The Woman Who Knew Everyone
The Power of Perle Mesta, Washington's Most Famous Hostess
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The Woman Who Knew Everyone
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Narrated by:
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Carrington MacDuffie
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By:
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Meryl Gordon
About this listen
From a New York Times bestselling author, an revealing biography of feminist Perle Mesta–a beloved socialite, political hostess, and United States envoy.
Perle Mesta was a force to be reckoned with. In her heyday, this wealthy globe-trotting Washington widow was one of the most famous women in America, garnering as much media attention as Eleanor Roosevelt. Renowned for her world-class parties featuring politicians and celebrities, she was very close to three presidents–Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and Lyndon Johnson. Truman named her as the first female envoy to Luxembourg, which inspired the hit musical based on Perle’s life – “Call Me Madam” – which starred Ethel Merman, ran on Broadway for two years and later became a movie. A pioneering supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, she was a prodigious Democratic fundraiser and rescued Harry Truman’s financially flailing 1948 campaign.
In this intensely researched biography, author Meryl Gordon chronicles Perle’s lavish life and society adventures in Newport, Manhattan and Washington, while highlighting her important, but nearly forgotten contribution to American politics and the feminist movement.
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 217
The fate of Brooke Astor, the endearing philanthropist with the storied name, has generated worldwide headlines since her grandson Philip sued his father in 2006, alleging mistreatment of Brooke. And shortly after her death in 2007, Anthony Marshall, Mrs. Astor's only child, was indicted on charges of looting her estate. Rarely has there been a story with such an appealing heroine, conjuring up a world so nearly forgotten.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing
- By Beje on 09-06-15
By: Meryl Gordon
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Where Madness Lies
- The Double Life of Vivien Leigh
- By: Lyndsy Spence
- Narrated by: Sarah Welborn
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 9
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 9
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 9
Vivien Leigh was one of the greatest film and theatrical stars of the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Her Oscar-winning performances in Gone With the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire have cemented her status as an icon of Hollywood. Behind the scenes, however, Leigh's personal life was marred by manic depression. Largely misunderstood and subjected to barbaric mistreatment at the hands of her doctors, she would also suffer the heartbreak of Olivier's infidelity. Unlike previous biographies, Where Madness Lies begins in 1953 when Leigh suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Interesting but hollow.
- By J. D. Beck on 01-18-25
By: Lyndsy Spence
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The Woman Who Knew Everything
- By: Debbie Viggiano
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 43
‘She couldn’t remember the last time they’d stared at each other with dewy eyes over the cornflakes, or when they’d last tumbled into bed and bonked like spring bunnies, but they loved each other. Didn’t they?’ Chrissie, Dee and Amber each feel a marriage proposal is overdue from their respective boyfriends. When the women are invited to a birthday soirée – complete with fortune teller – the girls know there is only one question they’ll be asking Madam Rosa: will their men be popping the question? But opting to see a clairvoyant is a bit like opening Pandora’s box. Some revelations are a joy, whereas others are most definitely not. Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for…. Best-selling romance author Debbie Viggiano’s delightful, satirical take on life and relationships. This audiobook will particularly appeal to fans of Adele Parks and Mhairi Mcfarlane.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Painfully cheesy
- By Ewisk on 10-21-24
By: Debbie Viggiano
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The Phantom of Fifth Avenue
- The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark
- By: Meryl Gordon
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 331
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 302
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 300
Born in 1906, Huguette Clark grew up in her family's 121-room Beaux Arts mansion in New York and was one of the leading celebrities of her day. Her father, William Andrews Clark, was the second richest man in America. Huguette attended the coronation of King George V. And at 22, with a personal fortune of $50 million, she married a Princeton man and childhood friend. Two-years later the couple divorced. After a series of failed romances, Huguette began to withdraw from society. What happened to Huguette that turned a vivacious, young socialite into a recluse?
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5 out of 5 stars
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The OTHER Huguette Clark Book
- By Teadrinker on 03-24-15
By: Meryl Gordon
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You'll Never Believe Me
- A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist
- By: Kari Ferrell
- Narrated by: Kari Ferrell
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Story4 out of 5 stars 25
Before Anna Delvey, before the Tinder Swindler, there was Kari Ferrell. Adopted at a young age by a Mormon family in Utah, Kari struggled with questions of self-worth and identity as one of the few Asian Americans in her insulated community, leading her to run with the “bad crowd” in an effort to fit in. Soon, stealing from superstores turned into picking up men (and picking their pockets), and before she knew it, Kari had graduated from petty theft to Utah’s most wanted list. Though Kari was able to escape the Southwest, she couldn’t outrun her new moniker: the Hipster Grifter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very interested and perfect the way she didn’t do too long in one area
- By Amazon Customer on 03-31-25
By: Kari Ferrell
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The Paris Girl
- The Young Woman Who Outwitted the Nazis and Became a WWII Hero
- By: Francelle Bradford White
- Narrated by: Bronwen Price
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Andrée Griotteray was nineteen when the Germans invaded France and occupied Paris, where she worked as a clerk in the passport office. When her younger brother, Alain, created a resistance network named Orion, Andrée joined his efforts, secretly typing up and printing copies of an underground newspaper, and stealing ID cards which allowed scores of Jewish citizens to escape persecution. Charming and pretty, Andrée nimbly avoided the unwanted attentions of German officers, even as she secretly began working as an undercover courier.
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Kingmaker
- Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue
- By: Sonia Purnell
- Narrated by: Louise Brealey
- Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing–and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes–on both sides of the Atlantic–remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Pamela reigns! But.....
- By Lucy Johnson on 11-30-24
By: Sonia Purnell
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Time to Thank
- Caregiving for My Hero
- By: Steve Guttenberg
- Narrated by: Steve Guttenberg
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 14
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Story5 out of 5 stars 14
Since moving to Hollywood at age seventeen, Steve Guttenberg has delighted and moved audiences with his film and television work. But when his father is diagnosed with kidney failure, Steve has to step into a new and wholly unexpected role: caretaker. In Time to Thank, Steve tracks his weekly road trips from Los Angeles to Arizona to care for his father and the ways in which his time on the road affords him the perspective to reflect on his life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful
- By Mandy Wright on 04-01-25
By: Steve Guttenberg
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Sisters in Science
- By: Olivia Campbell
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
In the 1930s, Germany was a hotbed of scientific thought. But after the Nazis took power, Jewish and female citizens were forced out of their academic positions. Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer and Hildegard Stücklen were eminent in their fields, but they had no choice but to flee due to their Jewish ancestry or anti-Nazi sentiments. Their harrowing journey out of Germany became a life-and-death situation that required Herculean efforts of friends and other prominent scientists.
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5 out of 5 stars
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New information re: women/Jewish scientists in Nazi Germany
- By Anonymous User on 03-28-25
By: Olivia Campbell
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The Waiting Game
- The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens
- By: Nicola Clark
- Narrated by: Nicola Clark, Karen Cass
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 32
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Every Tudor Queen had ladies-in-waiting. They were her confidantes and her chaperones. Only the Queen's ladies had the right to enter her most private chambers, spending hours helping her to get dressed and undressed, caring for her clothes and jewels, listening to her secrets. But they also held a unique power. A quiet word behind the scenes, an appropriately timed gift, a well-negotiated marriage alliance were all forms of political agency wielded expertly by women.
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5 out of 5 stars
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One of the best!
- By Patt LaPierre on 01-13-25
By: Nicola Clark
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The Housekeeper's Secret
- A Memoir
- By: Sandra Schnakenburg
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
When Lee Metoyer is hired to be the new housekeeper, she has no idea that she’s about to become the anchor to a family in an abusive patriarch’s home, setting a mystery in motion that will take decades to uncover. At the age of seventy-two, Lee falls ill and on her deathbed asks Sandy to write her story. The only problem is, Sandy doesn’t know the story. Embarking on a quest to honor Lee’s final wishes, Sandy takes an emotional and thrilling journey, unveiling shocking truths not only about her beloved housekeeper but also her own upbringing.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating
- By Eliza Wheeler on 01-01-25
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Angel of Death
- Uncover The Darkness of Nightmare Nurse, Jane Toppan
- By: Ryan Green
- Narrated by: Steve White
- Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3
In 1895, elderly patients were quietly dying one by one, yet no one sounded the alarm – until an entirely family passed away. All had been in the care of nurse Jane Toppan and suspicions hit the roof. Dilated pupils, feverish bodies, and erratic rambling left doctors baffled, but these weren’t the signs of illness. They were the marks of something far more sinister. Toppan manipulated her patients' dosages, watching them drift between life and death. For her, each fatal dose was not a crime, but a twisted act of mercy—a dark salvation from suffering.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Medicine and murder...
- By txdoc on 01-13-25
By: Ryan Green
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The First and Last King of Haiti
- The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe
- By: Marlene L. Daut
- Narrated by: Don Elivert
- Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1
The First and Last King of Haiti is a riveting story of not only geopolitical clashes on a grand scale but also of friendship and loyalty, treachery and betrayal, heroism and strife in an era of revolutionary upheaval.
By: Marlene L. Daut
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Giant Love
- Edna Ferber, Her Best-Selling Novel of Texas, and the Making of a Classic American Film
- By: Julie Gilbert
- Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6
A book that explores the great American novelist and playwright Edna Ferber, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Ficton, whose work was made into many Academy Award-winning movies; the writing of her controversial, international best-selling novel about Texas, and the making of George Stevens’ Academy Award winning epic film of the same name, Giant.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A remarkable telling of an epic novel and how it made it to the big screen... beautifully told...
- By Amazon Customer on 12-27-24
By: Julie Gilbert
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That's Life, So It Is
- A Candid, Raw Memoir of TV National Treasure
- By: Charlie Lawson
- Narrated by: Charlie Lawson
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
The iconic actor best known for his role as Jim McDonald in Coronation Street, Charlie Lawson unveils a life as dramatic off-screen as his on-screen roles. In his own words, he recounts his shenanigans at boarding school, his experience of the Troubles in his native Northern Ireland, his time at drama school and his first acting roles–as well many boisterous nights out and a short-lived attempt to run an illicit club night in 1980s East London.
By: Charlie Lawson
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Rogues and Scholars
- A History of the London Art World: 1945-2000
- By: James Stourton
- Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
On October 15, 1958, Sotheby's of Bond Street staged an "event sale” of seven Impressionist paintings. The seven lots went for £781,000—at the time the highest price for a single sale. The event established London as the world center of the art market and Sotheby's as an international auction house. It began a shift in power from the dealers to the auctioneers and paved the way for Impressionist paintings to dominate the market for the next forty years.
By: James Stourton
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LBJ and McNamara
- The Vietnam Partnership Destined to Fail
- By: Peter L.W. Osnos
- Narrated by: Stephen Graybill
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1
LBJ and McNamara: The Vietnam Partnership Destined to Fail details how President Lyndon B. Johnson and his secretary of defense, Robert McNamara, made choices central to US strategy in Vietnam, ending in defeat. The portrait emerges of men who knew that conventional victory was impossible but who could not or would not reverse the policies that they and the military pursued.
By: Peter L.W. Osnos
What listeners say about The Woman Who Knew Everyone
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 02-08-25
History I remember
Liked hearing how parties were integral in breaking into politics and even hastening political decisions.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Moranna
- 02-13-25
Behind the scenes in history
Well read and very interesting storytelling. I wasn’t aware of Mrs Mesta’s role in politics at a time when women were not considered to be capable enough to sit at the American table of power.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barbara Kenley
- 01-24-25
A Breathtaking Life!
The name Perle Mesta is just a dim memory to a Boomer like me, but I was curious about a woman I knew only as “the hostess with the mostes.” What I found was a woman born in the 19th century who made a positive impact on the 20th. She loved politics and used her fortune and her expressive personality to bring many people of influence together. Finding she was a lifelong supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment was a bonus and makes this book quite timely. Meryl Gordon draws on a vast trove of documentation to give an accurate account of Perle’s life. Gordon’s descriptions are vivid - from humble beginnings to glamorous residences— they serve as a solid backdrop for this amazing life. I thoroughly enjoyed this listen!
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