Betsy Prioleau taucht in die faszinierenden Welten der Verführung und Liebe ein. Ihre Arbeit erforscht die psychologischen und kulturellen Dimensionen dieser starken menschlichen Verbindungen und konzentriert sich auf die einzigartigen Strategien und Künste, die dabei zum Einsatz kamen. Durch ihre aufschlussreichen Analysen deckt Prioleau tiefere Wahrheiten über die menschliche Natur und das anhaltende Verlangen nach Intimität auf.
The narrative follows a character on a thrilling journey to escape her past, filled with unexpected twists and turns. Her experiences are depicted with a vibrant and captivating style, reminiscent of the allure of a champagne fountain, suggesting a mix of glamour and complexity in her pursuit of freedom and identity.
Among the notable tycoons of the Gilded Age—Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt—one figure remains largely forgotten: Mrs. Frank Leslie. For two decades, she led Frank Leslie Publishing, the nation's largest publishing company, chronicling postbellum America through numerous periodicals. As a pioneer in a male-dominated industry, she amassed a fortune and gained fame as a national tastemaker. However, Miriam Leslie was also synonymous with scandal; she defied societal norms, had multiple lovers, married four times, and concealed a life filled with secrets and deception. Throughout her life, hints of her tumultuous past surfaced, including an illegitimate birth and a troubled youth. This biography unveils the sensational story of the "empress of journalism," who made headlines even in death by bequeathing her multimillion-dollar estate to women's suffrage, a historic contribution that helped ensure the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. Cultural historian Betsy Prioleau draws from diaries, genealogies, and published works to present an intimate portrait of one of the Gilded Age's most complex and powerful women, ultimately restoring Mrs. Frank Leslie to her rightful place in history as a monumental businesswoman and an unexpected feminist icon.