The American Heiress (2010) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters edit see section history

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• Cora Cash: A spoiled, but beautiful flour heiress from America whose mother is looking for a titled husband for her. Cora is dominated by her mother and her mother's ambitions.
• Ivo: Really quite a shadowy figure, it's hard to work out his true motivation.
• Miss Bertha Jackson: Cora's African-American ladies' maid who functions as much as a maid can as a confident and support system. She also falls for a white servant at the Duke's household. Through her there is much commentary on race and class relationships in the two countries.
• Double Duchess: The Duke's mother- more focused on her own power and position than her son.
• Madeleine Wyndham: Highly dramatic, social to the core, proper, American, showy, rich
• Jim Harman: Tall, handsome, pushy, valet, persistant
• Sybil Lytchett: Naive, simple, jolly, uncertain, young, follower
• Teddy Van Der Leyden: Painter, American, rich, kind, bicycle rider, thoughtful, tortured, fighter, average guy
• Reggie Greatorex: Fun-loving, friend, jolly, creative, social
• Odo Beauchamp: Cunning, dark, rude
• Lady Charlotte Beauchamp: Proper, high-class, titled
• Milly Hardcastle: Add a description of this character.
• Conyers
• Winthrop: Old, rich, American, smart, yet naive
• Lincoln
• Father Oliver: Researcher, social, family man
• Julius Sercombe
• Mama: Old, knitter, southern
• Mabel Roe
• Mr Veale
• Guy
• Mrs Softley
• Mr Bugler: The butler at the Duke's residence
• Miss Jackson
• Rubens
• Mr Cannadine
• Mr Fox
• Weld
• Beatrice Stanley
• Martha Van Der Leyden: Uppity, Teddy's mother, American, rich, social
• Mr Stebbings
• Blondin
• Lady Tavistock
• Buckingham
• Mr Louvain
• Ferrers
• Effie
• Samuel
• Prince Eddy
• Sholto
• Lord Rosebery
• Florence Dursheimer
• Mrs Patrick Campbell
• Mr Simmons
• Nanny Snowden
• Duchess Fanny
• Mr Rhinehart
• Miss Schiller
• Eleanor Maltravers
• Cornelia Rhinelander
• Isobel Van Der Leyden
• Mr Duveen
• Emma Woodhouse
• Prince of Wales
• Mr Druitt
• Golden Miller
• Mrs Astor
• Mrs Cash
• Mrs Van Der Leyden
• Lady Bessborough
• Mrs Lawrence
• Thomas
• James the First
• Wilson
• Lady Salisbury
• Mr Cash
• Lord Bridport
• de Polignac
• Mr Wilde

Quotes edit see section history

• “As she got out of the carriage, there was a rustle like wind blowing autumn leaves as the female servants sank into their deepest curtsy.”

  Cora

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Lulworth
• Charlotte
• Mr Louvain
• London
• Newport
• New York
• England
• Wareham
• Paris
• Europe
• America
• Prince Of Wales
• Lord Bridport
• Venice
• Florence
• Beauchamps
• India
• Sutton Veney
• South Carolina
• Brussels
• Dorset
• Madonna

First Sentence edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Romance: Cora Cash is a young, very wealthy American heiress who at the start of the story is in love with her childhood friend Teddy. Her mother has other plans. They go to England and after a fall from her horse in the woods, Cora is the guest of the Duke of Wareham who she falls in love with very swiftly. He proposes marriage, and the marriage seems a happy one at first, but there is always this feeling of uncertainty as to whether the Duke's feelings are as deep as his new wife's. Her ex beau Teddy had seen the Duke before on a train platform saying goodbye to a woman he was obviously intimate with, which casts further doubts on the Duke's true feelings...

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Daisy Goodwin (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PR6107.O6625 M9
• Dewey: 823.92

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Romance › Historical › England

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history