THE TOWN BOOK STORE
~ Satisfying Book Lovers Since 1934 ~
Anne's Pick of the Month
The Second Mrs. Astor
by Shana Abe
$16.95
Perfect for fans of Jennifer Chiaverini and
Marie Benedict, this riveting novel takes you
inside the scandalous courtship and
catastrophic honeymoon aboard the Titanic of the most famous couple of their time—John Jacob Astor and Madeleine Force. Told in rich detail, this novel of sweeping historical fiction will stay with readers long after turning the last page.
Madeleine Talmage Force is just seventeen when she attracts the attention of John Jacob “Jack” Astor. Madeleine is beautiful, intelligent, and solidly upper-class, but the Astors are in a league apart. Jack’s mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York’s most formidable socialite. Jack is dashing and industrious—a hero of the Spanish-American war, an inventor, and a canny businessman. Despite their twenty-nine-year age difference, and the scandal of Jack’s recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love—and becomes the press’s favorite target.
On their extended honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time—and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner. When the ship hits an iceberg close to midnight on April 14th, there is no immediate panic. The swift, state-of-the-art RMS Titanic seems unsinkable. As Jack helps Madeleine into a lifeboat, he assures her that he’ll see her soon in New York…
Four months later, at the Astors’ Fifth Avenue mansion, a widowed Madeleine gives birth to their son. In the wake of the disaster, the press has elevated her to the status of virtuous, tragic heroine. But Madeleine’s most important decision still lies ahead: whether to accept the role assigned to her, or carve out her own remarkable path…
Keep checking back for future events.
Voted Best Independent Book Store in NJ!
Not local but still want to support The Town Book Store?
Do you have friends and family that don't have their own local independent bookstore to support?
Tell them they can support TBS on Bookshop.org.
Log into Bookshop.org
At the top right you can Choose a Bookstore.
Put in the zip code 07090.
When The Town Book Store pops up, hit Support This Store.
Then Shop Away!
While we prefer to make sales directly because we don't make the same on Bookshop that we would on an in-store sale, it is a way for your friends and family who don't live nearby to support this little bookstore!
Welcome to The Town Book Store
The Town Book Store has been serving Westfield and neighboring communities since 1934. We are one of the last independent bookstores located in Union County, New Jersey. In today’s rapidly changing retail environment, The Town Book Store remains one constant where shoppers can find a first-rate literary selection with friendly, personalized service in an attractive, convenient setting. Whether you are reading for escape, for comfort, to gain knowledge, for pure pleasure or as a source of lively conversation, visit or call us at The Town Book Store and we can match you up with the right book.
Anne Laird
Owner, The Town Book Store
