginning to surface. Famous industrialists such as Pullman, McCormick, Potter, Swift, Field, and Armour filled the pages. Hearing these names brought out the historical fiction aficionado in me.

Along with the business side of Chicago​,​ WHAT THE LADY WANTS tells​ the story of the personal life of Delia Spencer, Arthur Caton, and Marshall Field revealing ​Delia and Marshall​'s ongoing, infamous ​love ​affair. You will want to look up th​eir ​names to find ​more ​information on them and on Marshall Field & Company.

Both Delia and Marshall were captivating characters, and Ms. Rosen perfectly portrayed their life and the lifestyles of the wealthy ​during that time.

​A little bit of romance along with the history of Chicago makes WHAT THE LADY WANTS an intriguing, alluring ​read.

​You will also find out where the book's title came from. ENJOY!!​ 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.​

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be much more of a historical fiction than it was. Like a review of urban Chicago from the late 1800's- early 1900's with a focus on Marshall Fields. Could have been cool. Instead, after a good few chapters on the Great Chicago Fire and the aftermath, it became much more of a soppy romance than I was looking for. A quarter of the way through, I just couldn't wait for it to be done.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book’s cover says that this is a novel of Marshall Field and the Gilded Age, but really it is a novel about Delia Spencer Caton, a wealthy socialite in Chicago who is navigating high society while dealing with her unhappy marriage and her growing attraction to Marshall Field.

The book starts during the great fire and Chicago in 1871 when she first meets Marshall Field. A third of the city was destroyed and over 100,000 people were left homeless. During the course of the story Chicago rebuilds itself, Marshall Field becomes a powerful man in Chicago and Delia discovers what is an is not acceptable in Chicago high society.

Although Marshall Field is an important main character in this book, the book is told from Delia‘s perspective. The book is fascinating in exploring the mores of the Gilded Age, the rise of workers rights, and women’s rights. Delia and her husband Arthur are fascinating characters as are Marshall and his wife Nannie, who is addicted to laudanum. A lot of of other real life characters are included in the story and the reader will probably recognize the names of Pullman, Swift, Palmer, Armour among others. These people were all a part of the upper upper crust of society.

The writing is good, although a little flowery for my taste, and the story flows very well.The reader really gets a good look at what society women’s lives were like during the Gilded Age. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of their clothes. I can’t imagine wearing all that during a Chicago summer!

I enjoyed this book and since I have a few other of Renee Rosen’s books on my shelves, I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

BTW, I really miss Marshall Fields’s stores!!

[Littlem7 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was interesting to learn a bit more of that time period, but the writing did not flow for me. At times I felt like, "Oh, she obviously researched this section and dumped all her research in this paragraph." I really didn't like any of the characters. They all seemed like spoiled, rich brats.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blah! Superficial storytelling, with limited character development. Could have been a great soapy historically-based novel, but Delia Caton comes across as selfish and one-dimensional.

[Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are books out there that sometimes I have a hard time expressing what I want to say in my reviews. This one happens to be one of them. The writing was beautiful, the story was captivating and the characters were full of heart and marvelous.What the Lady Wants starts out with a bang when the author drops us in the middle of the hardest times in Chicago, during the night of the Great Fire, and it takes off and a full roller-coaster from there.

The story is told from a young lady's prospective by the name of Delia, who comes from a family with lots of money. Having all that money did not stop Delia from living quiet the difficult life. Marrying at a young age to a man named Arthur, who also came from money and having the unfortunate luck of finding herself completely in love with another married man. From falling into nasty society gossip, losing a lot of her friends and still able to pick herself up and move on from the hurtful snide remarks and being shut the door on by people who she thought were her friends.

The story follows three very unlikely friends. Marshall is a great character, who seemed to have been a great man. He had a failing marriage and has went through a lot of pains when it came to growing his store. The first time he lost his store in the Great Fire he rebuilt it from the ashes shortly after. I loved seeing how his story progressed over the ages, how Marshall wanted to move with the times and deliver something exquisite and different. The man has made history with everything that he went through. Just when things seemed like they were going smoothly something else knocking him down and he got back up again, stronger, better, bigger.

I watched the rise and fall of labor unions in the day and workers wanting money. The dark times that came as a result. I watched Delia struggle with being in love with Marshall, the affair, and whose wife refused to grant him the divorce they both wanted her to. I liked that the author threw in such a big curve ball with Delia's husband and his sexuality. Arthur came from money, and he was Delia's best friend but their marriage was solely based on friendship. He was a tortured soul in a way. He didn't amount to anything that his father wanted him to, and he was kind of lazy. Lot's of times we watched Delia compare him to Marsh, wishing he had half the motivation Marsh did - who also had money, but that did not stop him from changing the face of the dry goods store.

I had to go and look this up, which store exactly it was that he had build. Turns out it is one we all know these days as Macy's. After it's been sold off to another company and renamed.

A truly great and wonderful story. I adored the writing and found myself savoring every moment. With realistic characters, it was hard not to get pulled in!

I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosen skillfully charms, fascinates, frustrates, and moves her readers in this turn of the century tale. Set on an epic historical stage, WHAT THE LADY WANTS contains all of the hedonism, decadence, success, and tragedy of the great American novel. (My Cover Endorsement)

[Kremena Koleva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Насладих се на една епична книга. Започнала с големия пожар в Чикаго през 1897, историята на Делия Спенсър и Маршал Фийлд преминава през изпитания, враждебност, социални конфликти и исторически събития . What the Lady Wants смесва реални и измислени личности с истински случки от историята на Чикаго. Във вечна конкуренция с Ню Йорк, след унищожителния пожар Чикаго се възражда по - красив и по - амбициозен . Благодарение на търговците и едрите капиталисти, той спечелва съревнованието за домакин на Световното Колумбийско изложение през
1893 година. Посветено на 400 годишнината от стъпването на Христофор Колумб в Новия свят, то насочва погледа та света към Чикаго и дава тласък на архитектурата, индустрията и изкуствата. Заради белия камък, който облицова сградите отвън, градът е наречен " Бял". Появяват се емблематични строежи, като Универсалния магазин на Карсън Пири Скот, дело на " бащата на небостъргачите " Луи Сливен; и като Масонския храм, построен през 1892 , запазил титлата най - висока сграда до 1899 година , но съборен през 1939 година.
Преминавайки през времето до 1907 година, книгата ни въвежда в света на висшето общество, неговите закони, предубеждения и стремежи за развитие на страната. Елитни съсловия, фамилии, изградили си име с упоритост и готовност да въвеждат новото. Сблъсъкът им със синдикални борби, социалистически възгледи, журналистически войни и личните им желания. На фона на драматизъм, загуби и разочарования, една жена и един мъж строят собствения си живот паралелно със строежа на универсален магазин, който дава нова визия на търовията, насочена най - вече към женската клиентела.
Несломим дух и силна любов са двигателите на What the Lady Wants. Заради всичко, което се случваше на страниците й, се разрових за повече подробности около Световното Колумбийско изложение, около Стивън Гроувър Кливланд , 22 - ри и 24 - ти президент на САЩ, открил това изложение и около драматичната съдба на пионера архитект Луи Съливан. Преживяването си струваше!

* " ... трибуни, препълнени с хора, които бяха платили по двадесет и пет цента на брой, за да чуят речта на президента Кливланд и да се присъединят към пеенето на „1 ’Tis of Thee“. Когато панаирът беше официално открит, запалиха се още фойерверки и фонтаните по средата оживяха, докато електрическите светлини осветяваха всяка сграда, развълнувайки тълпата от хора, много от които никога преди не бяха виждали нито една електрическа крушка. Цялото изживяване беше магическо. "
* " Книгите бяха нейните спътници, нейното бягство. Страниците, които прелистваше, бяха заели нейните места и я бяха научили да мечтае. Книгите, които събраха, отидоха в домове за сираци и нуждаещи се семейства, които не можеха да си позволят да ги купят. "

[Avree Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

What drew me to this book is my obsession with Victorian/Edwardian eras and the Gilded Age in such boom towns as Chicago (and New York of course). I became increasingly interested in Chicago history after reading the exciting story of The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson and a portion of this book takes place at the Columbian Exposition a.k.a the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

I’ve had this book in my wish list for some time and I imagined visiting a world of tantalizingly stocked counters, ornate chiming cash registers, crystalline opulence, fancy patrons, gleaming marble floors, behemoth pillars, brushing green palms as we the reader are taken on day-to-day life of a Gilded Age department store—much like the show “The Paradise” and like Harry Gordan Selfridge’s retail empire in “Mr. Selfridge” (who got his start working for Mr. Field twenty-five years before opening his own namesake store in London).

I am slightly disappointed because for some reason, I thought the majority of the story was going to take place within Marshall Field’s BUT only a handful of paragraphs were devoted to the store’s interior, in total. I was yearning for a story within the glamour and intrigue of a revolutionary concept of the department store—considering that before such time consumers shopped single floor dry goods stores (as Marshall started out at at the age of 17 in Massachusetts and then following westward expansion at the age of 21 traveled to Chicago where he became a leading dry goods salesman at another’s company)—but what I got turned out to be just as charming—except for one unsavory element that is woven throughout the entire story………….

For the record I tend to refrain from books with such insalubrious subject matter but seeing as the story of Marshall Field and Delia Caton’s relationship is a well-known piece of history I felt the author handled the scandal rather tastefully, considering. I also would like to warn my fellow “sensitive” friends that the most graphic love scene between Delia and her husband is on page 47/48 and then page 135/136 is another love scene but it’s in no way vulgar or overly descriptive…I have definitely encountered much worse!

Okay, so I’m thrilled with this book because it gave me such graphic pleasure (and not in the way you may be thinking)—I’m talking marble mansions of Prairie Avenue, velvet trimmed satin gowns, elaborate French furnishings, no expense spared decadent soirees, ornate terrace gardens, horse drawn carriages, grand staircases, evenings at the opera, Louis Vuitton steamer trunks, etc..

For example from page 52: “Bertha dressed in the height of style, a yellow silk gown stitched with golden embroidery and a delicately draped overskirt. She wore her dark hair in a high knot that supported her signature diamond tiara. Her many bracelets clinked as softly as wind chimes each time she moved.”

“He had reserved their own stateroom on board the White Star line with plush green velvet seats that had brass nailhead trim. Above the Cherrywood wainscoting was a series of large paintings house in enormous gilt frames. There were two stewards at their beck and call. They dined on roast beef and lobster, served on Royal Worcester china with Duhme sterling silver, and drank fine wine and champagne from Richards & Hartley crystal goblets.” Page 108

“The next morning the four of them had breakfast at Café de la Paix. The moment she stepped inside, Delia took in the lovely frescoes that played along the walls, the plush interior of greens and burgundy and the heavenly scents of buttered pasties and rich, strong coffee.” Page 113

“Inside the opera house Delia stood before the grand staircase, absorbing the breathtaking opulence surrounding her. Her eyes traveled from the frieze along the ceiling to the gold and red marble archways and columns that led to the balconies. Statues of Gluck, Lully, Handel and Rameau looked on from their golden pedestals. When they entered the hall, Marsh planted his hands on his hips and stared up at the bronze-and-crystal chandelier flickering from above.” Page 114

Now what’d I tell ya?...sheer porn :P haha, no in all seriousness Renée Rosen sure paints a beautifully vivid picture of the Gilded Age, just transports you right there in that ballroom where it feels like the ladies in attendance are all giving you the stink eye and your face is the one burning red.

I also loved all the historical details from the book’s opening in 1871 with a fascinating take on what it was like to be in Chicago the evening that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow caused The Great Fire (speculated cause anyway), to the Haymarker Affair, to the Thanksgiving Day 1884 Prairie Avenue Protest, to Mr. Harry Selfridge getting his start in Field’s company and Field remarking “That man exhausts me…he makes me a lot of money, but he exhausts me.” (page 270), to the Chicago World’s Fair.

If you’re like me and just love to be transported to a different time or place (and especially if you’re a lover of all things Gilded) then this book will not disappoint…and I should know because I was “disappointed” at the fact that it didn’t take place in a glitzy store but what the story offers instead is equally as dazzling.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prior to joining my wonderful book club I rarely read historical fiction. With the clubs influence I find myself reading and enjoying historical fiction. What the Lady Wants gives you a glimpse into an era that was defined by wealth. Although, I can’t relate to the affluent lifestyle lived by these characters I can definitely relate to the love, loss, disappointment and and incredible commitment to family that they had. The other thing I now love about historical fiction is going on line after finishing the book and reading about all the truths that did exist in the book!!

[Sheryl Kabak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, but I thought it was going to be more about the people who developed Chicago during the Guilded Age and less of a soap opera about Marshall Field and his mistress. The side story about Delia's husband was interesting because of the morals of the time, but I would have liked more focus on Field himself and how he built his flagship store after the Great Chicago Fire.

[Lauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the historical perspective of this book in Chicago, but found the relationship story line to be a bit too much of a soap opera.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The segment of title "What the Lady Wants" is one of five books with that title. Apparently it is a quote from Marshall Field. The sub-title on this book is "A novel of Marshall Field and the Gilded Age". I did not check to see if the other books with the same title are connected to Marshall Field. Perhaps I should check. Since the TV series of "Selfridge" has lapped up some of my attention, I thought this book would be enchanting. I was lucky enough to be gifted it through Goodreads!

Chicago was exciting during the period 1871 - 1906, the period taking place during the book. There were fires, a World's fair, union riots, suicides, and the growth of three Marshall Field stores, each successive one bigger and better than the previous one. The city grew from a pioneer town into a modern city with skyscrapers.

Although this is essentially a love story between Delia Caton who is married to Arthur and Marshall Field who is also married and is 20 years older than Delia, there are sub themes:
1. Delia wanting a child and not able to interest her husband in sex very often
2. Love between Delia and her husband; hate between Marshall and his wife Nannie
3. Love of Arthur and his male friend Paxton which is never mentioned
4. Upset of Arthur when Paxton marries
5. Love of women to shop
6. Bossy style of Marshall Field with his employees
7. Family expectations of the rich at that time
8. How it feels to be on top in social life, lose it, get shunned and then arrive at the top again.
9. A feeling for why divorce did not occur in that gilded age
10 The relative ease of life for one who was not working but also how one might not feel worthwhile when one did not work.

Since I do not often read romance, it is my fault that I found the romance part of it too prevalent. On the other hand, the descriptions of how various characters in at least four families said what they did, why, and what they thought was a veritable lesson in family psychology.

[Jenny Belk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished What The Lady Wants last night. Sadly, I hated that it ended. I wanted to stay in Chicago during the Gilded Age with Marshall Fields and Delia Caton. Having previously read Dollface by Renee, I wanted to learn more about Chicago's history. Reading this book I felt like I was there during the Great Chicago Fire, the rebuilding of the White City. I shopped at Marshall Fields and enjoyed all the glitz and grandeur of the wealthy. I hobnobbed with the rich and famous of the times. This is a love story but more than that it is a
telling of resilience, dedication of spirit and overcoming difficult times. Renee Rosen has done it again. She has left me longing for her next book. If you like Historical Fiction you will adore Renee Rosen's books.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as historical fiction goes, this author did a good job of portraying Chicago during those days.


Now, as far as the fiction aspect of this book a lot of it wasn't fictional, but some of the most intriguing parts are a figment of the authors' imagination. I must say that this book by no means has a very happy ending. I am glad that Amazon was offering me a five-dollar-off coupon because I had it on one of my lists!!!

If you are going to read this, take it out from the library if you can. I know that I won't be re-reading it again. But then again, that's just me!

[Cfkotula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to enjoy some Chicago history; in particular, that of Marshall Field's. While there were descriptions of Chicago life in old times (and I especially enjoyed the passages about the Chicago Fire and the downtown wooden sidewalks), the story is mostly about Field's involvement in a scandalous love triangle. As such, it reads more like a romance novel. But I was hoping for a little more about how Field built his retail empire and prominence in Chicago history.

[Shannon Dyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Round up to 3.5 stars. Review to come at AudioGals.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars: An interesting snapshot of history with engaging characters.

Seventeen year old Delia Spencer puts the finishing touches on her gorgeous outfit. She is headed to the prestigious opening for one of Chicago's latest and greatest posh hotels. At the party, Delia meets the industrious Marshall Fields. A man twenty years her senior, but for some inexplicable reason, she is drawn to him. As they chat, a murmur goes through the crowd as alarms sound throughout the city. Another fire is blazing. Soon the crowd can see the flames moving quickly toward the hotel, and they must evacuate. The Great Chicago Fire burns through Chicago, destroying the city and taking countless lives. Delia and Marshall survive. Marshall Fields quickly reopens his store, which helps the residents find some bit of normal in the destruction. With each meeting, Delia finds herself more and more attracted to Fields, but he is a married man. The two of them find their fates intertwined, and Fields endeavors to give her what she wants. Will Delia find her heart's desire?
What I Liked:
*Ms. Rosen once again writes an intriguing and interesting historical novel that features the story of Marshall Fields and his mistress/wife, Delia Spencer. This is a sweeping story that shows how Fields helped establish the modern day department story after the devastating destruction of the Chicago Fire. I thoroughly enjoyed going back in time and learning more about this period in history.
*Ms. Rosen excels at writing engaging characters. At the heart of this book are three unforgettable characters who shuck the boundaries of society and manage to form lifelong friendships. The story is told through the eyes of Delia Spencer, a young socialite. I liked watching Delia grow and transform into a smart, capable woman who turned her back on gossip and found her own path. I admired her courage and spirit to follow her heart's desire even if it her choices were unconventional and the fodder for gossip. I imagine it would have taken nerves and fortitude to brave Chicago's elite society, but Delia does just that. Marshall Fields was a larger than life character. A man with great ambition who was never afraid of hard work. He pushed the envelope and birthed the modern, luxury department store which still survives today. I was fascinated by this revolutionary man. Finally, the third wheel was Arthur Canton, Delia's husband. He was a tortured soul, who had everything at his fingertips but was still unhappy. I loved seeing the trio make their strange relationship work, and I liked how they were there for each other.
*This book starts in October 1871, the night of the Great Chicago Fire. I know the basic details of the catastrophic burning, but not much else. Ms. Rosen places you right in the middle of the chaos and panic as Chicago burns. I liked learning more about this historical event that transformed Chicago. Many other important events are touched on in this book as well, such as the Haymaker Affair and the World's Fair. Rosen skillfully provides the basics without miring the book down in mundane detail. I am sure she could have written an entire book on any one of these main events.
*At the heart of the story is the torrid romance between Fields and Delia Canton. The two carry on a thirty year affair, and their relationship was not a secret. I found it fascinating that the two carried on a public affair and survived all the scandal. It was a strange romance for sure.
*I appreciated that Ms. Rosen tried to keep the book as historically accurate as possible. I am a reader that likes to have the tale as close to the truth as possible. Rosen includes an author's note at the end in which she discusses where she took some liberties with the story. If you are a fan of historical fiction, I highly recommend this book. I found it fascinating.
And The Not So Much:
*I was a tiny bit disappointed that there wasn't a bit more discussion on the rebuilding of Chicago after the fire. I would love to know a bit more about the recovery.
*Ms. Rosen took some liberties with Arthur Canton's character. Even though I liked the way it played out in the book, I was disappointed to learn that Ms. Rosen portrayed him as being gay even though there ins't evidence to support this claim. I don't know, I am a purist and I like my historical books as true to fact as possible.
*Even though I liked the way everything played out and I was satisfied with the ending, I wanted to know more. I wish that there was an Epilogue at the end of the book that provided more information on the fate of Marshall Field's store and his empire as well as what happened to Delia. I had to google the information because my quizzical mind just had to know.

What the Lady Wants was a fascinating account of how Marshall Fields helped create the modern department store and changed the face of American retail forever. I loved learning more about his rise to fame as well as his long time love affair with Delia Spencer Canton. If you enjoy good historical fiction, I urge you to check out this book, I was riveted.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. "What the Lady Wants" takes place in the Gilded Age in the shining White City, Chicago. Delia, a privileged young woman, falls for the charismatic Marshall Field, who brings a store made up consumers', mostly women, wildest dreams to life in the center of the city. There is only one problem: Field is married to Nannie, a woman bent on making Field's life a nightmare. Delia is married to Arthur, a man hiding his own secrets. I was incredibly excited to read this book, especially after my trip to Chicago back in June (actually the hotel that we stayed at appears in the book, which was super cool), and I was most definitely not disappointed!

The affair of Delia and Marshall is based on fact although there were a lot of crazy rumors about their coupling (my favorite from the author's note was that there was a rumor that they had a secret tunnel between their two properties so that they could visit each other). I loved reading about their relationship. It is easy to see how they fell for each other. I also liked reading about their dealings with each of their spouses. I mostly felt bad for Arthur. He knows his marriage is a sham and wants something very different. Nannie is just crazy. She is addicted to drugs and is not all there at all! Definitely good reading!

This book will definitely be a treat for my fellow historical fiction lovers. The book takes place from the Great Fire of Chicago to the World's Fair, definitely an action packed few years in the city's history. The author definitely captures this glitzy age well. I was sucked in by all of the descriptions and details. Overall, this was a great story that kept me entertained all the way through!

[Gbug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received What the Lady wants: A Novel of Marshall Field and the Gilded Age by Renee Rosen from a Goodreads giveaway. The cover of the book is beautiful, iridescent. This is a Romantic Historic Novel. It is based on some factual events.

Married Marshall Field, it was commonly known, carried on an affair with married Delia Caton a wealthy socialite for years. The facts surrounding this are unknown and this is why the book is fiction. Delia is depicted as the long suffering wife in a sexless marriage. Marshall Field, founder of the department store, as the spouse of a drug addicted lunatic. They are instantly attracted to one another. Eventually they cannot resist this attraction. And thus the romance begins and dominates the story. The story is told from Delia's point of view.

I recommend reading the Author's Notes in the back of the book so the reader knows exactly what is fact and fiction. In those notes Rosen states the anarchist's march on Prairie Avenue is depicted in What the Lady Wants as happening on Thanksgiving Day 1881 when it actually occurred on that day in 1884. There is really no reason, nor is one given, for changing the date. Why change a historical fact?

I am not a fan of Romance Novels. So for me personally this book would only get 2 stars. But it is written in a very readable style and moves along quickly. And I suspect if Romance Novels are your forte it would be an exciting read. For that reason I gave it 3 stars.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend from work loaned this to me because she knew I used to live in Chicago and love the old history of that city. Luckily this has aspects of that throughout the book, or I may not have finished it.

As with many modern novels that try to capture an era they only do so in part. I love many of the references of the streets and historical events and could picture exactly where some of the characters were at the time having once lived there myself. That was the good part.

Unfortunately this author takes people that really lived in the Gilded Age in Chicago but hypothesizes wildly as to their personal lives. I find that unfair to those who have passed who cannot defend themselves any further. Although Marshall Field did have an affair with this lady there were other aspects of their private lives which I feel discredit those people.

Another thing that irritated me was that some of the dialogue and sayings did not seem to fit the time. Honestly I do not think this woman would have acted in certain ways or said certain things back in the late 1800's. That always irritates me when somebody is writing about older times, they simply put too many modern slants on the story.

I would have really rather read this two and a half stars but since that's not possible and I think two stars was too harsh I rated it three. Definitely a very light read, but if you don't know much about Old Chicago it may not hold much interest for you.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was born and raised in Chicago and Marshall Fields was THE department store in the city and my family loved it. So when I saw this book in the library, I thought I must read this. Unfortunately (for me) while the lady of the title is his mistress and his eventual wife there just wasn't enough about his development of the department store included. It truly is about the lady and many historical characters that lived in that time period. It was a quick historical read and moved along at a nice pace. It just became a little too "soap opera - ish" for me - so therefore only the 3 stars. However, the book does justice to the city of Chicago and many of the early historical events that shaped the city.

[Bobbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in Chicago and loving to shop at Marshall Field's for most of my life (until Macy's ruined it) I was excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint - most of it is fiction but the historical events and people were real they dug in and rebuilt the city after the great fire, brought the World's Fair here (the White City), built hotels (Palmer), stores (Field), railroad cars (Pullman), meat packing companies (Swift and Armour), Designed buildings (Burnham) and set the stage for the world class city that I love. Highly recommend this to everyone.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never met a Renee Rosen novel I didn't like and What the Lady Wants is further proof. I was riveted and engaged from the moment I picked this novel up. I don't normally get as much time during the week to read my print novels, but I made time each day for this one.

Growing up in the Chicago area, I went to Marshall Field's all the time. Each store was always so beautifully laid out, giving the feel of an exquisite department store. And now I know why. Reading about how Marshall Field's came about makes me sad that it's no longer around, as it was bought out by Macy's a while back. I still remember visiting the store on State Street and looking at the holiday window displays.

What the Lady Wants is told from the perspective of Delia Spencer Caton, who fell in love with Marshall Field and embarked on an affair with him. While some of the story is fabricated, most of it is based on factual information. Regardless, I really felt the emotions that Delia was going through from the time she met Marsh (as she called him), how the affair played out, and the consequences that she had to pay for loving another woman's husband more than her own. There was a lot of tragedy both in Delia's life and in Marsh's.

It was interesting to see how Marshall Field's came about and all the work that went into developing such a great department store. This novel takes place during the same time period as Renee's latest, The Social Graces. While Renee has mentioned that Gilded Age New York and Gilded Age Chicago are different, I wouldn't have been able to discern otherwise. There is even some overlap, as they meet up with the Astors and Vanderbilts on trips to New York in this novel.

Even though this is one of Renee's earlier novels, she has shown right off the bat that she's an exceptionally talented historical fiction novelist. I look forward to checking out Dollface sometime soon!

Since there's so much age progression in this novel, it's hard to cast. However, I pictured Phoebe Dynevor as Delia in the earlier part of the novel, through her twenties. Alexander Skarsgård could be good as Marshall in his late thirties and through his forties.

[Mary Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about families who could be considered Chicago royalty and the rich lifestyle of this set. Swift, Armour, Palmer, Field, Glessner were some of them. It was also interesting to think about the specific geographic locations mentioned. From marital infidelities to the Haymarket affair, it seems there has always been plenty of scandal to go around in Chicago.