The USA Today Bestseller! Named one of 2021’s Most Anticipated Historical Novels by Oprah Daily ∙ SheReads ∙ Frolic ∙ BookReporter ∙ and more... The author of Park Avenue Summer throws back the curtain on one of the most remarkable feuds in history: Alva Vanderbilt and the Mrs. Astor's notorious battle for control of New York society during the Gilded Age. 1876. In the glittering world of Manhattan's upper crust, women are valued by their pedigree, dowry, and, most importantly, connections. They have few rights and even less independence—what they do have is society. The more celebrated the hostess, the more powerful the woman. And none is more powerful than Caroline Astor—the Mrs. Astor. But times are changing. Alva Vanderbilt has recently married into one of America's richest families. But what good is dizzying wealth when society refuses to acknowledge you? Alva, who knows what it is to have nothing, will do whatever it takes to have everything. Sweeping three decades and based on true events, this is the mesmerizing story of two fascinating, complicated women going head to head, behaving badly, and discovering what’s truly at stake.

How do you make a proper introduction at a dinner party? How late is "fashionably late"? What does it mean when the invitation says "semi-formal"? This easy course in timeless manners for today will prepare you for a variety of social situations, and formal occasions.

Reprinted with a new design and a number of never-before-seen images is the famed first monograph of two-time National Endownment for the Arts Fellow, Larry Fink. In an elegant exploration of two distinctly different cultures and classes, Frink captured a sense of stale emptiness lurking in the sensuous decadence of the upper crust of NYC, only to turn the tide and let loose with the often raucous, emotional and intimate photographs of the down-home folk of Martins Creek, Pennsylvania. Illustrated with 92 duotone photos.

Etiquette and protocol are ways of showing Christian love and kindness in small ways. With an easy, engaging style and lots of helpful details, Sandra Boswell outlines the meaning and purpose of protocol education, and describes ways of practicing it in the home and at school. She draws on her experience from the successful Logos School protocol program to guide the reader through all the basic protocol topics - table settings and foods, social skills, personal grooming, appropriate dress, and more. This book is a must-read for parents who wish to recover the "social graces" for the next generation of believers.

Manners To Go is a kit to build confidence. Includes: thank you notes with instructions, stickers, placemats and material on first impressions, telephone etiquette, and dining skills

If you randomly stopped people on the street and asked them to assess their lives, most would wonder, "Am I happy?" A Victorian would wonder, "Am I a good person?" National pride, self-respect, hard work, self-reliance, family, neighborliness -- these ideals were the embodiment of Victorian living. At a time when the national spotlight is cast on the demise of cultural decency and the disintegration of family, Victorian scholar Linda Lichter presents an invaluable guide that demonstrates how the ideals of character and civility that formed the bedrock of community during this bygone age can breathe new life and dignity into the troubled '90s. Illustrated with period black-and-white drawings, this engaging, enlightening text explores the fascinating underpinnings of Victorian mores and values; from courtship, child rearing, dress codes and manners to attitudes toward death, religion and sex. Celebrating a time when family was revered, children were raised in a mannerly and moral fashion, and love spoke of a transcendent state between the sexes, Simple Social Graces reminds readers of the traditional ideals that can help heal and strengthen American society today.

John MacBride would do anything to keep his stepbrother from being thrown into jail for a crime he didn't commit. Which is how he ended up in the Outer Banks, posing as a handyman for the young socialite who could clear his stepbrother's name. As a marine archaeologist, Mac was used to digging deep for clues, but nothing had prepared him for the gorgeous woman he suspected of wrongdoing. Only Val Bonnard wasn't the spoiled heiress he'd been expecting. She seemed gentle and caring--and one look at the dazzling beauty had Mac regretting his promise to play detective, especially when it involved being her live-in Mr. Fix It! Because one way or another he'd get what he wanted--until he realized that what he wanted more than anything was the woman herself....