The Magical Land of Books

 An American Princess The Many Lives of Allene Tew by Annejet van der Zijl is an amazing and engaging portrait of an American lady and the upper society where she lived in. Born in Jamestown at the end of 1800s this city was famous mainly for woodworking, textile industry and for exporting large ice blocks for keeping at a cool temperature various foods. It was this one a little, big revolution. Charles and Jenette were the parents of Allene. Allene was born on July 7 1872 in Janesville, Rock County. She was the only child of this couple. The destiny of Allene a girl ready to conquer the world thanks to her rebel character was at first Tod Hostetter. We speak of the upper class of New York City. The one who monopolized the mundane life of New York, if I can use this expression was the powerful family of the Astors, in grade to saying who was in and who was out in their list (400 names) of absolutely acceptable rich and powerful, aristocrat people with which sharing feasts, business, or vice-versa the ones out, unwanted because in the past that families experienced problems: so unwelcomed. The family of Vanderbilt was in the black list, for example, although incredibly rich. The family Hostetter made fortune selling a special potion, an herbal potion in grade of curing a lot of illness and pains. It was a big and lucrative success for the family. They mainly became rich because of this potion. In 1870s David, the dad of Tod sold a million bottles a year. Every year a free almanac of their society was available for everyone in every grocery store. Close to the Bible this one was the most important book that you could see in the American houses at that times. David left, when he died, a fortune of 18 million. Tod was young, in love for Allene and it happened: Allene became pregnant and Tod married her. It was a secret marriage for let know to the family that he had choosen his wife. The powerful family of Tod didn't appreciate this love-story and absolutely they didn't like at all the idea of this gold digger, who, according to their point of view, became pregnant for causing all this trouble at their family. Unaccepted as couple, banned by the Astors, Allene and Tod re-created alternative clubs, alternative places where spend their vacations. We speak of people with an immense fortune and a lot of privileges. Ted and Greta were their children; once Allene lost a baby, Verna. It was the day of the fourth birthday of Greta and Tod was devastated by this loss. It was pretty common at that times to lose children also for a common flu but Tod didn't never recuperate, starting to adopt a dissolute life-style, losing a lot of money thanks to gambling and bad habits. Vanderbilt after all said of inherited wealth: "It's a real handicap to happiness. It is a certain death to ambition as cocaine is to morality." At the same time the elite of New York continued to celebrate with great and luxurious feasts. A democrat President was rejected for later choosing a republican one in grade to continue to keep things good for the elite and bad for the poorest ones. But it was a big ball organized in 1897 that created a lot of polemics, although riches not touched by the protests. Legend wants that the Astors opened the ball with this ditty: "When you Ain't Go No Money, You need Not to Come Around." The terrible behavior of her husband Todd, brought Allene at a sad decision: she divorced from him. Tod anyway died pretty abruptly leaving her in profound costernation and sadness. The second husband of Allene was Morton Nichols. He was 34 years when he met Allene. It was a beautiful marriage at first. They traveled a lot but the union at the end was a fiasco and they divorced. It's 1912: the Titanic hit an iceberg in the inaugural trip and sunk bringing with it the creme of New York. There were Benjamin Guggenheim, John Jacob Astor in that ship. This one was read by the elite of New York as a sign: a sign of new approaching disasters, a clear punishment for modern man's arrogance and presumption. Anson Wood Burchard was the third and surely most beloved husband of Allene. He loved her children (the second one detested them) he did all that he could for helping the family following also the children of Allene.When the first worldwwar started, Ted, a troublemaker at school decided to join the Aviation, as a pilot with great success. Once, hit by the enemy, returned home. Allene, oZijlnce understood that Ted wanted to return in the areas of war did all her best like also her husband for avoiding any danger. But it was impossible... Ted died, and that same days, while they were still waiting for Ted's news, Greta died because of the Spanish flu. Allene was devastated. It was more than a trauma for her. Greta married a good man and they were ready for children. Now, everything, a future like a granny, a future surrounded by nieces and nephews, gone. Like also her role as a mother. In the future Allene did her best for hiding the fact that she had had two children and once she was a mother. She tried all her best for being a mother for other children; helping the ones of her friends. Abruptly, and because of a bad indigestion after a lunch attended at some common friends's house, Burchard died. To Allen this one was a horrible shock, because this man represented to her the solidity she hadn't still known in the precedent unions. While Henry Reuss started to become her fourth husband, the big crisis of New York City was approaching. The one of 1929. Most people didn't have a roof anymore above their heads, and writes the author, "As Francis Scott Fitzgerald described the crisis-hit New York, stood the new Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world, empty- as thought to mock the megalomania and greed that had brought the city to its knees." The symbol of this crisis became the Empire, writes the author. Allene decided of selling most of her estates. She divorced by Ruess and her final husband was Armgard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld. Allene died on 1955. Wonderful book, written with joy, interest, enthusiasm and desire of sharing, it is a wonderful reading for everyone. Highly recommended. I thank NetGalley for this ebook. Anna Maria Polidori