The Luxe by Anna Godbersen [book]
Plot Summary:Elizabeth and Diana Holland are the toast of society in 19th century Manhattan. They are rich, beautiful and part of one of the most highly respected families. In the beginning of the book introduces Elizabeth;s funeral and then proceeds to recount the time before she died. The sisters' father dies in the beginning revealing that they were not as wealthy as once believed- they are near penniless. In order to make sure that their family is protected Elizabeth is engaged to a playboy, Henry, who later falls for her sister. Elizabeth is the picture of perfection in her beauty and her demeanor, but the only problem is that she is in love with Will, who is a servant in their family that she grew up with. Diana is bold and loves adventure and romance, and her main storyline involves her romance with Henry. Then there is Penelope, who is a socialite friend that is having a small affair with Henry but wants to wed him for herself. Another influential character to the story is another servant named Lina who becomes privy to Elizabeth's love with Will, but she then uses it for her own benefits. Lina was also in love with Will and ends up trading her information to Penelope in order to hopefully climb the social ladder more and gain more attention. In the end of the novel you find out the Elizabeth is not dead, but instead has faked it in order to find her love, Will, in California where he left to. It is interesting to see Henry in the end of the book feeling remorseful because he was the last to see Elizabeth for she dies, when she finally finds out about Henry and Diana's romance.
Critical Evaluation:
This book is written in the third person, so it makes it a little challenging to really become engaged with the characters and fully understand all of their intricacies from an outside perspective. The characters are good, but they all have faults and it is also difficult to chose any one of the characters to truly like. The story is very interesting and keeps the reader guessing and intrigued, but the story line contains a lot of frivolities in that the majority of it is romance, gossip and society.
Reader's Annotation:
In 19th century Manhattan two sisters are the pinnacle of popularity in the social scene, until their father's death reveals that they are not as well off as they thought and now they all must do things that they do not want to in order to survive in this cutthroat society.
Websites to look Into:
http://www.annagodbersen.com/
Awards:
Similar Books:
"Rumors" by Anna Godbersen
"Envy" by Anna Godbersen
"Splendor" by Anna Godbersen
Booktalking Ideas:
Societal Pressures
Comparisons to other historical romance novels
Genre:
Historical Fiction, Chic Lit
Interest Age:
14+
Challenge Issues:
I really could not think of any significant challenge issues with this book. There is romance, betrayal, and lies but it is all set in a mystery plot in history and nothing is so adverse that I would call it a challenge. It was a light chic lit read that concerned society debutantes and people on the wrong side of the tracks.
Why this Book?
This is a very popular book that can appeal to the crowds that like Gossip Girl and also enjoy books that take place in history of different social classes and how they related.
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