What the Lady Wants

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF RENÉE ROSEN

What the Lady Wants

“
What the Lady Wants
has everything I love in a historical novel: impeccably researched details, a mix of real and imagined characters that are vividly and sensitively drawn, and a heroine who is true to her time yet feels utterly familiar. With
Dollface
, Renée Rosen crafted an unforgettable portrait of Prohibition-era Chicago; in
What the Lady Wants
she does the same for the city during its Gilded Age.”

—Jennifer Robson, international and
USA Today
bestselling author of
Somewhere in France

“Rosen skillfully charms, fascinates, frustrates, and moves her readers in this turn-of-the-century tale. Set on an epic historical stage,
What the Lady Wants
contains all of the hedonism, decadence, success, and tragedy of the great American novel.”

—Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of
Fallen Beauty

“
What the Lady Wants
is a story that opens with the Great Chicago Fire and keeps on smoldering to the end. Rosen's characters are finely drawn, and her love triangles are full of subtlety and sincerity. What the lady indeed wants may not be what you assume it to be!”

—Suzanne Rindell, author of
The Other Typist

“Once again, Renée Rosen brings Chicago history alive in this fascinating story of Delia Spencer, trapped in a sexless marriage while desperately desired by a man she can't have—the arrogant, powerful department store mogul Marshall Field. A tale of tangled relationships and dubious morality,
What the Lady Wants
is captivating with a surprisingly contemporary twist.”

—Stephanie Lehmann, author of Astor Place Vintage

“
What the Lady Wants
is as fun and addictive and Chicago-licious as a box of Marshall Field's Frango Mints. And, sadly, you'll finish it almost as fast. A delight.”

—Rebecca Makkai, author of
The Hundred-Year House

Dollface

“Rosen's Chicago gangsters are vividly rendered, and the gun molls stir up at least as much trouble as their infamous men.”

—Sara Gruen,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Water for Elephants

“Renée Rosen has combined her daring and vivid imagination with the rich history of Prohibition-era Chicago.
Dollface
is a lively, gutsy romp of a novel that will keep you turning pages.”

—Karen Abbott,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Sin in the Second City

“Pour yourself a glass of gin, turn up the jazz, and prepare to lose yourself in the unforgettable story of a quintessential flapper.”

—Tasha Alexander,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Death in the Floating City

“
Dollface
sheds a new light on Prohibition-era gangsters when we see them through the eyes of the women who kept their secrets and shared their beds. Rosen's Chicago is bursting with booze, glamour, sex, and power.”

—Kelly O'Connor McNees, author of
In Need of a Good Wife

PRAISE FOR THE OTHER WORKS OF RENÉE ROSEN

“Quirky and heartfelt.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“Beautifully written, and with larger-than-life characters, this book will remain in readers' hearts for a long time to come.”

—
School Library Journal

“A heartfelt coming-of-age story, told with the perfect combination of humor and drama.”

—
Chicago Sun-Times

“Absorbing. . . . As Rosen evokes her setting with a wealth of details . . .
[readers] will empathize with the narrator's unique situation as a concentrated form of universal worries about finding acceptance, dealing with loss, and leaving home.”

—Publishers Weekly

Dollface

Every Crooked Pot

New American Library

Published by the Penguin Group

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First published by New American Library,

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Copyright © Renée Rosen, 2014

Readers Guide copyright © Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2014

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA
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LIBRARY
OF CONGRESS CATALOGI
NG-IN-PUBLICATION DA
TA:

Rosen, Renée

What the lady wants: a novel of Marshall Field and the Gilded Age/Renée Rosen.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-698-13756-1

1. Young women—Illinois—Chicago—Fiction. 2. Capitalists and financiers— Illinois—Chicago—Fiction. 3. Great Fire, Chicago, Ill., 1871—Fiction. 4. Chicago (Ill.)—History—19th century—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3618.O83156W47
2014

813'.6—dc23 2014017729

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To Debbie Rosen, my mother, my best friend and the first person to take me to Marshall Field's.

I would like to thank the following people for their expertise and assistance with the writing of this book: Craig Alton, John Hancock, Sally Sexton Kalmbach and the research staff at the Chicago History Museum and the Newberry Library.

For their ongoing support and friendship, I wish to thank the following people: Karen Abbott, Tasha Alexander, Jill Bernstein, Katherine Eley, Lisa Fine, Andrew Grant, Nick Hawkins, Rick Kogan, Lisa Kotin, Chris Lee, Julia Liebilch, Marianne Nee, Kelly O'Connor McNees, Amy
Sue Nathan, Charles Osgood, Javier Ramirez, Dennis Rosenthal, Beth Treleven, Hollis Turner and the whole Sushi Lunch bunch.

To the hardest-working agent in the business, Kevan Lyon—thank you for your patience, guidance and ongoing support. I couldn't ask to be in better hands.

To my editor, Claire Zion. You've been a wonderful collaborator and have made me a better writer. Thank you for always asking the right questions and pushing me (ever so gently) to the next level. It's been a joy to work with you!

To the rest of my team at Penguin, especially Jennifer Fisher, Jessica Butler, everyone in marketing and sales and, of course, the extraordinary Brian Wilson, who always goes above and beyond for his authors and his booksellers.

A special thank you to the following: Joe Esselin, my first reader, my mentor and friend. Mindy Mailman for being who she is—which is just amazing. Brenda Klem, who no matter how near or far is always there for me. Sara Gruen, who held my little paw on this journey from the very beginning, and John Dul, the man with impeccable timing.

I couldn't follow my dream without the love and support of my wonderful family—Debbie Rosen, Pam Jaffe, Jerry Rosen, Andy Jaffe, Andrea Rosen, Joey Perilman and Devon Rosen.