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** spoiler alert ** AN AMERICAN BEAUTY
BY: SHANA ABE

I have been stuck in a reading slump lately, so was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed, author Shana Abe's historical biography called, "An American Beauty," I was first introduced to Shana Abe's writing when I read and reviewed, "The Second Mrs. Astor." I will post a link to my review of that one at the end of this one for anyone interested.

As with any historical recreation I again find myself interested in just how much information provided is factual and how much is the author's invention. This was a Five Star read for me and my favorite of author Shana Abe's historical biographies. This one is more obscure, and I was so captivated by this one that I read it in one sitting.

Collis Porter Huntington is someone who I had never heard about before reading this, but who in the Author's Note is a reference for further reading, and also museums that she has visited containing some of the glorious art that is richly described in this narrative. I also verified his existence by a google search where I gleaned that his net worth was 50 million dollars at the time of his death in 1900, without inflation which it states without inflation. I interpreted that to mean it is without inflation, to translate how much it would mean in today's monetary net worth.

This was a little confusing at the beginning, but before long the seduction of this written record grew to be quite fascinating. Arabella Yarrington circa 1867, meets Collis Porter Harrington at age seventeen in a gambling salon where he is thirty years her senior in Virginia. Her mother Catherine also has her own sections that begin in 1867, also.

This account of Arabella or Belle is the middle of five children who are so poor that Catherine has trouble keeping enough food on the table. A google search of Arabella Huntington produces even less on record except to call her a philanthropist. In Shana Abe's version of events which is the basis of this review, Arabella meets Collis during a raid of the gambling Saloon that she worked in for John Worsham serving drinks and playing piano. Collis is led into hiding with Arabella leading the way.

Arabella is described as having two sisters named Lizzie and Emma who are older and two younger brothers named Richard and John. Arabella's wages are what supports this family of five children plus their mother Catherine. In this version of events Collis who also grew up poor is very impressed by Arabella--so much so, that he strikes a deal with John Worsham to leave his wife and move to New York and for a stipend pretend to be Arabella's husband. Arabella's family upon hearing that she is considering Collis's proposal shows the first of her manipulative streak in my humble opinion.

Arabella response to Collis in writing him a letter praising him says the only way that she will accept his very generous terms is if he will also provide a second household nearby with her entire family. Collis agrees and it is the beginning of a discreet arrangement that secures this family's financial security from both gaining a maid and a footman both in one household for just Arabella and another for her mother Catherine and her four siblings.

Collis Porter Huntington visits Arabella and she is known as Arabella Worsham with John who is living with Arabella even though they don't share a bedroom. In those days a woman could not be seen without a chaperone in society. Even though Arabella succeeds in being seen as Mrs. Arabella Worsham their ruse is short-lived because John Worsham breaks the contract and moves back South to Richmond, Virginia.

Collis Porter Huntington is already married to a woman he holds in high esteem called, Elizabeth. They have a daughter named Clara. It seems as I said that Belle is manipulative and there is not much that he denies Belle who has never before lived in such luxury, nor does her family. Belle gets pregnant and she has a son whom she names Archer.

I don't recall how Collis's wife Elizabeth and his daughter Clara learn that he has a mistress, but they do learn of Arabella's role in Collis's life. Elizabeth asks Collis to send away Archer which as any mother who is enamored of their child agrees with a heavy heart to do. Perhaps, Arabella is afraid of losing the lifestyle for which both her and the rest of her family have grown accustomed to. Because it seems that he has not denied Arabella anything, but this is a huge burden he asks of Arabella, which any mother who has ever given birth to a child can relate to how heart wrenching this would be. It is akin to parting with a piece of one's own heart and soul.

Arabella is heart broken and as I said she is very shrewd she sends Archer to live with her sister Emma in Texas who Collis has also contributed to financially saving Emma and her husband's farm. I would never have agreed to this arrangement, but that is me. At this point Collis has agreed to everything Belle has asked of him. This includes giving her the money to buy her own property as well as furnishing it with her taste in decorating with the finest art and furniture.

Collis and Arabella's story is both a Cinderella and a rags to riches story. Arabella loves Collis, but she isn't attracted to him, and she is questionably amassing her own Real Estate as in this telling there will be a temptation romantically speaking that she denies herself. She will go on to become the second Mrs. Collis Huntington after Elizabeth dies. There is a great respect that seems to exist between Collis and Belle early on and throughout their lives. For those who may not be interested in reading this because of the cheating, I respect that. I also didn't know that this is a huge aspect before I chose to read this. If you want to read about a fascinating little known account of a page turning Railroad tycoon whose wealth and his legacy of the building of an empire of a self made man, then I highly recommend this to those who don't already know this story.

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Shana Abe and Kensington Books for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Here is a link to my review, called "The Second Mrs. Astor: /review/show...

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