The Life She Wanted (PDF/ePUB) By Anita Abriel Read Online for free.
The Life She Wanted Information
| Book Name: | The Life She Wanted |
| Author: | Anita Abriel |
| Pages | 245 |
| Language: | English |
| File Type: | PDF/ePub (Downloadable) |
| PDF Size: | 2.99 MB |
| ePub Size | 626 KB |
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From the international best-selling author of The Light After the War comes a sweeping historical novel set in 1920s New York, when fortunes are formed and a woman’s aspirations are challenged against all odds.
New York City’s Hyde Park, in 1926. Pandora Carmichael, an ambitious fashion designer, was born into poverty but quickly gained the friendship of the affluent. But that hasn’t stopped her from fantasising about a high-society relationship that will bring her the respect and capital she needs to launch her own enterprise. The future starts making sense for Pandora once she meets a charming student at Princeton.
By marrying, Pandora gains a loyal husband, secure affection, and enough fame and fortune to launch her own store. It’s a dream come true, but then tragedy strikes, and Pandora has to run away from Hyde Park carrying a terrible secret with her. Pandora must reevaluate her entire life as the Great Depression approaches.
Pandora’s escape is a journey of self-discovery, adventure, true love, and ambition that takes her from the grand Gilded Age palaces of New York to the gritty underbelly of Greenwich Village and the breathtaking ocean panoramas of the French Riviera. Pandora is putting her faith in herself to realise her aspirations for the future.
Begining of the Plot
At Rosecliff’s annual Fourth of July celebration in 1926, Owen Winthrop asks twenty-year-old Pandora Carmichael to marry him. She has feelings for Owen, but she is afraid to marry him because of their differences in gender and because she wants a spouse and a family more. Her sister Archie points out that she is a male and has been kicked out of Princeton for turning her dorm room into a literary salon, while most ladies her age desire to get married. Pandora wants to build a dress shop in Hyde Park and become a famous fashion designer. Pandora is just here for tennis, but her father’s buddy Archie thinks the Winthrops have turned into chicken farmers.
When Pandora, the daughter of a member of the Winthrops’ staff, goes to her first house party at Rosecliff, she meets Archie and Virginia, who she quickly becomes close to. Pandora is anxious about joining them, but she is looking forward to it and wishes to repay their kindness when her dreams come true. Owen, a kind and forgiving guy, walks into the lobby and welcomes Pandora, who has arrived late. He sets up a meeting with Mabel Winthrop, whom she would want to personally thank.
Pandora looks great and is ready to mingle with the other visitors. On Owen’s invitation, she and Gordon Mott’s girlfriend, Susan, play doubles at Harvard. Pandora regrets not having met her earlier in the day, prior to the tennis match. Lillian Clarkson, a stunning newcomer, is promptly disregarded after being introduced to the group. Winthrop Motors employee Lillian urges Pandora to wash and shave before drinks begin in an effort to avoid conversation about the two of them.
Pandora has a hard time getting over her worry that Owen doesn’t love her.
Pandora, a beautiful and bright young lady, is on the fence about pursuing a love relationship with Owen. Her best buddy, Virginia, encourages her to put on her tennis gear and concentrate on beating the other team. But Pandora chooses to use her wit and brains to win Owen over. Lillian’s serve helps Pandora and Owen win the match despite her initial criticism. Pandora is looking forward to the night since she has never been anywhere but New York City. Lillian, Virginia points out, has already travelled to Europe, and Owen, Lillian assumes, merely wants her to serve. Virginia reassures Pandora that she and Owen have more in common than just her service.
Sixteen-year-old Riverview resident Pandora remembers helping Esther, the chef, make potato salad one summer. Owen, an attractive and self-assured guy, piqued her interest, and she decided to play badminton with them. Pandora and Owen felt a connection despite the fact that she was not invited to the picnic. The Winthrops preferred Lillian Clarkson, a French champagne specialist, to be their daughter-in-law, despite Lillian’s strong feelings for him. Pandora chose to dress in a beautiful white lace dress with a lace wrap and flowers. Instead of hiring the daughter of their neighbor’s tennis coach, the Winthrops settled on Lillian Clarkson.
About The Author Anita Abriel
Sydney, Australia is the place of Anita Abriel’s birth. She graduated from Bard College with a BA in English Literature and a concentration in Creative Writing. She is the author of The Light After the War, based on her mother’s experiences during World War II, and she and her family currently reside in California.
The Life She Wanted Book Summary
In 1926, Pandora Carmichael’s father, a former Wimbledon player, began teaching the sport. Even while Pandora’s family wasn’t quite impoverished, they also didn’t have the same luxuries as some of the other families her children had known. She had always imagined herself as a successful fashion designer, and part of that vision included opening her own shop. Pandora’s future looked bright after she fell in love with the son of a family friend. The ceremony and reception were both lovely, just as Pandora had hoped, and his parents made her feel welcome and at home. However, Pandora’s life was soon rocked by tragedy and controversy, in part due to the stock market crisis, and she quickly left New York for the French Riviera, where a former pupil of her father’s resided.
Was she going to make it through the scandal that was still making headlines in New York? She had fallen in love with the city, but would she be able to go back there to live?
Australian author Anita Abriels novel The Life She Wanted is set in a time of fresh starts, when women couldn’t make a lot of money and couldn’t acquire a bank loan unless it was in their husband’s name. Although naive at the start of the novel, Pandora eventually came into her own and became the person she was always destined to be. Recommended.