Reviews

An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew by Annejet van der Zijl

davastewart's review against another edition

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2.0

I’m not comfortable giving this a star rating at all because I only finished 35% or so.

I stopped reading because I just didn’t care about Allene, or feel that o knew her even though she was probably 40 years old and into her third marriage by that point. It’s clear the author did an enormous amount of research, but it wasn’t working for me. I had no idea what sort of person Allene was. I was bored.

caitibeth's review against another edition

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3.0

This is an interesting, light biography of the life and marriages of Allene Tew. While sometimes it felt a bit skimpy on details (no doubt limited by available sources), it was still a pleasant read. I think it could have been taken to the next level by more contextualization work, setting Allene's story (which often felt quite bare-bones) in her broader social context.

apikaliaxo's review against another edition

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2.0

The many houses of Allene Tew would have been a no less fitting tagline.

tashabye's review

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

marjadk's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

3.25

banteringbibliophile's review against another edition

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5.0

What feminism is supposed to be...

While the prose and flow was haulting and at times difficult to get through I found myself loving and hating Allene for too many reasons to list. But by the end I had to admit that I respected her she never settled for anything not love, not status, not prejudice or injustices and in an age where so many women were trapped and powerless I think we can all learn something from her.

aemily's review against another edition

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4.0

While the title anticipates YA romance and intrigue, this book actually contains a commentary on gender and wealth through a personal history of Allene Tew. Although it does not have the depth or scope of something like Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette (one of my favorite biographies of women), it's an interesting story and a reminder that the lives of the very wealthy really haven't changed dramatically in 100 years.

The best part of this book? Tew organizes what she calls "gay 90's parties," which apparently means something different a century ago.

ankewesterman's review against another edition

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informative reflective fast-paced

3.0

kerrycat's review against another edition

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4.0

more like 3.5.

this is less about the woman herself than the times in which she lived, which spanned through several global crises as well as her personal troubles and triumphs. a quick read with some slower interludes with more elaboration than necessary for this subject, this was still worth the read.