I cannot remember the name of a vintage book I read.
First off, thank you so much for taking the time to read this and help me find this book!
As far as what I remember about the book physically: it was red and light grey hard cover. With a short title a tiny rose on the spine.
Then here is the brief simplified version of plot line beats I accurately remember:
The novel begins in “present day” where an elderly affluent woman lives on a huge property. She is touring her estate with a renown writer. (Who is also and elderly man, who has a low key crush on her)
She makes it clear, that the part of her property her favorite “shed/tiny home” currently stands will be sold off by her descendants first. So the town can pave it over with roads. She is super upset because over her long life time she has collected many treasures across the world. Little Knick-knacks and a huge trunk.
But the story begins to flash back to her younger years and actual upraising. She started off as an only child to a drunk abusive dad and a sweet, hard working, laundry lady in old-timey-France. Her mother daughter how to do her work and died while she was young. Eventually after a few more tragic childhood memories, she eventually saved up enough to run away from her abusive father.
Then as a young woman she meets a man and his accomplice who decide to pull the classic “we’ll make a through bred noble out of you.” They create fake documents to prove her “breeding” and teach her etiquettes, manners, and a “rich lady accent”. After her feral woman to proper lady of leisure. “My Fair Lady” glow-up treatment. It works, and she meets and quickly falls in love with his power and wealth.
So she starts getting the arrangements made in the marriage date process- but the first guy who made her what she is- whom also fell in love with her during their time together threatens to expose her. So he blackmails her for money and a cushy life after her. So at a massive costume party she tricks the first guy into meeting up with her at her favorite “shed” (detached building) where she finally tricks him into getting into the trunk. Locks him inside. Then in the final twist in “present day” elderly version of her- she is showing her “first guy’s” costumed skeleton holding a fake rose still. Much to the elderly man’s surprise. He promised to write the autobiography you essentially had just read.
Final thoughts: the ending haunts you. You don’t expect her to actually kill the guy. Throughout the book there is a ton of French words. Especially in the part of the book where is is becoming a “refined woman”. Also, it felt and looked like a vintage… older book. I can’t remember where I purchased it but with was a hardcover without a sleeve or author’s name. Just the rose on the grey spine and short title.
Thank you for reading my book and helping me with this list but goody, I really want to read again. 😊