The Second Mrs. Astor: A Heartbreaking Historical Novel of the Titanic

Trace Madeleine’s relationship with the press throughout the novel and make an argument for her developing strategy for dealing with what we would now call paparazzi. Evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy in comparison to Jack’s counsel about bargaining with photographers. You may also wish to consider the decided turn in Madeleine’s portrayal after she is widowed and becomes the world’s “sweetheart.” You may furthermore wish to draw parallels with how famous figures, especially the wives of powerful men, are portrayed in the media in our own time.

Trace the many moments of foreshadowing throughout the novel, in both event and imagery, and discuss how this adds to the experience of reading. You may consider whether this foreshadowing adds to the suspense, creates irony, detracts from the surprise, or has another effect altogether.

Analyze Madeleine and Jack’s courtship in terms of a conventional romance narrative. What qualities draw them together and make them feel compatible? What obstacles do they overcome, and how? Make an argument for whether the tragic ending to their marriage adds to the romance.

Discuss Madeleine’s relationship with the Astor name and her position within the family as compared to the reputations of the Mrs. Astor, Lina; and the first Mrs. Astor, Ava. You may wish to compare Madeleine’s ostracizing with the snobbery encountered by Margaret Brown from the “Sacred Thirty Six.” How has Madeleine’s relationship to this legacy changed by the end of the novel?

Perform your own research into the Gilded Age and Progressive Era in New York City and compare the economic and social profile of the town as a whole with the sliver of society presented in The Second Mrs. Astor. What does Shana Abé choose to leave out of the novel, and what do you think accounts for those choices? Do you find that the novel represents, selects, or romanticizes the life of high-society New York?

While traveling to parts of Western Europe was a hobby among the American upper class, during Madeleine’s lifetime, trips to destinations considered more “exotic” or less accessible were increasing. Discuss Madeleine’s exploration of Egypt through the lens of the American traveler abroad. What face of Egypt does Madeleine see, and what does this perception add to the setting, atmosphere, or themes of the novel?

Discuss the power of family relationships within the novel: Madeleine’s relationships with her sister and parents, Jack’s relationship with Vincent, Jack’s lack of relationship with his ex-wife or daughter. Significantly, the rest of the Astor family is missing from the novel; you may wish to discuss why Abé makes this choice. Present an argument for the value and power of family, perhaps making reference to Madeleine’s motherhood as it features throughout and at the end.

Using newspapers and magazines from the period, many of which are available in digital archives online, research actual press coverage of Madeleine and Jack Astor’s romance. What elements of the real-life portrayal appear in the novel? How has Abé made her characters distinct? You may wish to elaborate your discussion by considering how historical research on real-life figures factors into the writing of historical fiction.