The Hidden Legacy of an American Heiress, Uncovered in Upcoming Book

Dear Readers,

Finding a hidden gem is what we’re all about at BookTrib. With that in mind, does anyone know who Alice DeLamar was?

At the time of her father’s death in 1918, Alice was rumored to be the richest heiress of her time. She associated and was friendly with Vladimir Nabokov, Salvador Dali, Eva Le Gallienne and other influential figures of the time. Still, that doesn’t answer the question — who was Alice DeLamar, behind all the glitz and glamor of the early-1900s upper class?

Compared to other public figures of the early 20th century, her name has largely faded from history. Even here near her old estate in Weston, Connecticut, locals are mostly unfamiliar with her story.

Author Nona Footz found herself asking the same question after Alice was mentioned in a biography of Eva Le Gallienne. A Connecticut local herself, she was shocked that she’d never heard of such a well-connected individual so close to home, mysterious as she was. Her initial interest soon snowballed into a decade of research, which included rummaging through musty attics and traveling to far-flung cities in search of a rumored manuscript of Alice’s. And when she discovered that some of Alice’s friends and acquaintances were still alive, she had to find out more — and ended up shocked by what she learned.

The result of all that research is A Mansion of Her Own: The Mysterious Life of Heiress Alice DeLamar. With every turned page, the mystery of Alice DeLamar begins to unravel, little by little. She donated jaw-dropping sums of money to charity; she became the patron of her social circle of artists; she carefully guarded her personal life from the public, even as paparazzi loitered in the driveway of her estate.

But even some well-hidden secrets can’t stay secret forever. If your interest in Alice DeLamar has been piqued, grab a copy of A Mansion of Her Own when it comes out this Tuesday, October 6.

Happy Reading!