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emilyholladay's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book for a book club I'm in. Admittedly, I rarely read historical books unless they are fiction. But, with this book being written about an infamous Louisville family, I thought it would be interesting. It did not disappoint. Henrietta Bingham is a fascinating character, whose reach beyond her hometown is amazing. I was intrigued by the way her family and culture received her eccentricities. I'm glad her great niece decided to reintroduce her to the world!
misslynette's review against another edition
4.0
I'll start off by saying that the author, Emily Bingham, did an incredible job with her research, especially considering how many letters, diaries, and other documentation was destroyed by the women and men who fell in love with Henrietta, as well as Henrietta herself.
It was deeply saddening to me to learn how there was a gay culture and athletes who were openly out in the 20s and 30s, and the shift that happened shortly after due to the McCarthy era, anti-communism, etc. Folks who identified as LGBTQ+ were shoved into the closet, including those who were open before. I had no idea. It was a reminder that we must continue to fight for our rights as queer-identifying people, and protect those around us. Shifts happen. :/
Back to the Kentuckian heiress herself, I wish I could watch video of Henrietta / see her in person. She, by all accounts, was radiant, and captivated everyone around her. It makes me wonder what it would be like if she was born now, as LGBTQ+ identities have become more acceptable. I loved reading all the descriptions of her, and am devastated how her life unfolded near the end.
As for the book itself, I really did enjoy parts of it, but had to push myself to get through it. The history was incredible, but the writing a bit dry at times. Loved all the photos and descriptions when they arose, as well as learning about all the people who Miss Bingham came into contact with and had fall in love with her.
What I really appreciated about the book is that there was no judgement, that I saw, from the author. In fact, she was sympathetic and loving toward her great-aunt, despite how poorly those in her life spoke of her.
Anyway, I would definitely recommend the book as there are so many famous and interesting people who she was connected with. And I've never read a biography about a muse before, which is exactly what Henrietta was for many of the time. She truly must have been remarkable.
Now, if only there could be a docuseries on her and her love affairs...
It was deeply saddening to me to learn how there was a gay culture and athletes who were openly out in the 20s and 30s, and the shift that happened shortly after due to the McCarthy era, anti-communism, etc. Folks who identified as LGBTQ+ were shoved into the closet, including those who were open before. I had no idea. It was a reminder that we must continue to fight for our rights as queer-identifying people, and protect those around us. Shifts happen. :/
Back to the Kentuckian heiress herself, I wish I could watch video of Henrietta / see her in person. She, by all accounts, was radiant, and captivated everyone around her. It makes me wonder what it would be like if she was born now, as LGBTQ+ identities have become more acceptable. I loved reading all the descriptions of her, and am devastated how her life unfolded near the end.
As for the book itself, I really did enjoy parts of it, but had to push myself to get through it. The history was incredible, but the writing a bit dry at times. Loved all the photos and descriptions when they arose, as well as learning about all the people who Miss Bingham came into contact with and had fall in love with her.
What I really appreciated about the book is that there was no judgement, that I saw, from the author. In fact, she was sympathetic and loving toward her great-aunt, despite how poorly those in her life spoke of her.
Anyway, I would definitely recommend the book as there are so many famous and interesting people who she was connected with. And I've never read a biography about a muse before, which is exactly what Henrietta was for many of the time. She truly must have been remarkable.
Now, if only there could be a docuseries on her and her love affairs...
chrissydisibio's review against another edition
1.0
Awful book- I had to force myself to continue reading- very boring and myself and several in my book club didn't even finish it it was so bad
irishannie's review
4.0
Maybe hoarders have a point. If Emily Bingham didn't find her great aunt's letters in a trunk, we would know a lot less about her. Some people are just born in the wrong time, but if they weren't would we be still talking about them? Henrietta Bingham was one of those people.
bookishjesse's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this biography of Henrietta Bingham. It is well-written as narrative non-fiction. My only two complaints are around missing details. The first was that there was no discussion of birth control despite Henrietta's "conquests." I was left wondering how she prevented pregnancy when she was with men? My second issue with the book was the few occassions when readers are told a family member felt a certain way when no citation for that claim appears in the notes. Because the rest of the notes cite accessible and documented sources, I kept reading despite my questions. Those complaints aside, I was delighted to read a compassionate and complex biography of someone who struggled with and against her sexuality: struggles made more difficult by the harmful interventions of early psychoanalysts. I also respect Emily Bingham's willingness to focus on Henrietta even when this involved portraying the author's own family members in a negative light. I love the paragraph at the end about this book being like another of Henrietta's lovers and "pursuing her and being pushed away" (292). Henrietta is a compelling and flawed character and I am sure her story will stay with me.
eringow's review against another edition
5.0
This book was on my to-read list for awhile after hearing the author speak at a local event, and when I finally got around to listening to the audio book I regretted putting it off so long. The story of Henrietta Bingham sounds interesting enough initially, with her international lifestyle in the roaring twenties and a list of friends, lovers, and acquaintances peppered with famous names. This story turns out to be so much more than that, however, and the author skillfully and sensitively portrays a chaotic, damaged, vibrant, brave, and caring woman, who I empathized with deeply.
24hourlibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Admittedly a somewhat-biased writer, Emily Bingham writes of her great aunt Henrietta Bingham. Much of the biography is devoted not to Bingham's Jazz Age antics, but to her childhood and a fair amount of her life after the Jazz Age. The book chronicles more Bingham's effect on those around her than Bingham herself, who remains a cloudy figure through the last page. The author has put a painstaking amount of work in collecting relics from her relative's life in the form of letters, diaries, and other bits, however, which helps to, at least, develop a detailed sense of the life Bingham lived if not Bingham herself.
legs_mcgee's review against another edition
I think I just might not be one for biographies...
relytolley's review
5.0
Excellent subject, research, and writing. Love the Jazz Age, but Bingham was a new-to-me figure. Her relationships with the Bloomsbury Group were intriguing. Her athleticism in basketball and foxhunting were fascinating as well. Also really loved the chapters about Helen Hull Jacobs. And when Bingham bred horses and ran a farm. The saddest part was realizing the very negative affect that being sexually closeted had on Bingham's life.
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