{"product_id":"strong-passions-a-scandalous-divorce-in-old-new-york-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","brand":"W. W. Norton \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50583980441874,"sku":"9780393531527","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_932e0cb2-2faa-4ede-9084-695da425915a.jpg?v=1744227437","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/strong-passions-a-scandalous-divorce-in-old-new-york-9780393531527","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}