Well-behaved woman: a novel of the Vanderbilts. Therese Anne Fowler. 2018.

After the American Civil War, Alva Smith and her sisters are left with nothing but their good name. Enter William Vanderbilt, whose nouveau riche family is shut out of established New York society. Hoping a union will improve both families’ standings, William and Alva marry, but still find themselves excluded.

Determined to have her due, Alva designs and builds mansions and hosts her own grand balls. Refuse a box seat at the Academy of Music, she initiates founding he Metropolitan Opera House. But as she will learn, a life of wealth, status, good behaviour, and privilege is not a recipe or happiness. Facing an unimagined betrayal, Alva puts her future at risk - with a scandalous strategy that changes her life.