First published 2008
Lady Georgiana Spencer becomes an instant celebrity in 1774 when she marries William Cavendish, the fifth Duke of Devonshire, one of England's wealthiest and most powerful aristocrats. As the new duchess, she transforms into the queen of fashionable society and establishes the era's most significant political salon. Georgiana's public brilliance masks private turmoil. Her marriage brings unhappiness, and she battles gambling addiction, alcohol, drugs, and passionate affairs with prominent politicians. Amanda Foreman exposes the contradictions of a woman whose beauty and boldness captivated a generation. Georgiana fights her own demons while refusing to retreat from public life. Her determination to influence politics and society reveals a figure both of her time and remarkably modern. The great-great-great-great-aunt of Princess Diana emerges as a complex personality whose flamboyance and struggles mirror contemporary celebrity culture.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, historical-romance, memoir, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: complex-protagonist, flawed-heroine, forbidden-love
Setting: England
Period: 1774
512 pages · Kindle Edition · Random House Publishing Group
Content warnings: addiction, alcohol-abuse, depression, drug-use