The Woman Before Wallis

Kudos to this author for picking up on a fascinating prequel to the abdication of the Prince of Wales (Edward XIII). Turns out that before Wallis Simpson came along, the Prince\’s primary female companion was the twin sister of Gloria Vanderbilt (Anderson Cooper\’s grandmother). This fictionalization of the Prince\’s love life and the sensational battle between the Vanderbilt/Whitney clan and Gloria over custody of \”little Gloria\” (Anderson\’s mother) is a breezy read. The story takes you right into the lifestyles of Downton Abbey, but on steroids. The author has taken a few liberties with fact, BUT/and she clearly explains where she did and why – in her remarks at the end of the novel. I really appreciate that she did include that clarification; I can abide historical errors if they are acknowledged, identified and intentional for the sake of the narrative. This book has sent me on a tangent to read more about the Vanderbilts, Wallis Simpson and the abdication crisis. Also learned of a Madonna film I need to track down. Highly recommend.

This is for the Audible version of \”The Woman Before Wallis\”. In sum, while it was somewhat interesting to get a glimpse of what Lady Thelma Furness\’s life may have been like, it was not a terribly compelling story. The book did not grab me, even though I am a keen student of the abdication crisis and its many players. I was hoping for insights, and a dramatic story, but instead it came across as if it were a Hallmark made-for TV movie. Thelma is happy, Thelma is sad…. Thelma goes to New York, Thelma doesn\’t have much of a personality. Neither does she come across as being particularly intelligent or even clever. If this is really what Lady Thelma Furness was like, then there wasn\’t much to say for or about her. I would note that the pivotal scandal that engulfed Thelma and her sister Gloria (and her daughter \”Little\” Gloria) was also not told in a dramatic way. HRH The Prince of Wales comes across as fairly one dimensional, and as any writer might have imagined him. In fact all the characters seem one dimensional. A potentially dramatic encounter between Mrs. Freda Dudley Ward and Lady Thelma was pretty much a non-event, it read like the transcript of two polite antagonists meeting up at a church bazaar. There is little wit and almost no humor, and If this was well researched, the research didn\’t turn up much. I was left with the lingering question: was it worth the effort to write this book?

I couldnt put the darn book down. While it often takes me a few dozen pages to really get into a book – if it happens at all – The Woman Before Wallis had me itching to turn pages after the first 10. As someone mesmerized by stories told in The Crown, Downton Abbey, The Kings Speech, etc. I gravitate towards scandalous, romanticpage-turners. Truly, imagining this as a movie in my head while reading was so natural that I barely noticed it at first. Only once I realized that each player had their distinct faces, expressions, and mannerisms in the story played out by my imagination did it dawn on me that I owed this to the authors incredible ability to transport me to an alternate, highly glamorous reality. I cant believe this is a debut novel, especially one written by someone so young and modern (clearly with a secret classical / whimsical side). The story felt so real, so beautiful, and for the short week it took me to read it was my favourite escape from a slightly harsher reality. The Woman Before Wallis warms the heart more than a swig if whiskey or cup of tea ever could. I absolutely loved it. Many thanks to the beautiful author for a much-needed and abundantly enjoyed glimpse into the life of Thelma, I cant wait to read this again in a few weeks!! Trust me: READ IT!!

Apparently well researched. I bought this book online sight unseen. Had I seen it in a bookstore I never would have bought it. It is boring and not well written. I kept getting confused because of the use of too many pronouns and not enough names to clarify who is doing what/speaking, especially when moving back and forth in time. Don\’t waste your time or money. I didn\’t finish it.

I thoroughly enjoyed, The Woman Before Wallace, the debut novel by Brynn Trumbull. This well researched novel provides a look into high society and royal life, that is quite scandalous. Years and years ago, I remember my mother reading a book about Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson, and the love affair that led him to abdicate the throne, so I was intrigued when I saw this novel about Thelma Morgan, the woman before Wallis. Thelma met Prince Edward while she was married to her second husband, and an affair ensued. Thelma had to leave England to return to the United States, to support her twin sister Gloria during a custody battle for Glorias daughter. I still remember the purple cover of Little Gloria Happy at Last that I read in the eighties. It was quite the betrayal when Prince Edward took up with Wallis Simpson, Thelmas friend, while Thelma was away. The story is so intriguing because the lifestyle is so different from that of the average person. These people were all about parties, and leaving their kids with nannies for months at a time. Children were separated from their parents so often, that in one scene, little Gloria was unable to distinguish her mother Gloria, from her mothers twin sister, Thelma. There is a lot of drama in this story. It is great to read along with modern technology, because if you are anything like me, you will be googling these characters to learn more about them. I have to admit that I was taken aback by all of the open and accepted adultery. I also found it hard to connect Anderson Cooper, Thelmas great nephew, who seems so down to earth, with his other family members. This is a story of opulence, scandal, love and betrayal. Highly recommended for any historical fiction fan.

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