What goes on behind closed doors, especially when those doors are of the gilded variety, has fascinated novelists and journalists for centuries. The private lives of the rich and famous are so tantalizing that Robin Leach made a career out of showcasing them. One of the biggest eccentric, rich fishes out there was Huguette Clark. Deceased for more than two years, Clark, brought to life by investigator Dedman and Clark’s descendant, Newell, owned nouveau riche palaces in New York, Connecticut, and California. An heiress, Clark disappeared from public view in the 1920s. What happened to her and her vast wealth? Answering this question is the book’s mission. Based on records and the hearsay of relations and former employees, the book pieces together Clarks life, that of a woman rumored to be institutionalized while her mansions stood empty, though immaculately maintained throughout her life. Clark left few clues about herself, but she willed vast sums to her caretakers and numerous charitable endeavors. Still, her absence acts as a shade to seeing her fully, hinting at possible financial malfeasance, all the while conspiring to produce a spellbinding mystery. --James Orbesen
“An amazing story of profligate wealth . . . an outsized tale of rags-to-riches prosperity.”
—The New York Times “An exhaustively researched, well-written account . . . a blood-boiling expose [that] will make you angry and will make you sad.”
—The Seattle Times “An evocative and rollicking read, part social history, part hothouse mystery, part
grand guignol.”
—The Daily Beast “A childlike, self-exiled eccentric, [Huguette Clark] is the sort of of subject susceptible to a biography of broad strokes, which makes
Empty Mansions, the first full-length account of her life, impressive for its delicacy and depth.”
—Town & Country “One of those incredible stories that you didn’t even know existed. It filled a void.”
—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show “A compelling account of what happened to the Clark family and its fortune . . . a tremendous feat.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch “A fascinating story.”
—Today “Meticulous and absorbing.”
—Bloomberg Businessweek “Riveting . . . deliciously scandalous . . . a thrilling study of the responsibilities and privileges that come with great wealth.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A spellbinding mystery.”
—Booklist “Enlightening.”
—Library Journal“
Empty Mansions is a dazzlement and a wonder. Bill Dedman and Paul Newell unravel a great character, Huguette Clark, a shy soul akin to Boo Radley in
To Kill a Mockingbird—if Boo’s father had been as rich as Rockefeller. This is an enchanting journey into the mysteries of the mind, a true-to-life exploration of strangeness and delight.”—
Pat Conroy, author of The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son “
Empty Mansions is at once an engrossing portrait of a forgotten American heiress and a fascinating meditation on the crosswinds of extreme wealth. Hugely entertaining and well researched,
Empty Mansions is a fabulous read.”
—Amanda Foreman, author of A World on Fire “In
Empty Mansions, a unique American character emerges from the shadows. Through deep research and evocative writing, Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr., have expertly captured the arc of history covered by the remarkable Clark family, while solving a deeply personal mystery of wealth and eccentricity.”
—Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power “Who knew? Though virtually unknown today, W. A. Clark was one of the fifty richest Americans ever—copper baron, railroad builder, art collector, U.S. senator, and world-class scoundrel. Yet his daughter and heiress Huguette became a bizarre recluse.
Empty Mansions reveals this mysterious family in sumptuous detail.”
—John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil “
Empty Mansions is a mesmerizing tale that delivers all the ingredients of a top-notch mystery novel. But there is nothing fictional about this true, fully researched story of a fascinating and reclusive woman from an era of fabulous American wealth.
Empty Mansions is a delicious read—once you start it, you will find it hard to put down.”
—Kate Alcott, bestselling author of The Dressmaker “More than a biography, more than a mystery,
Empty Mansions is a real-life American
Bleak House, an arresting tale about misplaced souls sketched on a canvas that stretches from coast to coast, from riotous mining camps to the gilded dwellings of the very, very rich.”
—John A. Farrell, author of Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned