Linda Bennett Pennell

Born into a wealthy family, India would prefer to stay at home, open a schoolhouse, and avoid the social obligation of a Gilded Age family. Instead, her mother and grandmother launch a plan to marry her into a titled family.

The plot of this book was fairly straightforward, there were not a lot of twists and turns. India was a bit boring, she tried to defy her parents and rail against her lot in life, but it all seemed lackluster. The characters seemed a bit stereotypical and most were hard to like. Overall 3 out of 5 stars.… (plus d'informations)

One of the thoughts I had a hard time getting around with this book was that it seemed very much like a take-off of Downton Abbey. It did not have the same plot line, but some of it was there. I also saw some similarities with the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC, which is next to Pisgah National Forest. (Indeed, the forest land came from the Biltmore estate.) I liked the main character, India, but found her mother to be something of a caricature of the proverbial evil mother. India's search for independence before women could vote was admirable, and along the way, I think she managed to find a balance between her desire for women's equality, being a wife and heiress, and dealing with the family scandals that puzzled her for so long. She did not seem to let her immense wealth or social standing influence what she knew was right. This is an interesting time in history, and I enjoyed reading in this setting. I am guessing there may be a sequel to this book; I can see enough hints to indicate it.… (plus d'informations)

The Last Dollar Princess by Linda Bennett Pennell was a mixed genre - historical fiction, early feminist and romance which works pretty well. The heroine, India Ledbetter, was the wealthy American from the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, whose family had fallen out of social favor due to a scandal before she was born. Charlie, Lord Kilnsey, was the British hero whose family had a title but no money because his father had squandered it. That was the kind of situation that resulted in a number of marriages in the Gilded Age but it didn’t always lead to happy marriages.

I have gotten tired of strong, young feminist heroines who are very sure of themselves. There were a couple of unfinished plot lines which was somewhat unsatisfying. The fact that I enjoyed the book anyway is due to the romance that develops between Charlie and India. I felt India got the better deal in their eventual marriage because she was annoyingly strong-minded compared to Charlie’s more caring nature, but it was a happy ending.… (plus d'informations)