First published 2018
Andrew Morton presents a fresh biography of Wallis Simpson, the American woman who changed British history. Born Bessie Wallis Warfield in Baltimore, she was a demanding child whose first words were reportedly "me, me." Morton traces her transformation from a socially ambitious young woman into the figure who would capture King Edward VIII's heart. The author draws on diary entries, letters, and previously unseen documents to follow Wallis through her romantic adventures in Washington and China before her arrival in London society. There she navigated an extraordinary cast of characters who would ultimately smooth her path to the king. Morton moves beyond the familiar narrative of the woman who cost a king his throne. He reveals a complex, strong-willed person who fought to control her own destiny while wrestling with genuine matters of love and ambition.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, love-story
Setting: Baltimore, Britain, China, London, Washington
Period: 20th-century
416 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing