{"product_id":"strong-passions-barbara-weisberg-9780393531527","title":"Strong Passions: A Scandalous Divorce in Old New York","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat could possibly go wrong in a wealthy matriarch's country home when her dilettante son, his restless wife, and his widowed brother live there together? \u003cem\u003eStrong Passions\u003c\/em\u003e, rooted in the beguiling times of Edith Wharton's \"old New York,\" recounts the true story of a tumultuous marriage. In 1862, Mary Strong stunned her husband, Peter, by confessing to a two-year affair with his brother. Peter sued Mary for divorce for adultery--the only grounds in New York--but not before she accused him of forcing her into an abortion and having his own affair with the abortionist. She then kidnapped their young daughter and disappeared.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe divorce trial \u003cem\u003eStrong v. Strong\u003c\/em\u003e riveted the nation during the final throes and aftermath of the Civil War, offering a shocking glimpse into the private world of New York's powerful and privileged elite. Barbara Weisberg presents the chaotic courtroom and panoply of witnesses--governess, housekeeper, private detective, sisters-in-law, and many others--who provided contradictory and often salacious testimony. She then asks us to be the jury, deciding each spouse's guilt and the possibility of a just resolution.\u003c\/p\u003e Social history at its most intimate, \u003cem\u003eStrong Passions\u003c\/em\u003e charts a trial's twists and turns to portray a family and country in turmoil as they faced conflicts over women's changing roles, male custody of children, and men's power--financial and otherwise--over wives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Barbara Weisberg\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 039353152X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780393531527\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e W. W. Norton \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/20\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.24h x 6.26w x 1.15d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/11\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2024 pg. 19\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2024","brand":"Barbara Weisberg","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":45478935167231,"sku":"9780393531527","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_186a1a41-b4f6-4ed2-b533-728b6062c8d8.jpg?v=1715935995","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/strong-passions-barbara-weisberg-9780393531527","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}