An American Beauty: A Novel of the Gilded Age Inspired by the True Story of Arabella Huntington Who Became the Richest Woman in the Country

An American Beauty (2023) is a historical novel based on the life of Arabella “Belle” Huntington, one of America’s wealthiest women during the Gilded Age. Penned by Shana Abé, a bestselling American author who otherwise primarily writes romance and YA fiction, An American Beauty explores themes of The Influence of Beauty and Wealth on Social Mobility, The Tension Between Societal Expectation and Personal Ambition, and Women’s Agency in a Patriarchal Society.

This guide is based on the 2023 Kensington Books Kindle edition.

Plot Summary

The book is divided into six chronologically arranged parts, each detailing a specific phase in Arabella “Belle” Huntington née Yarrington’s life. These are bookended by a Prologue and an Epilogue.

In the Prologue, Lucy Clarence, an employee from a publishing house, visits Belle at her New York residence in 1902; Belle is now Collis Huntington’s widow. Lucy’s employer is attempting to extort money from Belle by blackmailing her about her past, but Belle refuses to yield.

Part I covers Belle’s life as a “Champagne Girl” in an illicit gambling parlor in Richmond, Virginia, run by a man named Johnny Worsham. One night at the parlor, 17-year-old Belle captures the attention of railroad tycoon Collis Huntington. Collis and Belle begin an affair, encouraged by Belle’s mother, Catherine, even though they know Collis is already married. Catherine, now a widow, was born into a genteel family and fell into poverty after marrying Belle’s father. She is desperate for a way out of the family’s dire circumstances, as she struggles to feed and care for her five children. Belle is her only hope, and when Belle suggests the family move to New York along with her and Collis, Catherine jumps at the idea. Collis pays Johnny to pretend to be Belle’s husband in New York, and he then sets up Belle and Johnny with a home in the city, purchasing a separate residence for Catherine and her other children.

Part II details Belle’s life as Collis’s mistress. She settles into her extravagant new life in New York happily and with ease. She and Collis continue their affair, even as people begin to notice. Belle becomes pregnant with Collis’s child, and she decides to get of rid of Johnny, who has begun to drink heavily and grown more troublesome. She sends him back to Virginia for a visit and terminates his services in a letter soon after, telling the neighbors that Johnny has passed away. She also tells Collis about her pregnancy; while Collis seems thrilled, Belle’s sister, Lizzie, wants her to secure her own and her child’s future.

In Part III, Belle lives her life as a “Shadow Wife.” She gives birth to her and Collis’s son and names him Archer. Belle attempts to secure her finances and her future by buying properties with Collis’s help, even buying and redecorating a house in her own name. However, her happiness and peace are interrupted when Elizabeth, Collis’s wife, threatens to leave him if Archer is not sent away. Belle is forced to send Archer away to Texas, where one of her sisters, Emma, lives with her husband. In retaliation, she demands that she begin to be seen in public with Collis, even if discreetly.

Part IV establishes Belle as Collis’s lover. New York society is now well aware of Belle’s place in Collis’s life, as is Collis’s daughter, Clara, who develops a good relationship with Belle. Belle also meets Collis’s nephew, Henry Edwards “Edward” Huntington, and the two are struck by an immediate and intense attraction to each other. However, Belle refuses to allow her heart to destroy the success she has so painstakingly built, and she avoids Edward at all costs. Belle also finally takes a stand about Archer, refusing to be separated from her son any longer. She takes him on a long trip to Europe and returns with him to New York, which Collis accepts without a fight. Meanwhile, Elizabeth develops cancer. She asks to meet with Belle in her final days and extracts a promise that Belle will never harm Collis and will always stay by his side.

In Part V, Belle becomes Collis’s second wife. Belle accepts his proposal, even as she cannot forget her feelings for Edward. Nevertheless, Belle and Collis enjoy a happy marriage. They build multiple homes together, and finally they even receive an invitation from Ward McAllister—a prominent social impresario—to a prestigious ball. However, they are enraged when McAllister demands an exorbitant sum from them as an attendance fee, and they decide to take their patronage to Europe. While in London, Clara meets and falls in love with a Bavarian prince who is pursuing Clara only for her fortune. Despite Belle and Collis’s best efforts, Clara insists on marrying him. Her fiancé, in turn, extorts a huge sum as dowry from Collis, revealing that he knows about Belle’s past, including that she used to perform sex work at Johnny’s parlor in Virginia. It is revealed that Catherine organized Belle’s employment with Johnny knowing full well the nature of his dealings when Belle was just 15, as a way to sustain the family. Collis pays the sum, and Clara is happily married. Collis and Belle also enjoy the rest of their years together until Collis’s death in 1900.

In Part VI, the newly widowed Belle grieves her husband’s passing. However, things get easier with time, and she throws herself into work, charity, and the things she loves again. Lucy Clarence comes visiting, and after Belle turns her away, she finally writes to Edward, asking him to come to her. The Epilogue reveals that Belle and Edward eventually married in 1913, seven years after he divorced his own first wife.