Skip to main content

American Princess by Stephanie Marie Thornton: A Book Review

American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt
Author: Stephanie Marie Thornton
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 12, 2019
Pages: 448
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Alice may be the president's daughter, but she's nobody's darling. As bold as her signature color Alice Blue, the gum-chewing, cigarette-smoking, poker-playing First Daughter discovers that the only way for a woman to stand out in Washington is to make waves--oceans of them. With the canny sophistication of the savviest politician on the Hill, Alice uses her celebrity to her advantage, testing the limits of her power and the seductive thrill of political entanglements.

     But Washington, DC is rife with heartaches and betrayals, and when Alice falls hard for a smooth-talking congressman it will take everything this rebel has to emerge triumphant and claim her place as an American icon. As Alice soldiers through the devastation of two world wars and brazens out a cutting feud with her famous Roosevelt cousins, it's no wonder everyone in the capital refers to her as the Other Washington Monument--and Alice intends to outlast them all.

    My Review: Alice Roosevelt is known as one of America’s most scandalous First Daughters. American Princess begins when Alice Roosevelt’s father, Teddy, becomes the President of America, and Alice moves into the White House. Alice defies to maintain a good reputation as a First Daughter and rebels against the social standards of her time. Alice falls instantly in love with a much older congressman and is determined to marry him at all costs. This novel chronicles Alice’s flagrant life including her famous feud with Eleanor Roosevelt and her turbulent marriage to Nicholas Longworth.

   Alice is a really appealing and charismatic figure. She is spoiled, rebellious, hot-headed, and determined to have her own way. This makes it hard on her parents because they can hardly control her. She defies the standards of what a good daughter of the President should be. Alice was very notorious. She would often smoke in public, chew gum, and loved to wear pants. She loves going to parties, driving fast in her car, and often hangs out with males unaccompanied. This made her a woman that loved to captivate and win America’s attention. However, Alice was at times very insecure and was a woman that wanted to be loved. Thus, Alice was an endearing character.

   Overall, this novel is about first love, persistence, and breaking society barriers. Except for Alice, I found the characters to be one-dimensional with not much character-growth. The pacing of the novel was very uneven. Some parts of the novel were slow while some were rushed. I would also have liked more development and focus on her later years rather than her early years. Still, this novel was very engrossing. It magically transports you to the Gilded Age where you get to meet famous historical figures like Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt and even Empress Dowager Cixi! American Princess does a captivating job in bringing a remarkable woman to life. I recommend this novel to fans of The Kennedy Debutante, The American Duchess, and America’s First Daughter.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman's Narrative by Gregg Hecimovich: A Book Review

  The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of the Bondwoman’s Narrative Author: Gregg Hecimovich Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography  Publisher: Ecco Release Date: 2023 Pages: 430 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A groundbreaking study of the first Black female novelist and her life as an enslaved woman, from the biographer who solved the mystery of her identity, with a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr.       In 1857, a woman escaped enslavement on a North Carolina plantation and fled to a farm in New York. In hiding, she worked on a manuscript that would make her famous long after her death. The novel, The Bondwoman’s Narrative, was first published in 2002 to great acclaim, but the author’s identity remained unknown. Over a decade later, Professor Gregg Hecimovich unraveled the mystery of the author’s name and, in The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, hefinally tells her story.   ...

Nell: Marshal of Bodie (The Nell Doherty Mysteries #1) by John Edward Mullen: A Book Review

Nell: Marshal of Bodie (The Nell Doherty Mysteries #1) Author: John Edward Mullen Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Western  Publisher: Murders in Time Press Release Date: 2022 Pages: 300 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In the winter of 1892, the once-vibrant gold-mining town of Bodie, California is in serious decline.        Nell Doherty, an 18-year-old young woman with a wooden leg, dreams of leaving and becoming a Pinkerton detective.       When a tragic shooting presents her with an opportunity to prove she has the skills needed to work for the Pinkertons, Bodie’s justice of the peace deputizes Nell — over the loud objections of the majority of the town’s residents.      Can she prove them all wrong?       Nell digs in and investigates the shooting, with the help of Rags, her half-Irish, half-Chinese be...

The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick: A Book Review

The King’s Jewel Author: Elizabeth Chadwick Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Sphere Release Date: 2023 Pages: 456 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Wales, 1093.      The warm, comfortable family life of young Nesta, daughter of Prince Rhys of Deheubarth, is destroyed when her father is killed and she is taken hostage. Her honour is further tarnished when she is taken as an unwilling concubine by King William's ruthless younger brother Henry, who later ascends the throne under suspicious circumstances.      But it is Nesta's marriage that will really change the course of her life. Gerald FitzWalter, an ambitious young knight, is rewarded for his unwavering loyalty to his new King with Nesta's hand. He is delighted, having always admired her from afar, but Nesta's only comfort is her return to her beloved Wales. There, she cannot help but be tempted by the handsome, charismatic and danger...