Synopses & Reviews
The first full biography of Joy Davidman brings her out from C. S.and#160;Lewisandrsquo;s shadow, where she has long been hidden, to reveal a powerful writer and thinker. Joy Davidman is known, if she is known at all, as the wife of C. S. Lewis. Their marriage was immortalized in the film Shadowlands and Lewisandrsquo;s memoir, A Grief Observed.and#160;Now, through extraordinary new documentsand#160;asand#160;well asand#160;years of research and interviews, Abigail Santamaria brings Joy Davidman Greshamand#160;Lewis to the page in the fullness and depth she deserves.
A poet andand#160;radical, Davidman was a frequentand#160;contributorand#160;to the communist vehicle Newand#160;Masses and an activeand#160;member of Newand#160;Yorkand#160;literary circles in the 1930s andand#160;40s. After growing up Jewish in the Bronx,and#160;she was an atheist, then aand#160;practitioner of Dianetics;and#160;sheand#160;converted to Christianity after experiencing a moment of transcendent grace.and#160;A mother, a novelist, a vibrant and difficult and intelligent woman, she set off for England in 1952, determined to captivate the man whose work had changed her life.
Davidmanand#160;became the intellectual and spiritual partner Lewis never expected but cherished. She helped him refine his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, and to write his novel Till We Have Faces. Their relationshipandmdash;begun when Joy wrote to Lewis as a religious guideandmdash;grewand#160;from a dialogue about faith, writing, and poetry intoand#160;a deep friendship and aand#160;timeless love story.
and#160;
Review
andldquo;This is not just an exquisitely perceptive portrait of a remarkable woman, it is a beautifully painted conversation piece including many of the great figures from aandnbsp;privileged age of elegance andandnbsp;intelligence.andrdquo;andmdash;Antony Beevor, bestselling author of
The Second World WarReview
andldquo;Written with a verve and clarity that her subject would both admire and regret, An American Lady captures theandnbsp; charms, contradictions andandnbsp;convictions that putandnbsp;Susan Mary Alsopandnbsp;at the crossroads of society, politics, and glamorous love affairsandnbsp;in Paris, Washington, and her other ports of call. Many of the great men---and women---of her time gravitated to Susan Mary's movable salon to take in each other, and their ever resourceful hostess. It's all here.andrdquo;andmdash;Jim Hoagland, Contributing Editor, The Washington Post
Review
andldquo;Once upon a time the coolest people in the world were Americans. From the era of F. Scott Fitzgerald through that of Mad Men, they set the scene for the age of Camelot and not a few of its most consequential confrontations. No one better exemplified this rarefied and influential species than Susan Mary Alsop, whose eventful, thoughtful, complex and passionate life Caroline de Margerie brilliantly chronicles in this exquisitely researched, impossible to put down biography.andrdquo;andmdash;Thomas Caplan, author of The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen
Review
andldquo;Like Jackie Kennedy, Susan Mary Alsop was the kind of American aristocrat who survived with her wits and good manners. From her days as a diplomatic wife in Paris after WWII through her unconventional marriage to legendary political columnist Joe Alsop in 1960s Washington, Susan Mary hostessed her way to a place in history and created a political salon that boasted Kennedys, Kissingers and an impressive social roster in Georgetown. Author Caroline de Margerie deftly chronicles the life of a woman who gave little away emotionally but whose range of experience speaks for itself. Susan Mary Alsop was the model of a well-bred survivor who capitalized on lifeandrsquo;s social opportunities.andrdquo;andmdash;Cherie Burns, author of Searching for Beauty: The Life of Millicent Rogers
Review
andquot;Susan Mary Alsop was a cool, beautiful admixture of public discretion and private daring. On two continents and over four decades she invited the world's most powerful people to her homes, facilitating, networking, connecting. Caroline de Margerie's American Lady, is as sharp and stylish as its fascinating subject.andrdquo;andmdash;Stacy A. Cordery, author of Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker
Review
andquot;The history of post war Europe and America told through the prism of power and privilege.andnbsp;andnbsp; A most enjoyable book about a most elegant lady.andquot;andmdash;Jane Stanton Hitchcock, author of Mortal Friends
Review
and#8220;An engrossing, perceptive, and nuanced portrait of a celebrated socialite who once knew everyone worth knowing.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Review
andldquo;This is not just an exquisitely perceptive portrait of a remarkable woman, it is a beautifully painted conversation piece including many of the great figures from aandnbsp;privileged age of elegance andandnbsp;intelligence.andrdquo;andmdash;Antony Beevor, bestselling author of
The Second World WarReview
andldquo;Written with a verve and clarity that her subject would both admire and regret, An American Lady captures theandnbsp; charms, contradictions andandnbsp;convictions that putandnbsp;Susan Mary Alsopandnbsp;at the crossroads of society, politics, and glamorous love affairsandnbsp;in Paris, Washington, and her other ports of call. Many of the great men---and women---of her time gravitated to Susan Mary's movable salon to take in each other, and their ever resourceful hostess. It's all here.andrdquo;andmdash;Jim Hoagland, Contributing Editor, The Washington Post
Review
andldquo;Once upon a time the coolest people in the world were Americans. From the era of F. Scott Fitzgerald through that of Mad Men, they set the scene for the age of Camelot and not a few of its most consequential confrontations. No one better exemplified this rarefied and influential species than Susan Mary Alsop, whose eventful, thoughtful, complex and passionate life Caroline de Margerie brilliantly chronicles in this exquisitely researched, impossible to put down biography.andrdquo;andmdash;Thomas Caplan, author of The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen
Review
andldquo;Like Jackie Kennedy, Susan Mary Alsop was the kind of American aristocrat who survived with her wits and good manners. From her days as a diplomatic wife in Paris after WWII through her unconventional marriage to legendary political columnist Joe Alsop in 1960s Washington, Susan Mary hostessed her way to a place in history and created a political salon that boasted Kennedys, Kissingers and an impressive social roster in Georgetown. Author Caroline de Margerie deftly chronicles the life of a woman who gave little away emotionally but whose range of experience speaks for itself. Susan Mary Alsop was the model of a well-bred survivor who capitalized on lifeandrsquo;s social opportunities.andrdquo;andmdash;Cherie Burns, author of Searching for Beauty: The Life of Millicent Rogers
Review
andldquo;Thin, fashionable, well informed, yet a little wicked, Susan Mary had what it took to be talked about, and the Alsopsandrsquo; gatherings were the talk of Georgetownandrsquo;s andldquo;glory years.andrdquo; Paris-based author de Margerie paints in bold, bright outlines the compelling story of this Jamesian heroine. Entertaining story of a dynamic literary woman who sparked a fascinating life from the changing currents of the age.andrdquo;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Review
Praise for
American Lady by Caroline de Margerie
and#8220;Marvelousand#8230;Reveals the influence and insight of the American hostess, who lived so elegantly in the public eye, and so passionately when no one was watching.and#8221;and#8212;The New York Times and#160; and#8220;Caroline de Margerie avoids hagiography, instead depicting a fabulously interesting, complicated and influential woman.and#8221;and#8212;The Chicago Tribune and#160; and#8220;The first-ever biography of the Georgetown doyenne, charts her life from Parisand#8212;where she charmed Winston Churchill and was a favorite of Christian Diorand#8212;to Washington D.C., where she threw some of the best parties of the Camelot era.and#8221;and#8212;The Wall Street Journal and#160; and#8220;[De Margerie] goes behind the faand#231;ade to reveal a passionate personality torn between her sense of duty and her personal desiresand#8230;De Margie had access to some 500 previously unseen letters.and#8221;and#8212;Womenand#8217;s Wear Daily
and#8220;Compact, entertainingand#8230;de Margerie colorfully unpacks the details of Alsopand#8217;s life.and#8221;and#8212;The Washingtonian
and#8220;Feminine insights into the life of this fascinating woman.and#8221;and#8212;Printers Row Journal
and#8220;The story of a determined, pedigreed womanand#8230;A saloniste extraordinaire.and#8221;and#8212;The Washington Times
and#160;
Review
“Marvelous…Reveals the influence and insight of the American hostess, who lived so elegantly in the public eye, and so passionately when no one was watching.”—
The New York Times “Caroline de Margerie avoids hagiography, instead depicting a fabulously interesting, complicated and influential woman.”—Chicago Tribune
“The first-ever biography of the Georgetown doyenne, charts her life from Paris—where she charmed Winston Churchill and was a favorite of Christian Dior—to Washington D.C., where she threw some of the best parties of the Camelot era.”—The Wall Street Journal
“[De Margerie] goes behind the façade to reveal a passionate personality torn between her sense of duty and her personal desires…De Margerie had access to some 500 previously unseen letters.”—Womens Wear Daily
“An engrossing, perceptive, and nuanced portrait of a celebrated socialist who once knew everyone worth knowing.”—Publishers Weekly
“Paris-based author de Margerie paints in bold, bright outlines the compelling story of this Jamesian heroine. Entertaining story of a dynamic literary woman who sparked a fascinating life from the changing currents of the age.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Compact, entertaining…de Margerie colorfully unpacks the details of Alsops life.”—The Washingtonian
“This is not just an exquisitely perceptive portrait of a remarkable woman, it is a beautifully painted conversation piece including many of the great figures from a privileged age of elegance and intelligence.”—Antony Beevor, bestselling author of The Second World War
“Written with a verve and clarity that her subject would both admire and regret, An American Lady captures the charms, contradictions and convictions that put Susan Mary Alsop at the crossroads of society, politics, and glamorous love affairs in Paris, Washington, and her other ports of call. Many of the great men---and women---of her time gravitated to Susan Mary's movable salon to take in each other, and their ever resourceful hostess. It's all here.”—Jim Hoagland, Contributing Editor, The Washington Post
Susan Mary Alsop was a cool, beautiful admixture of public discretion and private daring. On two continents and over four decades she invited the world's most powerful people to her homes, facilitating, networking, connecting. Caroline de Margerie's American Lady, is as sharp and stylish as its fascinating subject.”—Stacy A. Cordery, author of Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker
"The history of post war Europe and America told through the prism of power and privilege. A most enjoyable book about a most elegant lady."—Jane Stanton Hitchcock, author of Mortal Friends
“Once upon a time the coolest people in the world were Americans. From the era of F. Scott Fitzgerald through that of Mad Men, they set the scene for the age of Camelot and not a few of its most consequential confrontations. No one better exemplified this rarefied and influential species than Susan Mary Alsop, whose eventful, thoughtful, complex and passionate life Caroline de Margerie brilliantly chronicles in this exquisitely researched, impossible to put down biography.”—Thomas Caplan, author of The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen
“Like Jackie Kennedy, Susan Mary Alsop was the kind of American aristocrat who survived with her wits and good manners. From her days as a diplomatic wife in Paris after WWII through her unconventional marriage to legendary political columnist Joe Alsop in 1960s Washington, Susan Mary hostessed her way to a place in history and created a political salon that boasted Kennedys, Kissingers and an impressive social roster in Georgetown. Author Caroline de Margerie deftly chronicles the life of a woman who gave little away emotionally but whose range of experience—including discreet romantic dramas with consecutive British ambassadors—speaks for itself. Susan Mary Alsop was the model of a well-bred survivor who capitalized on lifes social opportunities.”—Cherie Burns, author of Searching for Beauty: The Life of Millicent Rogers
Review
and#8220;Marvelousand#8230;Reveals the influence and insight of the American hostess, who lived so elegantly in the public eye, and so passionately when no one was watching.and#8221;and#8212;
The New York Times and#160; and#160; and#8220;Caroline de Margerie avoids hagiography, instead depicting a fabulously interesting, complicated and influential woman.and#8221;and#8212;Chicago Tribune
and#160; and#160; and#8220;The first-ever biography of the Georgetown doyenne, charts her life from Parisand#8212;where she charmed Winston Churchill and was a favorite of Christian Diorand#8212;to Washington D.C., where she threw some of the best parties of the Camelot era.and#8221;and#8212;The Wall Street Journal
and#160; and#160; and#8220;[De Margerie] goes behind the faand#231;ade to reveal a passionate personality torn between her sense of duty and her personal desiresand#8230;De Margerie had access to some 500 previously unseen letters.and#8221;and#8212;Womenand#8217;s Wear Daily
and#160; and#160; and#8220;An engrossing, perceptive, and nuanced portrait of a celebrated socialist who once knew everyone worth knowing.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Paris-based author de Margerie paints in bold, bright outlines the compelling story of this Jamesian heroine. Entertaining story of a dynamic literary woman who sparked a fascinating life from the changing currents of the age.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#160; and#8220;Compact, entertainingand#8230;de Margerie colorfully unpacks the details of Alsopand#8217;s life.and#8221;and#8212;The Washingtonian
and#160; and#160; and#8220;This is not just an exquisitely perceptive portrait of a remarkable woman, it is a beautifully painted conversation piece including many of the great figures from aand#160;privileged age of elegance andand#160;intelligence.and#8221;and#8212;Antony Beevor, bestselling author of The Second World War
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Written with a verve and clarity that her subject would both admire and regret, An American Lady captures theand#160; charms, contradictions andand#160;convictions that putand#160;Susan Mary Alsopand#160;at the crossroads of society, politics, and glamorous love affairsand#160;in Paris, Washington, and her other ports of call. Many of the great men---and women---of her time gravitated to Susan Mary's movable salon to take in each other, and their ever resourceful hostess. It's all here.and#8221;and#8212;Jim Hoagland, Contributing Editor, The Washington Post
and#160; and#160; Susan Mary Alsop was a cool, beautiful admixture of public discretion and private daring. On two continents and over four decades she invited the world's most powerful people to her homes, facilitating, networking, connecting. Caroline de Margerie's American Lady, is as sharp and stylish as its fascinating subject.and#8221;and#8212;Stacy A. Cordery, author of Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker
and#160; and#160; "The history of post war Europe and America told through the prism of power and privilege.and#160;and#160; A most enjoyable book about a most elegant lady."and#8212;Jane Stanton Hitchcock, author of Mortal Friends
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Once upon a time the coolest people in the world were Americans. From the era of F. Scott Fitzgerald through that of Mad Men, they set the scene for the age of Camelot and not a few of its most consequential confrontations. No one better exemplified this rarefied and influential species than Susan Mary Alsop, whose eventful, thoughtful, complex and passionate life Caroline de Margerie brilliantly chronicles in this exquisitely researched, impossible to put down biography.and#8221;and#8212;Thomas Caplan, author of The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Like Jackie Kennedy, Susan Mary Alsop was the kind of American aristocrat who survived with her wits and good manners. From her days as a diplomatic wife in Paris after WWII through her unconventional marriage to legendary political columnist Joe Alsop in 1960s Washington, Susan Mary hostessed her way to a place in history and created a political salon that boasted Kennedys, Kissingers and an impressive social roster in Georgetown. Author Caroline de Margerie deftly chronicles the life of a woman who gave little away emotionally but whose range of experienceand#8212;including discreet romantic dramas with consecutive British ambassadorsand#8212;speaks for itself. Susan Mary Alsop was the model of a well-bred survivor who capitalized on lifeand#8217;s social opportunities.and#8221;and#8212;Cherie Burns, author of Searching for Beauty: The Life of Millicent Rogers and#160;
Review
andquot;[An] impressive debut biography...Santamaria has fashioned a compelling narrative, remaining cleareyed about her subjectand#39;s many personal failings.andquot;andmdash;Kirkus
andquot;Santamariaandrsquo;s debut is sure to get attention from C.S. Lewis scholars and fans...Those who want to know the real andshy;Davidman will discover a woman in search of purpose and meaning who finally finds it in the faith and person of Lewis.andquot;andmdash;Library Journal
andquot;Joy captures the toughness, the dreams, the hypocrisy, of a complex and controversial woman.andquot;andmdash;BBC.com, One of Ten Books to Read in August
andquot;[A] biography as compelling as fiction.andquot;andmdash;The Charlotte Observer
andquot;Santamariaandrsquo;s sympathetic and clear-eyed portrait of Joy Davidman might surprise people who assume that confirmed bachelor C.S. Lewis would fall only for an especially godly woman. Santamaria, relying heavily on Joyandrsquo;s own writings, paints a vivid portrait of the pre-Lewis Davidman. Itandrsquo;s a fascinating portrait of Davidmanandrsquo;s childhood in New York, her radical college years and membership in the Communist Party, her rocky marriage to Bill Gresham, and her long-distance infatuation with Lewis, whom she pursued with single-minded focus despite her marriage. Santamaria highlights Davidmanandrsquo;s literary brilliance and shows her growing reliance on Christ.andquot;andmdash;World Magazine
andquot;A clear-eyed, insightful portrait of a fascinating woman, Santamariaand#39;s biography adds important depth and richness to the popular image of Joy Davidman.andquot;andmdash;Shelf Awareness
andldquo;Abigail Santamaria has written a luscious Narnia tale for grownups, a literary biography that takes the shape of a quest narrative as the brilliant idealistic Joy Davidman Gresham, writer and free spirit, adopts one cause after another until finally setting her cap for her spiritual mentor, C. S. andldquo;Jackandrdquo; Lewis.and#160; Santamariaandrsquo;s astonishing detective work reveals the surprising truth behind Lewisandrsquo;s description of the couple as andlsquo;a sinful woman married to a sinful man,andrsquo; even as she portrays their late-life love affair as salvational to them both.andrdquo;
andmdash;Megan Marshall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Margaret Fuller: A New American Life
andquot;A biography about the brilliant and brash New Yorker who captured C.S. Lewisand#39;s heart was long overdue, so Iand#39;m thrilled to report that Abigail Santamaria does not disappoint. Her highly readable book should be the definitive biography of Joy Davidman for a long time to come.andquot;
andmdash;Eric Metaxas,and#160;New York Timesand#160;best-selling author ofand#160;Miraclesand#160;andand#160;Bonhoeffer
andldquo;Joy is a delightful and fast-paced romp through a fascinating life.and#160; I read most of this book in one sitting, genuinely curious about whether this feisty, brilliant woman was going to get her happy ending.and#160; A truly impressive, even enviable, debut for a writer and a historian.andrdquo;
andmdash;Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the forthcomingand#160;Madam: The Notorious Life and Times of Polly Adler
andldquo;Superbly researched and stylishly written, Joy dissolves the soft-focus romanticism of Shadowlands and brings before us a real-life woman in all her complexity.and#160; Abigail Santamaria, in a fine first work, guides us expertly and fair-mindedly round the beautiful ruins of an extraordinary life.andrdquo;
andmdash;Michael Ward, University of Oxford, co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to C.S. Lewis
andldquo;Joy Davidman was manipulative, endearing, brilliant, and obsessiveandmdash;and C.S. Lewis, one of the most influential and beloved spiritual writers of the twentieth century, fell in love with all of it. A complicated woman for our time, Davidmanandrsquo;s search for meaning and her final arrival at love will resonate deeply long after the reader has closed Santamariaandrsquo;s masterful biography.andrdquo;
andmdash; Kate Buford, author of Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe
andldquo;A tour de force. Plumbing the depths of unpublished documents, Santamaria reveals the vision and writing of a young woman whose coming of age in the turbulent thirties is both distinctive and emblematic of her time.andrdquo;
andmdash; Susan Hertog, author of Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Her Life
andldquo;This brilliantly researched biography has changed me for good. Until I read this book I could never take Joy Davidman to my heart; she now stands before me as real and believable as anyone I know.and#160;Joyand#160;offers a wonderful account of an unforgettable woman and her vibrant life; it is no wonder C.S. Lewis loved her so much.andrdquo;
andmdash;Walter Hooper, personal secretary to C.S. Lewis and editor ofand#160;The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis
Synopsis
The fascinating story of one of the grand dames of Georgetown society and a true Washington insiderAn American aristocrat—a descendant of founding father John Jay—Susan Mary Alsop (1918–2004)with husband, Joe Alsop, brought together the movers and shakers of not just the United States, but the world. Henry Kissinger remarked that more agreements were concluded in her living room than in the White House.
Born in Rome, brought up in Argentina and the United States, Susan Mary arrived in Paris in 1945 to join her first husband, Bill Patten. There she witnessed “history on the boil” at dinners with Winston Churchill, Duff Cooper (the British ambassador and the love of her life), FDR, Greta Garbo, and many others. A year after Bill’s death in 1960, she married the renowned journalist and legendary power broker Joe Alsop. Dubbed “the second lady of Camelot,” Susan Mary hosted dinner parties that were the epitome of political power and social arrival. She reigned over Georgetown society for four decades; her house was the gathering place for everyone of importance, including John F. Kennedy, Katharine Graham, and Robert McNamara.
Synopsis
The fascinating story of one of the grand dames of Georgetown society and a true Washington insider
Henry Kissinger once remarked that more agreements were concluded in the living room of Susan Mary Alsop than in the White House. A descendent of Founding Father John Jay, Susan Mary was an American aristocrat whose first marriage gave her full access to post-war diplomatic social life in Paris. There, her circle of friends included Winston Churchill, Isaiah Berlin, Evelyn Waugh, and Christian Dior, among other luminaries, and she had a passionate love affair with British ambassador Duff Cooper. During the golden years of John F. Kennedyand#8217;s presidencyand#151;after she had married the powerful journalist Joe Alsopand#151;her Washington home was a gathering place for everyone of importance, including Katharine Graham, Robert McNamara, and Henry Kissinger. Dubbed and#147;the second lady of Camelot,and#8221; she hosted dinner parties that were the epitome of political power and social arrival, bringing together the movers and shakers not just of the United States, but of the world. Featuring an introduction by Susan Mary Alsopand#8217;s goddaughter Frances FitzGerald, American Lady is a fascinating chronicle of a woman who witnessed, as Nancy Mitford once said, and#147;history on the boil.and#8221;
Synopsis
The first full biography of Joy Davidman,and#160;known primarily as C.S. Lewisand#8217;s late-in-lifeand#160;bride,and#160;but who here receives her much deserved rescue from that shadow
About the Author
Caroline de Margerie, a former diplomat, is a member of the Conseil dand#8217;Etat, the supreme administrative court in France. She lives in Paris.
Christopher Murrayand#160;is an American translator and musicologist based in Paris.
Frances FitzGeraldand#160;is the author of several nonfiction works, including the Pulitzer Prizeand#150; and National Book Awardand#150;winningand#160;Fire in the Lake. She lives in New York City.