First published 2006
Undine Spragg arrives in New York with her nouveau riche parents, determined to conquer the city's most exclusive social circles. Armed with beauty, ambition, and zero moral constraints, she systematically marries and discards wealthy men as strategic stepping stones to her ultimate social position. Each divorce and remarriage propels her closer to her true goal: not love, but absolute status. When her calculated moves begin to backfire, Undine must navigate the razor's edge between social triumph and total destruction. Her relentless pursuit of advancement will cost her everything—and everyone—in her path.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 19th-century, social
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-climbing, social-satire
Setting: Europe
Period: 19th-Century
370 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books