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Book Review: The Second Mrs. Astor
By Shana Abe
Many thanks to Kensington Publishing Corporation and Goodreads for the advanced readers edition of The Second Mrs. Astor.
This is a historical novel set mostly in 1910–1912, about Madeleine Force, a socialite (married to John Jacob Astor) who survived the Titanic.
I kept wanting to binge read this, but it’s summer and time for home improvements and so many projects. Plus I had my vaccines and can go places. Well, I finally binge-read the final hundred pages with naIl-biting and weeping. Even knowing (spoiler) the Titanic would sink and that John Jacob Astor would die, I couldn’t put the book down. That says a lot about the author’s writing.
The writing is beautiful. The details, especially of costume and decor, are exquisite and satisfying. The same goes for nature details, such as seagulls. It doesn’t matter whether it’s New York or Egypt, the quality and detail is consistent throughout the book.
Page 100: I kind of want to punch Vincent, the snobby and insulting prick.
Page 216: Wow — the soothsayer’s vision — with the life raft — is chilling.
And the dog left behind in their room — that made me cry. Well, that was only the first time I cried.
Now that I’ve been weeping over this book, I next want to read something lighter. V. S. Schwab described The House on the Cerulean Sea as “like being wrapped in a big, gay blanket,” and that sounds like just the thing.