Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In the glittering world of Manhattan's upper crust, where wives turn a blind eye to husbands' infidelities, and women have few rights and even less independence, society is everything. The more celebrated the hostess, the more powerful the woman. And none is more powerful than Caroline Astor—the Mrs. Astor.

But times are changing.

Alva Vanderbilt has recently married into one of America's richest families. But what good is money when society refuses to acknowledge you? Alva, who knows what it is to have nothing, will do whatever it takes to have everything.

Sweeping three decades and based on true events, this is a gripping novel about two fascinating, complicated women going head to head, behaving badly, and discovering what’s truly at stake. 

Review:

If you've ever read any book by Edith Warton (such as The Age of Innocence), then you might be familiar with the rigid social system in New York in the late 1800's, and the clash between "old" money, and "new" money.  Families who inherited their wealth were considered Old Money, while those whose fortunes were self-made were considered New Money.  The Old monied Astors did their upmost to shut out the New monied families,like the Vanderbilts.  Why?  They were considered uneducated, uncultured, and undesirable to marry.  But, by the end of this time period, around 1900, both groups intermingled.  

The Social Graces, by Renee Rosen, chronicles the clash between Caroline Astor, the most influential of the Old monied hostesses, and the ambitious New money, Alva Vanderbilt.  With immense attention to historical detail, Rosen brings this era to life for the reader.  And, although I never would have guessed it, I felt a great deal of empathy towards these two women.  This was a wonderful book.

What I Liked:

Historical Details:

The Gilded Age was a time of excess, and also of extreme poverty.  The author does a wonderful job of showing the contrasts between the two.  I was really captivated by the celebrations that began the era as opulent parties and devolved into garish spectacles by the end of the 1800's.  This was perpetuated by the influx of newly wealthy families, each trying to outdo the other in themed parties.  There were Balls that had a color theme (The White Ball, The Red Ball, etc), and others where the guests of honor were animals!  

The author also showed how much poor people struggled during this time.  Many immigrants lived in tenement housing, with no heat in the winter.  Wages were not enough to buy basic necessities.  When people began to organize, they were brutally put down.  The wealthy going to these parties had to have seen these poor souls, yet few did anything to improve the lives of these people.

Characters:

While women of this time period had few rights or power to steer their own lives, Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt made the most of their influence to bend society to their will.  They also were mothers who, like any of us, wanted security for their children, especially their daughters. I think Caroline had the more difficult time of it with her children.  She couldn't understand how her daughters would question the norms of society.  Marry for love?  What a ridiculous notion!  When she stands her ground and insists on choosing husbands for her daughters, the consequences are devastating.  

Alva also struggles to conform to a marriage that is more a business arrangement than a relationship.  For most of the book she soldiers on, thinking her sacrifice will benefit her children's social standing.  Until she has finally had enough.  

Through it all, both women use their husband's money to validate themselves.  The parties, dresses, and households are lavish.  And the thought that must have gone in to all the planning would probably put a modern-day project manager to shame.  While this could have been tedious to read about, I was fascinated, especially as the women start to question what they are doing.

Story:

The story follows Alva Vanderbilt, as she fights her way into society.  She knows that women like Caroline Astor do not wish to accept them into society.  When Alva tries the usual polite ways to introduce herself to Caroline are met with silence, Alva tries a different tact.  She becomes a newer, flashier version of Caroline.  Not invited to join the Music Academy?  No problem.  Alva pushes to built what is now know as the greatest opera house in the United States, The Met!  

In the midst of all of this, Caroline struggles to keep her daughters in line.  She wants them to marry respectable men who she has chosen for them.  But her daughters have other ideas.  And Alva, must decide if she can accept the trade-off of a life of ease in a loveless marriage, or risk scandal by considering divorce.

The story becomes the most heartfelt as both women begin to question the whole game of "society".  It's a lot of work to rise to the top of the social ladder.  But what they find is that the rewards are not terribly meaningful in the long run.

Themes:

The theme of this novel is about change.  Not only are the old society families being replaced by new ones, the times are going through rapid changes brought on by the industrial age.  In just a few short years, America went from horse and buggies, to automobiles, workers started organizing, and women began to demand the right to vote.  With all this came an evolution of social norms. It's no wonder the Old families saw themselves as the gatekeepers of tradition.

But, with all the new fortunes being made due to industrialization, there came a certain recklessness from the newly wealthy.  Parties grew increasingly lavish (and outlandish), excess was encouraged, with no thought to (or perhaps to shut out) the suffering of low-wage workers.  The novel not only chronicles the events of the times, but also shows how the excesses of the time turned a Gilded Age into a garish one.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  April 20th, 2021

Author:  Renee Rosen

Publisher: Berkley Press

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Page Length:  400 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation: A lavish book about the Gilded Age, this is a must read for fans of historical fiction.