“Arabella. Richmond, 1867. The best part about working for Johnny Worsham, aside from that fact that he paid reliably, and in cold Yankee cash, was that he insisted she never wear her spectacles while on the floor. Which meant that Belle never had to really see any of the men she served, not unless they came quite close, which some of them did.”
I’m Betty Martin with "Martin’s Must Reads" and those are some lines from the first chapter of Shana Abe’s historical novel An American Beauty. The story is based on the life of Arabella, or Belle, Yarrington who became the wealthiest woman in Gilded Age America. She was born into poverty and as a teenager went to work in a gambling parlor to help support her mother and siblings. It was there that married, and thirty years older, railroad mogul Collis Potter Huntington met and fell in love with her. She became his courtesan and he in return took care of both her and her family .
The story is about their life together and provides a vivid picture of life in wealthy society New York from 1867-1900. The author’s notes say that Belle “became a great philanthropist in her lifetime, giving freely to a variety of causes.” But also that she loved beautiful things. “It’s said her personal collection of jewelry was so impressive that after her death it became the foundation of the Harry Winston empire. Not only that, several of the sumptuously decorated rooms from her houses are now in museums, along with significant pieces from her jaw-dropping collection of art.”
If you want to read a book about how a strong woman rose to wealth and fame in the Gilded Age, then you must read An American Beauty by Shana Abe.
