Early in the 1900s, one-time oil baron Henry Morrison Flagler took interest in the Southern coast of Florida and began developing an exclusive resort community. Establishing a railroad that would allow easier access to the area, he went on to build two hotels—his hope was that America’s first families would come to populate the area. This modest community would later evolve into an iconic American destination, hosting British royalty, American movie stars, and becoming the home-away-from-home to some of the country’s leading families. As the century continued, Palm Beach established itself as a luxury hideaway synonymous with old-world glamour and new-world sophistication. In this splendid volume, longtime resident and Palm Beach social fixture Aerin Lauder takes us through her Palm Beach. From favorite restaurants like Nandos and Renatos, to favorite houses like La Follia and Villa Artemis, she takes us to the elite shopping of Worth Avenue and the scenic walkways of the Lake Worth trail, all the while relating to us the histories, faces, and places that have become so identified with Palm Beach.

The adventures during a couple's year of renting a cottage in Palm Beach are recounted in this memoir that reveals the unexpected side of living in an exclusive island town. The day they arrive, they are greeted by the police and at the end of their stay they are treated by paramedics--even in the time between, surprises abound around all corners. From foxes to Ferraris and frozen iguanas to parrots and parades, this hilarious and engrossing story not only paints a picture of life in Palm Beach that most people--even the billionaire mansion owners--never experience, but also chronicles how much a year in a very different place can teach you about yourself.

Veronica is eternally fifty-one years old with a proclivity for problematic drinking. Like most hormonally challenged women negotiating the change of life, she is a hot mess. To retain her sanity, she attends weekly AA meetings and adheres to a strict diet of organic, locally-sourced, (mostly) cruelty-free human blood from the hospice facility where she works. Her life stopped being fun about a hundred years ago, right about the time her teenage daughter stole her soul and took off for California with a hot, older guy. These days, Veronica’s existence is just that – an existence, as flat and empty as her own non-reflection in the bathroom mirror. When her estranged daughter contacts her via Facebook, Veronica learns that she has one chance to escape her eternal personal summer: she must find and apologize to every one of the people she’s turned into vampires in the last century. That is, if they’re still out there. With raging hormones and a ticking clock, Veronica embarks on a last-ditch road trip to regain her mortality, reclaim her humanity, and ultimately, die on her own terms.

Since 1906, Palm Beach Life has been the premier showcase of island living at its finest — fashion, interiors, landscapes, personality profiles, society news and much more.

Since 1906, Palm Beach Life has been the premier showcase of island living at its finest — fashion, interiors, landscapes, personality profiles, society news and much more.

Since 1906, Palm Beach Life has been the premier showcase of island living at its finest — fashion, interiors, landscapes, personality profiles, society news and much more.

Since 1906, Palm Beach Life has been the premier showcase of island living at its finest — fashion, interiors, landscapes, personality profiles, society news and much more.