The Second Mrs. Astor - by Shana Abe (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Jack Astor was American royalty, the richest man in the world, and Fifth Avenue scion of the Gilded Age. Madeleine Force was a beautiful teenaged debutante suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into fame simply for falling in love with a famous man nearly three decades her senior.

From their scandalous courtship to their catastrophic honeymoon aboard the Titanic--a tragedy that made them the most famous couple of their time--their love story is brought to life in this sweeping work of historical fiction by New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Shana Abé. Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis and Melanie Benjamin.

Madeleine Talmage Force is just seventeen when she attracts the attention of John Jacob "Jack" Astor. Madeleine is beautiful, intelligent, and solidly upper-class, but the Astors are in a league apart. Jack's mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York's most formidable socialite. Jack is dashing and industrious--a hero of the Spanish-American war, an inventor, and a canny businessman. Despite their twenty-nine-year age difference and the scandal of Jack's recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love--and becomes the press's favorite cartnear.

On their extended honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace away from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time--and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner. When the ship hits an iceberg close to midnight on April 14th, there is no immediate panic. The swift, state-of-the-art RMS Titanic seems unsinkable. As Jack helps Madeleine into a lifeboat, he assures her that he'll see her soon in New York...

Four months later, at the Astors' Fifth Avenue mansion, a widowed Madeleine gives birth to their son. In the wake of the disaster, the press has elevated her to the status of virtuous, tragic heroine. But Madeleine's most important decision still lies ahead: whether to accept the role assigned to her or carve out her own remarkable path...

Review Quotes

I was brought to tears by this shimmering account of the tragically brief courtship and marriage of John and Madeleine Astor. Abé is an exquisite storyteller, gracefully transporting the reader from Newport to Egypt to the cold seas of the Atlantic. Rich in detail and deeply moving.
--Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

One of the most beautifully written books I've ever had the pleasure to read, THE SECOND MRS. ASTOR brings to glittering life the romantic love story between John Jacob Astor and his young bride, Madeleine. You'll find yourself glued to every page, falling in love with this dazzling couple, and despite knowing better, hoping against hope that they avoid the tragedy that awaits them on the ill-fated Titanic. A gorgeous, phenomenal novel I won't soon forget."
--Ellen Marie Wiseman New York Times bestselling Author of The Orphan Collector

"Through Madeleine, we see a young woman fall in love with America's wealthiest man, the society scandal that follows, a level of media intrusion not dissimilar to that endured by a young Princess Diana, and, of course, the tragic events that unfold during Titanic's maiden voyage....A touching, compelling, and haunting love story that will delight fans of historical fiction and enthrall those of us for whom the Titanic will always fascinate."
--Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of When We Were Young and Brave

"The Second Mrs. Astor is an engaging novel told with both heartbreaking care and vivid detail. Shana Abé introduces us to the extraordinary Madeleine Astor and her profound love for the enigmatic and famous Jack Astor. Abé's intimate prose brings to life a fascinating and heartbreaking piece of history. A harrowing and yet ultimately hopeful tale of survival and courage, fate and love, and the ultimate question of who do we become after great loss. The Second Mrs. Astor is historical fiction at its gripping and irresistible best."
--Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah and Becoming Mrs. Lewis

About the Author