Well Behaved Women Summary

Well Behaved Women Overview

A Well-Behaved Woman is a novel by Therese Ann Fowler. Alva Smith, her southern family destitute after the Civil War, married into the Vanderbilt family, one of the richest families in American history. The Vanderbilts were newly wealthy but socially shunned. Alva elevated their status and won respect through her careful social machinations. She defied the typical female conventions by asserting her own power within her marriage and leading the women's suffrage movement. A Well-Behaved Woman is inspired by true events and explores themes of innocence, happiness, idealization, hope, and escapism.