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The Second Mrs. Astor: A Heartbreaking Historical Novel of the Titanic Kindle Edition

by Shana Abe (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 27,315 ratings
"Abé is an exquisite storyteller. Rich in detail and deeply moving." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Palace

"One of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. A gorgeous, phenomenal novel I won’t soon forget.” —Ellen Marie Wiseman New York Times bestselling Author of The Orphan Collector

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and Marie Benedict, this riveting novel takes you inside the scandalous courtship and catastrophic honeymoon aboard the Titanic of the most famous couple of their time—John Jacob Astor and Madeleine Force. Told in rich detail, this novel of sweeping historical fiction will stay with readers long after turning the last page.

Madeleine Talmage Force is just seventeen when she attracts the attention of John Jacob “Jack” Astor. Madeleine is beautiful, intelligent, and solidly upper-class, but the Astors are in a league apart. Jack’s mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York’s most formidable socialite. Jack is dashing and industrious—a hero of the Spanish-American war, an inventor, and a canny businessman. Despite their twenty-nine-year age difference, and the scandal of Jack’s recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love—and becomes the press’s favorite target.

On their extended honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time—and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner. When the ship hits an iceberg close to midnight on April 14th, there is no immediate panic. The swift, state-of-the-art RMS Titanic seems unsinkable. As Jack helps Madeleine into a lifeboat, he assures her that he’ll see her soon in New York…

Four months later, at the Astors’ Fifth Avenue mansion, a widowed Madeleine gives birth to their son. In the wake of the disaster, the press has elevated her to the status of virtuous, tragic heroine. But Madeleine’s most important decision still lies ahead: whether to accept the role assigned to her, or carve out her own remarkable path…
 
“A touching, compelling, and haunting love story that will delight fans of historical fiction and enthrall those of us for whom the Titanic will always fascinate.”
—Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of When We Were Young and Brave
 
“An engaging novel told with both heartbreaking care and vivid detail. The Second Mrs. Astor is historical fiction at its gripping and irresistible best.”
—Patti Callahan , New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah and Becoming Mrs. Lewis
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  1. Print length
    338 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Kensington Books
  4. Publication date
    August 31, 2021
  5. File size
    5.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. “I’ve always thought the best way to get the measure of a man is to observe how he treats his animals.”
    Highlighted by 1,102 Kindle readers
  2. “It’s plain as day Jack adores you. I think he adores you to the point that the thought of being without you terrifies him to the core. And for a man like Jack Astor, that is significant.”
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  3. Kinder hearts are stronger, her mother had once said. Maddy needed to be strong.
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From the Publisher

FICTION, Biographical

FICTION, Biographical

FICTION, Biographical

FICTION, Biographical

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Second Mrs. Astor

"Abé is an exquisite storyteller, gracefully transporting the reader from Newport to Egypt to the cold seas of the Atlantic. Rich in detail and deeply moving." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

"One of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, THE SECOND MRS. ASTOR brings to glittering life the romantic love story between John Jacob Astor and his young bride, Madeleine. You’ll find yourself glued to every page, falling in love with this dazzling couple, and despite knowing better, hoping against hope that they avoid the tragedy that awaits them on the ill-fated Titanic. A gorgeous, phenomenal novel I won’t soon forget.” —Ellen Marie Wiseman New York Times bestselling Author of The Orphan Collector

“Through Madeleine, we see a young woman fall in love with America's wealthiest man, the society scandal that follows, a level of media intrusion not dissimilar to that endured by a young Princess Diana, and, of course, the tragic events that unfold during Titanic's maiden voyage...A touching, compelling, and haunting love story that will delight fans of historical fiction and enthrall those of us for whom the Titanic will always fascinate.” —Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of When We Were Young and Brave

“The Second Mrs. Astor is an engaging novel told with both heartbreaking care and vivid detail. Shana Abé introduces us to the extraordinary Madeleine Astor and her profound love for the enigmatic and famous Jack Astor. Abé's intimate prose brings to life a fascinating and heartbreaking piece of history. A harrowing and yet ultimately hopeful tale of survival and courage, fate and love, and the ultimate question of who do we become after great loss. The Second Mrs. Astor is historical fiction at its gripping and irresistible best.”—Patti Callahan , New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah and Becoming Mrs. Lewis

About the Author

Lauren Ezzo was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. She attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where she double majored in theatre and English. She works both on stage and as an audiobook narrator.

Shana Abe is the award-winning, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Sweetest Dark series and the Drakon series. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California, and currently lives in the mountains of Colorado.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08PQ2T2F3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Books (August 31, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 31, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 27,315 ratings

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Shana Abe

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
27,315 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this historical novel engaging and well-written, with beautiful descriptions and a woven tale of love and loss. The book is richly researched, with credible facts, and customers appreciate the character development, with one review noting the inclusion of actual photographs of the main characters. They find it fascinating, with one customer mentioning it captures attention from the first chapter, and another highlighting its exquisite portrayal of the era's design. The pacing receives mixed reviews, with several customers noting it moves slowly.

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318 customers mention "Readability"308 positive10 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written, with lovely layers of storytelling, and one customer describes it as a page-turner.

"Interesting and entertaining book, easy to read. Sad story about real lives and true events." Read more

"Very good book! It is well written and seems to be very historically accurate! I enjoyed the character development!..." Read more

"Enjoying this sweet story!" Read more

"Great story about Titanic sinking and a couple on it. Good read!!" Read more

274 customers mention "Heartfelt story"211 positive63 negative

Customers appreciate the heartfelt story of love and loss in this historical novel, describing it as a fascinating narrative.

"Interesting and entertaining book, easy to read. Sad story about real lives and true events." Read more

"...The story itself is a reminder to follow your heart and enjoy every moment of one’s life!" Read more

"Superb historical novel. Riveting. Excellent writing and depth similar to the writing of Irving Stone and Michener’s books. Highest recommend" Read more

"Very good book! It is well written and seems to be very historically accurate! I enjoyed the character development!..." Read more

217 customers mention "Writing quality"197 positive20 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its descriptive prose and easy readability, with one customer highlighting how the author creates vivid word pictures.

"Interesting and entertaining book, easy to read. Sad story about real lives and true events." Read more

"...As the story unfolds, you see every landscape, feel the coldness of the Manhattan Château, and most of all the emotions of all of the characters in..." Read more

"Superb historical novel. Riveting. Excellent writing and depth similar to the writing of Irving Stone and Michener’s books. Highest recommend" Read more

"Very good book! It is well written and seems to be very historically accurate! I enjoyed the character development!..." Read more

49 customers mention "Research quality"44 positive5 negative

Customers praise the book's thorough research, noting that it is told in great detail and lends itself to credibility with facts.

"...written from Madeline's POV and was an enjoyable, entertaining, informative read...." Read more

"This book is everything one would want a well-researched, deftly written book of historical fiction to be, one that is supremely evocative of its..." Read more

"...I found the story interesting, sad and enlightening." Read more

"...Astor was a well-educated and complex man with numerous interests. He had grown up a coddled and spoiled youngster...." Read more

38 customers mention "Character development"35 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them engaging and realistic, with one customer noting the inclusion of actual photographs of the main characters.

"...I enjoyed the character development! Would recommend to historical fiction fans!" Read more

"I liked this fictionalization of a real person in the gilded age" Read more

"I truly enjoy historical novels situated among true facts and real people who lived in extraordinary times...." Read more

"...Astor was a well-educated and complex man with numerous interests. He had grown up a coddled and spoiled youngster...." Read more

34 customers mention "Interest"34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and exciting, with adventure throughout, and one customer mentions being hooked from the first chapter.

"This book keeps your interest, keeps you wanting more, puts you in that state where you are engrossed in the experience you’re reading about, and..." Read more

"This story was such a fascinating and interesting read and narration. I wanted to listen and read along without taking a break...." Read more

"...Who knew?" It may be fiction, but it can stir a person to read the history of an event ; to want to dig for more and learn the reality...." Read more

"...is so descriptive that it’s easy to visualize the luxuries and exotic locations." Read more

30 customers mention "Era"30 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of the era, with one customer noting its excellent details about the period's design, while others mention how the houses were decorated.

"...The details of this beautiful Oceanliner brought it to life. No matter how rich you are the death of a loved one is just as devastating...." Read more

"...language places the reader in the gilded rooms and the luxurious trappings of the Astors, descending to the grimness of the rowboats and the sinking..." Read more

"...She captured me with her opulence and intricate attention to detail. It was beautiful and heartbreakingly tragic all at the same time...." Read more

"...A tragic story of unexpected loss. An inside look at the opulent lifestyle of the wealthy society of the early 20th century...." Read more

16 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive12 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow.

"...And the information about the titanic was interesting. It’s was slow moving however and I didn’t really care about the characters except Kitty,..." Read more

"...The research was well done. I just found it so depressing and slow in the beginning it took me a while to get through it." Read more

"...Most books are easy to move past when finished, but I know this one will linger for a long while." Read more

"Good concept, ok reality. Very detailed. Well written. Just very slow moving. Not much of a plot and you sort of know how it ends." Read more

Titanic Storytelling
5 out of 5 stars
Titanic Storytelling
As a young child, I loved reading and learning about the Titanic. She captured me with her opulence and intricate attention to detail. It was beautiful and heartbreakingly tragic all at the same time. Shana Abe has brought an intimacy to the Titanic rarely experienced by generations since the sinking. Abe draws me in with her lovely layers of storytelling—JJ. Astor and Madeleine falling in love, their epic wedding, and the tragedy of the Titanic. Reading from Madeleine’s perspective, connecting with her and JJ Astor’s story, I found myself needing to come up for air from time to time. The devastation, the trauma, the star crossed lovers—it all feels poignantly real. The sheer heartache, the true injustice of it all—it compounds with each page. This was their lives. May they rest in peace. My sincerest gratitude for Abe sharing the Astors, their world, and Titanic with us.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • barbsooner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting and entertaining book, easy to read. Sad story about real lives and true events.
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  • Marie Dowell
    4.0 out of 5 stars A tragically beautiful story
    Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The author skillfully sets every details in the first half of the book that clearly come to be understood in the second half. As the story unfolds, you see every landscape, feel the coldness of the Manhattan Château, and most of all the emotions of all of the characters in the book, particularly Madeleine and Jack. The story itself is a reminder to follow your heart and enjoy every moment of one’s life!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Trish Kincaid
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such a moving story
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    We’ve heard so much about the Titanic disaster, even seen the movie. But nothing compares to reading this story. It seems like a great deal of research went into this book. It’s impossible to tell what was real and what was embellishment for the sake of the story. But it was a tragic story for so many people who survived and for those who didn’t. As a dog lover, I think what hurt the most was the loss of Kitty. Not much is said about Madeline and Jack’s son.
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars 2.5 stars for The Second Mrs. Astor
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Although the story sounded like one I could enjoy, it did not hit the mark. It is about a 17 year old girl who marries a man almost 30 years her senior. You have to question why a man close to 50 years of age would marry a teenager, other than the obvious physical angle. A man of his stature in the early 1900's required a wife who could represent him socially as well as support him emotionally, not exactly something a teenage girl would be experienced or qualified to do.

    John Jacob Astor was one of the wealthiest men in the world at the time of his death on the Titanic. His 5-month pregnant child-bride survived. Outside of being a passenger on the ill-fated journey and that she married into fabulous wealth and luxury, her life was not very interesting. Madeleine and Colonel Astor were together for only a short time, and thus this fictionalized story of her life had little to offer. The author did not show that Madeleine accomplished much of anything, certainly nothing or not enough to base an entire book on.

    If you are looking for a book about the Titanic, there are enough choices out there to satisfy any interest in the tragedy and the people involved, both real and fictionalized. Do not consider this book if you are making the purchase to learn about the Titanic - or if you are looking to read about an interesting person, for that matter, a person who has accomplished something, anything actually. You will be disappointed.

    I googled Madeleine Astor after I finished the book, and much of the information Ms. Abe' included was easily and quickly found. So I'm not sure just how much research was required on her part when trying to write about Madeleine. It couldn't have been easy coming up with a story about a person that young who hadn't done much or accomplished much outside of being the wife of one of the wealthiest men in the world and only for a very short period of time. I question why Ms. Abe' chose Madeleine to be the focus of an entire book. Surely the choices the author had were endless. A better subject could have been... almost anybody!

    Would not recommend.
    104 people found this helpful
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  • Rona H. Halpern, Ph.D
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Second Mrs. Astor
    Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Superb historical novel. Riveting. Excellent writing and depth similar to the writing of Irving Stone and Michener’s books. Highest recommend
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  • Suzanne Sullivan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Mrs Astor
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Very good book! It is well written and seems to be very historically accurate! I enjoyed the character development! Would recommend to historical fiction fans!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sally A Schroeder
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful story!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoying this sweet story!
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  • MLM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Couple on Titanics maiden voyage.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great story about Titanic sinking and a couple on it. Good read!!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Gio
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Second Mrs Astor
    Reviewed in Italy on February 5, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I Like this book because it was a very deep story and heart breaking and therefore lovely to read. I reccomend it as it gives you many romantic moments and a feeling of deep relationships with different characters.
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  • Baiba
    5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful
    Reviewed in Germany on December 11, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I have no words that will show how wonderful this book is. Very emotional, i fell in love with the characters, i cried.
    Report
  • Andy in Canada
    5.0 out of 5 stars A sweeping, heartbreaking rance
    Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Abe helps you get past the somewhat cringy age gap of the main characters by writing Madeleine as a mature and thoughtful teenager. I had to set her age aside, and remember this was a different age, when 18 was older and more mature in some ways. A lovely story. I hope some of it was close to the truth and Madeleine's heart was filled with enough love to last.
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  • Helena Halme Author
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you're watching The Gilded Age, you'll love this novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Those of you who are already looking forward to watching Julian Fellows‘ The Gilded Age on TV, should read The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe. This novel, set in New York in the early 1900s follows a young socialite, Madeleine Force, as she meets and falls in love with a much older man, Colonel Jack Astor. (His mother, Mrs Lina Astor, is featured in the TV series). Causing a scandal, the two marry and go on an extended honeymoon to Egypt.

    If you know your history well, it won’t be a spoiler to tell you that this is also a story of the sinking of the Titanic – in fact, the book’s subtitle mentions the fated cruise liner. The novel is, however, so much more than just another book about the Titanic. This story is about love, tolerance (or the lack of), equality and humanity.

    Madaleine is acutely aware of her inadequate social standing compared to the Astors’ Knickerbocker ancestry. What’s more, Jack Astor is more than 25 years her senior and the richest man in the country. After their marriage, Madelaine is shunned by society and haunted by the press. To escape the scandal – and the freezing New York winter – the pair decide to take a trip to warmer climes. Having met the Chairman of the White Star Line, Bruce Ismay, during their journey, Jack is keen to travel home on the maiden voyage of the new Olympic-class ocean liner. Needless to say, it’s a fated decision.

    The Second Mrs. Astor is a very engaging read and one that kept my mind off our own troubles at sea.
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  • Beverley Greening
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amost interesting but sad story of the Astors,
    Reviewed in Australia on March 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Fascinating story of the lives of Mrs and Mrs Astor. She was 18 when they married. He was in his 40s and had been married then divorced. Sadly he was drowned when the Titanic sank but his wife was one of the many women and children who were survived in boats lowered to the sea. Four months later she gave birth to a son. Her husband had an older son whom I think inherited most of his father's estate. Mrs Astor married twice after her first husband's death but sadly died in her forties.
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