Publisher: Romaunce Books
Publication Date: 10th August 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary:
Angela Burdett-Coutts was a wealthy woman who used her money, class and prestige to make a tangible difference for those less fortunate. She would become one of the most outspoken and dedicated philanthropists of her day.
Coutts the bank was founded in 1692 but really took off when Thomas Coutts took over at the beginning of the 19th Century. He made a fortune, and left it to his second wife, 40 years younger and an actress. When she died, she left it all to Thomas' granddaughter, Angela Burdett-Coutts.
Suddenly, Angela became the second wealthiest woman in England after Queen Victoria. She had to hire bodyguards to keep fortune hunters away. But because of her wealth and also because her father was a radical politician, she moved in the most interesting circles of Victorian society, where she met and has numerous affairs with famous people, like the chemist Michael Faraday and many others including Charles Dickens and the Duke of Wellington.
She caused something of a scandal with her radical lifestyle, but because of her wealth, and the fact that she spends most of her money on charity, opening schools for impoverished children, helping Dickens with the housing for the poor, housing prostitutes and getting them off the streets she's almost beyond criticism.... until, at the age of 66, she caused absolute shock and outrage, because she chose to marry her 29-year-old secretary called William Lehman Ashmead Bartlett.
Whilst this in itself does not appear particularly shocking, as he was, like her father, a Member of Parliament, the astonishing age gap left society aghast. Whilst she was sixty-seven, he was just twenty-nine years old.
Review:
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours, Romaunce Books and Alan Gold for having me on this tour and sending me the book.
I was very excited when I got on this tour because I've loved all the books by Alan Gold that I've read so far but this is the first one of his where I had no idea who the woman that it's about is. I'd never heard of Angela Burdett-Coutts until I was on this tour and got hold of his book and I have to say she's a fascinating woman. I had no idea that she had a hand in founding the NSPCC, and all these different charities she helped either set up or fund, she sounds like an amazingly forward-thinking woman for her time. I think I may have to do more reading about her after having devoured this book in a couple of hours.
Firstly thank you to Love Books Tours, Romaunce Books and Alan Gold for having me on this tour and sending me the book.
I was very excited when I got on this tour because I've loved all the books by Alan Gold that I've read so far but this is the first one of his where I had no idea who the woman that it's about is. I'd never heard of Angela Burdett-Coutts until I was on this tour and got hold of his book and I have to say she's a fascinating woman. I had no idea that she had a hand in founding the NSPCC, and all these different charities she helped either set up or fund, she sounds like an amazingly forward-thinking woman for her time. I think I may have to do more reading about her after having devoured this book in a couple of hours.
It is an eloquently written book, and was very easy to dive into, losing myself into the pages and not looking up until id finished. I enjoyed the various relationships throughout it, her Brother Dudley was an odious man constantly trying to trick her into giving away or losing her inheritance all because of his overinflated sense of entitlement, it was so well written that I got angry on her behalf at his actions.
Her friendships were lovely to read, Hannah attempting to support her and steer her in the direction that she knew Angela wanted to go in and Dickens in helping her to direct her philanthropy to the correct places. Wellington was an odd one he definitely cared and was trying to look out for her wellbeing but may have ultimately caused her emotional hurt in his heavy-handedness.
As someone who loves history and enjoys reading about it, I can't recommend Alan Gold's books enough, if you're a historical fiction fan you need to add his books to your TBR.
As someone who loves history and enjoys reading about it, I can't recommend Alan Gold's books enough, if you're a historical fiction fan you need to add his books to your TBR.
Krystina xx
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