Paula Uruburu

I just read about the early 1900s version of the Epstein files. I didn't really know what I was getting into with this nonfiction book. Evelyn Nesbit was the "it girl" of early 1900s New York. At the young age of about 14, her down-on-her-luck mother took Evelyn to Philadelpia where she was discovered and started modeling for artists. They then moved to New York where she continued to model for artists and photographers and made a move to the stage. Evelyn's combination of dark hair, pale show more skin, large eyes, and an expression that is both innocent and knowing made her a huge sensation. There are tons of photographs included in the book and she really is stunning and magnetic.

Evelyn attracted the attention of the incredibly wealthy Stanford White, one of NYC's most popular architects of the time. White begins supporting Evelyn and her family. Of course, he is not in this for altruistic reasons. He builds trust with Evelyn and her mother and then drugs and rapes the 14 year old Evelyn when her mother is out of town. He then convinces Evelyn he loves her and continues to abuse her for years, until she is too old to match his vile tastes.

After years of this, Evelyn falls in with Harry Thaw, another multi-millionaire who is definitely mentally unhinged. Thaw is obsessed with proving that Stanford White is abusing young girls in New York. Of course, Thaw is no better. He also tricks Evelyn into trusting him when she has no other options, as Stanford White loses interest in her as she ages. So the 17 year old Evelyn throws her lot in with Thaw, with disastrous consequences for herself. Despite more rape and abuse, she eventually marries Thaw. Thaw then kills White and there is a trial where Evelyn is forced to reveal all the sordid details of what these men have done to her during her childhood.

Obviously, this was a disturbing book to read. I drew a lot of parallels to our modern day news stories, and it was a good reminder that our era is not unique in having wealthy men behaving despicably and taking advantage of those with no resources and rarely paying any consequences. That doesn't make me feel any better, of course, but it was interesting to reflect that it's not new.

Very readable nonfiction, with obvious trigger warnings. show less

A biography of Evelyn Nesbit, the beauty who became the symbol of the Gilded Age. Often 'beauties of the age' don't stand the test of time, but Evelyn is just as beautiful now as she was considered to be back in 1901. At 16, Evelyn became one of the first 'super models'. At 21, Evelyn became the center of the 'crime of the century' when her husband Harry Thayer murdered the famous architect Stanford White, who had been her lover at the tender age of 16.

White later would be vilified as a man show more who ruined young girls, and he certainly took advantage of Evelyn, drugging her and robbing her of her 'virtue', but Thayer, was no better, a jealous and mentally unstable man who raped and beat Evelyn after she confessed her 'loss of innocence' at White's hands.

It's a story that illustrates very harshly just how powerless a young girl could be - and indeed still can - in the hands of vicious, brilliant men, with no one to guide her and a life that offered her no concept of normalacy.

Evelyn's story was gripping - I couldn't put the book down - but at the same time it's very, very disturbing. This is Definitely not an easy read. I couldn't stop thinking about it. The whole time I was reading it, I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare. I literally lay awake at night, unable to stop thinking about it. I told Evelyn's story to everyone I talked to, trying to make sense of it, trying to lose that sense of horror. show less

As a teenager at the turn of the 20th century in New York, Evelyn Nesbit became the epitome of the ‘it’ girl. Her likeness was on the cover of postcards and magazines and she eventually became a ‘floradora’ girl and danced in popular shows in the city. She was well on her way to becoming a popular figure in entertainment.

Then she met 48 year old Stanford White. He arranged to meet Evelyn through another chorus girl in the floradora show. He took his time with Evelyn and her mother, show more slowing winning their trust before showing his true colours. While still under White’s ‘tutelage’ Evelyn met John Barrymore and almost had a normal relationship with someone her own age. But fate, Stanford White and her mother intervened and it was not to be. With no adult guidance and little experience with hidden agendas, the naïve Evelyn fell prey to older men who her mother allowed intentionally or not, into their lives. Finally, Evelyn was pursued and won by Harry K. Thaw, another poor choice.

Though these events took place over a 100 years ago, Evelyn’s experiences echo resoundingly across the years to mirror those of today’s young celebrities: beautiful young girl finds success as a model or actress, becomes famous, is relentlessly pursued by fans, some become friends – their real motives cleverly hidden, but once revealed result in intense pressure from media and even tragedy. Her life has become a nightmare. Sound like anyone familiar? Britney Spears perhaps? How about Lindsay Lohan? American Eve is a cautionary tale that is undoubtedly destined to be ignored by those it could help the most.

The story is told well and the research done on the subject is meticulous. The reader is given a sense of ‘place’ and ‘prejudice’ via pictures of the principals involved and buildings and the descriptions of New York at that time. Extreme poverty as well as extreme decadence through wealth is laid out in depth. It is interesting to note in the acknowledgments that the author had the support of Evelyn’s grandson and daughter-in-law in writing this story, lending it credibility and a genuineness that might have been difficult to achieve otherwise.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to review this book. Over the years I’ve read a few articles regarding Evelyn Nesbit that I’d found intriguing. This book added a lot more detail and did not disappoint. I recommend American Eve to anyone who is fascinated by recent history and the culture of celebrity and how it has always impacted our lives. show less

It is a pity that this book is so badly written, because inside there is an interesting story struggling to get out, one which I had not heard of before - the story of a young American woman whose beauty brought her into the orbits of two wealthy men, with highly unfortunate results. But the writing is so lamentable that one wonders whether the publisher employs any editorial staff at all. The author Paula Uruburu never uses one word when ten are available - especially if they are show more adjectives. And for someone who is an academic, her readiness to make assumptions about what people are feeling or thinking at any one moment, with no solid evidence, is close to unprofessional, even if this book is 'narrative history' rather than scholarly biography.

The book also makes no pretence to any neutrality; it is extremely biased against some of the people involved. The only small consolation is that the last third, about the trials and aftermath, is slightly better as there are more facts to record and less need for padding.

The greatest irony is that, to judge on the basis of the extracts from Evelyn Nesbit's diaries and books quoted in this biography, she appears to have been a much better writer herself than Uruburu. So it may well be worth getting hold of her works if you are interested in delving deeper. show less