Last updated on October 31st, 2024 at 12:29 pm
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe tells the love story of Madeleine Talmage and Colonel John Jacob Astor IV. It is a story of love, loss, and the struggle for happiness against social expectations with a sad but worth it ending.
Published in 2021 by Kensington with 352 pages, the novel is basically based on real historical events with Abe’s imagined inner life for Madeleine.
The Second Mrs. Astor Book Review
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe is the tragic love story of Madeleine Talmage Force and John Jacob Astor IV. Madeleine, just seventeen, falls in love with the 47 year old John Jacob, one of the richest men in the world. Shana Abe’s novel shows the love between Madeleine and John Jacob well.
The writing is sometimes wordy, but it brings their touching love story to life. The extensive research from newspapers adds authenticity.
“Like no woman I’ve ever known before. Your mind is a mystery to me.”
The Second Mrs. Astor evokes many emotions. Madeleine and John Jacob’s romance, although for a short time and difficult, is shown with great softness, care and love. Their story, starting from Maine and ending sadly in the North Atlantic, is a testament to enduring love and resilience. Despite the heartbreak, the novel offers a to be remembered love story.
If you enjoy this kind of character-driven historical fiction, you’ll also like our review of The Briar Club by Kate Quinn.
Abe’s narrative, drawn from historical facts and newspapers, brings early 20th-century high society to life. While occasionally wordy, the writing captures the emotion and heartbreak of their story.
The Second Mrs. Astor is truly a tale of love, loss, and resilience. Fans of romance and historical fiction can read this book.
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Is The Second Mrs. Astor a True Story?
Yes, simply. Madeleine Talmage Force and John Jacob Astor IV were real people. Their basic timeline is historical fact:
- Madeleine first met with Jack Astor as a young teenager in Bar Harbor, Maine, and caught his attention more seriously when she was seventeen.
- Jack was twenty-nine years older than Madeleine and recently divorced from his first wife, Ava.
- The couple married and that event was kept low key.
- The couple booked passage home aboard the Titanic‘s maiden voyage in April 1912. Jack died when the ship sank; Madeleine survived in a lifeboat, five months pregnant.
What Shana Abe has written is the texture of it all. The skeleton is fact; the heart of it is informed fiction.
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe Summary Spoilers
The book begins with Madeleine writing to her infant son, Jackey. She talks about naming him after his father and how he looks like John Jacob with his eyes and hair. But she also says that Jackey can never live up to his father’s image. This seems harsh, especially to readers who love their children unconditionally.
Madeleine was a young woman who loved theatre and horses. She was just seventeen when she met John Jacob Astor, one of the richest men in the world. He owned The Astoria Hotel and co-owned The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. John Jacob was also an inventor, a science fiction author, and a war hero. Despite being 29 years older, they became friends. John Jacob admired Madeleine’s wit and personality, and she was charmed by his gallantry. They began to court, which shocked New York’s elite society.
The press followed them everywhere. People often compared Madeleine to John Jacob’s first wife, Ava, who was known for her beauty. Although Madeleine came from an upper-class family, she was not considered American royalty like John Jacob. Despite the gossip, they married on September 9, 1911. He was forty-seven, and she was eighteen.
Molly Brown, became one of her closest allies. Margaret’s (or known as Molly) strength and kindness made her a great friend to Madeleine. They traveled together to Egypt and later boarded the Titanic.
Madeleine’s bond with her sister Katherine was also very solid and supportive. They supported each other through everything, showing the importance of family.
High society, including The Four Hundred led by John Jacob’s mother, Caroline Astor, shunned them. Madeleine had to learn to live in this harsh social world. John Jacob’s son from his first marriage, Vincent, did not like Madeleine either. Despite the challenges of not being liked, Madeleine found a support in her family and friends.
The Second Mrs. Astor Ending Explained
After the Titanic disaster, Madeleine faced many challenges out of the challenge of raising her son alone while grieving for John Jacob was the hardest. Despite the tragedy, she showed great strength and remarried twice after, but both ended in divorce.
Madeleine died at the age of forty-six, never finding a lasting happy ending. The attachment of readers towards Madeleine and John Jacob increases as the story goes on.
When the Titanic appears towards the end of the book, it brings a sense of dread. Madeleine, who was five months pregnant, boarded the ship with John Jacob and their dog, Kitty. John Jacob made sure Madeleine got into a lifeboat, but he and Kitty stayed behind and perished. This heartbreaking moment showed the depth of his love for her.
After the Titanic, Madeleine returns to New York a pregnant 18-year-old widow, instantly shown by the press into a tragic heroine. She gives birth to Jakey afterwards, and the book stops as continuation of her love for Jack and the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter, raising an Astor heir alone, under constant public scrutiny, in a family that never fully welcomed her to begin with.
Shana Abe’s novel shows the love between Madeleine and John Jacob well. The story is based on real events and fiction between them, and the author fills in the gaps with believable details. The writing is good overall obviously having some weak spots, but it brings their touching love story to life. The extensive research from newspapers adds authenticity.
Also Read: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Second Mrs. Astor Quotes
“I won’t begin with our ending, which everyone in the world knows anyway. Our beginning, however, belonged only to us.”
About the Author:
Shana Abé is New York Times bestselling author of fifteen plus books out of few are Drákon Series and the Sweetest Dark Series. She has also been USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling author.
FAQs about The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe
Did Madeleine Astor remarry after Jack’s death?
Yes, twice. Both subsequent marriages ended in divorce. She died in 1940 at age 46.
Did Madeleine Astor survive the Titanic?
Yes. Madeleine survived in a lifeboat while five months pregnant. Jack Astor did not survive.
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The Second Mrs. Astor Book Review
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe tells the love story of Madeleine Talmage and Colonel John Jacob Astor IV. It is a story of love, loss, and the struggle for happiness against social expectations with a sad but worth it ending.
URL: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56161317-the-second-mrs-astor
Author: Shana Abe
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