Book
The Gods of Newport
First published 2006
In 1893, railroad magnate Sam Driver returns to Newport, Rhode Island, determined to force his way into the summer society that once rejected him. His fortune can purchase a mansion and lavish entertainment, but established families regard his business reputation and recent wealth as disqualifications that no expenditure can erase.
Sam’s campaign for acceptance places his daughter Jenny inside a culture governed by invitations, marriage and public humiliation. Her attraction to an impoverished Irishman conflicts with the alliance her father wants to secure, while social arbiters such as Ward McAllister turn etiquette into a form of power. The novel examines conspicuous consumption, class warfare and the private damage caused by relentless social ambition.
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