Age Level: Adult
Format: Book
Heiress Huguette Clark passed away in 2011 at age 104, leaving millions of dollars in real estate, art collections and money to staff, friends and caregivers, including her nurse and doctor. In her last will, Clark cut out her relatives, leaving the descendants of her father W.A. Clark's first marriage with nothing. Astonished by her will, nineteen of her relatives contested it; news outlets have reported on this over the past couple of years. At the time of this biography's publication, a settlement had not been reached, though the status of that has changed within the past couple of weeks, with the relatives overturning the last will. However, during this battle between Huguette's lawyers and caregivers and family members, much of Huguette's life came to light for the first time in decades. Dedman and Clark Newell Jr tell Huguette's story in this biography, using letters, phone conversations, family and friend reminiscences and other documents to construct Huguette's life.
Upon the death of her older sister, father and mother, Huguette locked herself away in her Fifth Avenue apartment for a few decades, refusing to leave her home and to see anyone. She held conversations through doors and spoke on the phone with others - she initiated the phone conversation. She did not visit her family's retreat in Santa Barbara, California, nor did she set foot in a chateau she purchased in Connecticut, letting both remain vacant. She spent the last twenty years of her life in a hospital, receiving care and support from nurses and doctors. In turn for their care, Huguette showered them with gifts. She gave gifts to old friends and their families. She purchased art pieces and dolls with her fortune. In all, she spent millions and millions on collections and on others.
This is truly a remarkable story. I was completely mesmerized by Huguette's story. Prior to reading this book, I had not heard of W.A. Clark or Huguette Clark; needless to say, I had not recognized the Clark name as one connected with copper mining in the western United States. Dedman and Clark Newell Jr present Huguette's life in a flowing storyline (incidentally, Clark Newell Jr. is related to Huguette but was not one of the nineteen contesting the will). Huguette's generosity stretched across the world, though she did not always want credit, desiring her privacy and anonymity more than anything else. The images scattered throughout the biography add to the narrative, providing a visual picture of people, places and objects discussed in the biography. The extensive list of documents in the bibliography show the amount of research Dedman and Clark Newell Jr. undertook to tell Huguette's side of the story.
Those who enjoy reading biographies, who like to learn more about the Gilded Age or the wealthy at the turn of the 20th century, or simply like to read about the rich and famous, should check out this biography.
Reviewed by Jessica
