I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book. To be sure, I wanted something to delve into that described the world of the Gilded Age. But when I picked up this book, I didn't know if it would be a biography of Mrs. Astor or a "how to" kind of a book. It's definitely the latter.

What we have here is a book which describes every possible aspect of high society Gilded Age New York. Details about what clothes you should wear, where you should spend your summer, how you should lay your table, what you should serve, how you should have a funeral, etc. Everything is here in almost mind-numbing detail. I wish the book had gone into greater depth. Sure, describe how you were supposed to plan a party, but then...talk about the party.

This is for only the most hardcore of Gilded Age aficionados. ( )

To say that I love Cecelia Tichi’s "What Would Mrs. Astor Do?" is simply an understatement! What first drew me to this book was its design which is ornate and splendid, something reminiscent of a bygone era like the Gilded Age. The book jacket, represented in the image above, is faded crimson with golden swirls and designs. If one is to peel away the jacket, one is met with a regal cover design with a miniature portrait of the Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, the Gilded Age queen regnant of New York society. The design is something that must be acknowledged because it sets the tone for the rest of the book.

Before sharing my thoughts about the book, I will talk briefly about the author. Cecelia Tichi, PhD, is an English professor at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. She obtained her MA from Johns Hopkins University and her PhD from the University of California, Davis. At Vanderbilt University, she teaches courses that focus on American literature in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. She has published nine scholarly books that cover an array of different topics but has written extensively on the Gilded Age.

When I first picked up "What Would Mrs. Astor Do?", I thought it was going to be a book on Gilded Age etiquette. Little did I realize that this book is so much more than that. In a light and humorous way, she recounts the lifestyles and social mores of Mrs. Caroline Astor’s exclusive milieu, “the Four Hundred.” Dr. Tichi covers everything from etiquette to fashion to social events to scandals that threatened the very bedrock of New York society. Alongside the many anecdotes and stories are gorgeous illustrations from that time period. Additionally, the author included a complete list of Mrs. Astor’s “Four Hundred” at the back of the book which is a nice touch.

For a researcher like myself, this book is a treasure trove of information. Dr. Tichi writes in a delightful and engaging way, bringing the stories of these long-dead figures to life. This is bewitching and a must-have for anyone who is doing research on Mrs. Astor, her “Four Hundred,” and the Gilded Age.

Reviewed by the Queen of Hearts Review! ( )