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An American Princess
An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew | Annejet van der Zijl
23 posts | 28 read | 33 to read
The true story of a girl from the wilderness settlements of a burgeoning new America who became one of the most privileged figures of the Gilded Age. Born to a pioneering family in Upstate New York in the late 1800s, Allene Tew was beautiful, impetuous, and frustrated by the confines of her small hometown. At eighteen, she met Tod Hostetter at a local dance, having no idea that the mercurial charmer she would impulsively wed was heir to one of the wealthiest families in America. But when he died twelve years later, Allene packed her bags for New York City. Never once did she look back. From the vantage point of the American upper class, Allene embodied the tumultuous Gilded Age. Over the course of four more marriages, she weathered personal tragedies during World War I and the catastrophic financial reversals of the crash of 1929. From the castles and ch?teaus of Europe, she witnessed the Russian Revolution and became a princess. And from the hopes of a young girl from Jamestown, New York, Allene Tew would become the epitome of both a pursuer and survivor of the American Dream.
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Sweettartlaura
An American Princess | Annejet van der Zijl
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Pickpick

#readyoursign #cancer
Pearls on the cover
Not the most amazing book, but interesting. Allene Tew was born into a well-off family in rural New York in Victorian times. But she was of the poor relations in the line. Still, she managed to leverage herself to a life well-lived,. She lived through 5 marriages; 3 wars; recessions & the Depression; and on 2 continents. Best of all, she drops 4 years from her age, & no one holds her to it 👑

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WorldsOkayestStepMom
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Mehso-so

So much history, but not as much about the woman herself except that she married into wealth.

Cinfhen I think I got this through Amazon Prime/ sounds vaguely familiar 🤔 5y
WorldsOkayestStepMom @Cinfhen it was one of the free books from Amazon back on World Book Day! 5y
Cinfhen Ahhh, knew it sounded familiar 5y
46 likes3 comments
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WorldsOkayestStepMom
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There is still an hour and 15 minutes until it's officially Monday, but I'm calling my time for #24B4Monday. I developed a cold or the flu yesterday and I spent most of today sleeping. Hopefully I'll start to feel better soon!

Eggbeater Oh no! I hope it goes quickly! Good job! 5y
Texreader Oh no! Feel better soon!! 5y
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MrBook Aww, positive vibes for a quick recovery! 🤗 You were awesome! 😎🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🔥🔥🔥 (edited) 5y
kezzlou85 Feel better soon ❤ 5y
WorldsOkayestStepMom @Texreader thank you! 💜 5y
WorldsOkayestStepMom @MrBook thanks! Hopefully once the kids' schedules start to slow down I can actually complete the whole 24 hours! 5y
WorldsOkayestStepMom @kezzlou85 thank you! 💚 5y
39 likes8 comments
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REPollock
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Bailedbailed

I‘m sure this woman‘s life is interesting but the translation is not so much.

21 likes1 stack add
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REPollock
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Next ebook?

21 likes1 stack add
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LibraryCin
Panpan

I just don‘t tend to find rich people who don‘t do a whole lot all that interesting. Much of the book focused on the people around her, and because she married so many times, there were many different people, so I had trouble keeping them all straight. I think the section on WWI was the most interesting to me, and maybe the rise of Hitler and WWII, as well. But that was more interest in the historical times than interest in Allene, herself.

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Kathrin
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Mehso-so

I thought this was pretty “meh”. Allene‘s life was long on tumultuous, but by itself I just don‘t think it warranted a whole book and the author was filling up the gaps with historical and social-life tangents.

Greetings from my reading spot for the weekend! 😎😎😎

#worldbookday #dogsoflitsy

squirrelbrain I felt the same about this - the historical bits were definitely fillers and very skimmed over. 5y
Crazeedi I love your comfy porch and furniture!💞 5y
Kathrin @Crazeedi Thank you! 🙃 5y
Hooked_on_books What a sweet pup! 🐶💚 5y
15 likes4 comments
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laceyannea

Old age and illness are destroyers of individuality. Just as babies look alike, so do people at the end of their lives.

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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This was one of the Kindle Book Day free books and was a short life history of the five-times married Allene Tew.

In her postscript the author says that she wanted the book to also be a history of America and a reflection on loss. I‘m not sure it achieved any of these - it was very detached / distant and only skimmed the surface of both the 20th century and Allene‘s part in it.

Still, it was mildly entertaining so for that its a pick....

Birdsong28 I picked this one. 📚📖 6y
TrishB I got this one too 👍🏻 6y
squirrelbrain @Birdsong28 @TrishB - Id be interested to know your thoughts when you get round to reading it! 6y
70 likes3 comments
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Tove_Reads
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I got it. It‘s free. Hope it‘s good!

Morr_Books Looks like a lot of interesting free Kindle books for World Book day! 6y
30 likes2 comments
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Mowen036
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I‘ve been in a slump this week with reading! 😭 work has been crazy and I just can‘t get into anything because all I want to do is not think. Any recommendations to get out of my reading slump?

Kaye Wish I could help. I‘m in a Frozen Brain Reading Timewarp or something. Too much clutter in my life, which clutters my brain. Trying to read but just can‘t focus on much. It used to help me to read a good True Crime. It sorta jerks you into new territory but I don‘t know if you like those books. Lots of people don‘t. Good luck. 👍🏻 6y
Bklover @Mowen036 @Kaye I‘m with you, Kaye! Nothing like a dose of Ted Bundy to pull you out of a slump! 6y
jillrhudy Something fast? I was in a slump all week and I think I just couldn‘t sleep right after the holiday. Zero focus. 6y
AmyG I‘ve been pushing myself to get my buddy reads done, but that‘s it. Too much on the mind and too much to do. Bleh 6y
31 likes4 comments
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Maaike_O

Courage all the time

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MargieW
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Currently reading this biography about life in early America.

MelAnn This was my Amazon First Reads pick and I enjoyed it. 7y
MargieW @MelAnn It was mine also. So far, so good! 7y
11 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MelAnn
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#bookquote

Hmm 🤔I wonder what “love‘s disturbing element” might be... 🤣😂🤣 Gotta love the Victorian Era!

RadicalReader @MelAnn “ Loves disturbing element” if that doesn‘t capture you like a fish to a lure don‘t know what will 7y
ads0123 This looks really good!! 7y
MelAnn @RadicalReader lol! IKR! I laughed out loud when I read it and my kids came running up to me asking me what was so funny. 7y
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MelAnn @ads0123 so far it‘s very interesting! 7y
RadicalReader @MelAnn gotta love the sense of humor kids possess 7y
MelAnn @RadicalReader lol! That was their dad! He was making rules for his boys because his sister had stigma of pregnant before she got married... 7y
RadicalReader @MelAnn what an absolutely wonderful family you‘re truly a marvelous mother to some seriously cheerful children 7y
80 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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MelAnn
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Oooh I love her already!!!! #bookquote

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MelAnn
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My Amazon First Reads book pick for this month! Last month was Hell‘s Princess (just finished - enjoyed it). Now another Princess in the title! #bookquote #amazon #kindle #firstreads

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Felso
De Amerikaanse prinses | Annejet van der Zijl
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Kindle First Reads - my pick this month.

Smangela Oooh yay! I forgot it was April 1st! Thanks for the reminder 7y
rubyslippersreads I think that's going to be my pick too. 7y
Eyelit I‘m pretty sure that‘s going to be my pick too 😃 7y
47 likes3 comments
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Dulcinella
De Amerikaanse prinses | Annejet van der Zijl
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Pickpick

I did enjoy this book about Allene Tew. Her fascinating life (with 5 marriages) offered a great view on the time she lived in...2 world wars, the fall of so many regimes, the crashes at Wall street,...It‘s all there.
Excellent job by Annejet van der Zijl. Book10/275

BarbaraBB He grappig, ik wist niet dat jij Nederlands bent! 7y
Dulcinella @BarbaraBB Nederlandstalig uit België. En jij? 7y
BarbaraBB @Dulcinella Uit Nederland. Wat leuk! 7y
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KaatjeH Altijd leuk om Nederlandse titels te zien hier op Litsy 😊 7y
Dulcinella Hi @KaatjeH waar woon jij? 7y
KaatjeH In het noorden van Nederland 7y
95 likes1 stack add6 comments