Publishers Weekly
09/30/2019
Richardson’s immersive debut uncovers the surprisingly long history and stylized rituals of the debutante tradition. Instituted by Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century as a means “to form beneficial social and political alliances,” the ceremonial presentation of aristocratic young ladies at court had morphed, by the mid-18th century, into weekly “assemblies” hosted by “lady patronesses” seeking to match their daughters and nieces with wealthy, socially connected bachelors. In America, Richardson writes, the debutante custom reached its apotheosis as the “defining ritual” of the merchant and professional classes. Drawing from the journals and letters of colonial, antebellum, and Gilded Age debutantes, Richardson portrays young women enjoying—or enduring—their “social seasons.” In a diary account, Albany socialite Huybertie Pruyn recalls being “dragged” by her mother to the 1891 Patriarch Ball, where her escort was “her second cousin, at least 55 years old.” Exploring 20th-century rituals, Richardson reports on Mardi Gras krewes, the relationship between debutante balls and elitism in the African-American community, and the publicity-generating International Ball, held annually at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. A few minor historical errors—Anne Boleyn wasn’t pregnant when Henry VIII sought to annul his first marriage—don’t distract from the fun. This entertaining, eye-opening portrait captures a tradition that is “long dead but will never die.” (Nov.)
Washington Post - Lucy Tiven
"Richardson writes sharply and with greatest wit and enthusiasm of the debutante ritual’s importance."
Sunday Telegraph - Robert Leigh-Pemberton
"A detailed examination of modern debutante societies… Richardson’s engaging study deserves credit for its persistently humane treatment of her subjects."
Carol Wallace
"My grandmother was presented to England’s King George V and my mother was Queen of the Veiled Prophet in St. Louis, but it wasn’t until I read The Season that I understood the enduring fascination and importance of that ritual. Kristen Richardson shows us, with wit and insight, how unmarried girls in long white dresses have publicly embodied the prestige of successful families—across centuries and around the world."
The New Yorker
"Sharply observed and oddly timely, this history of the debutante ball explores a ritual whose social and historical significance has often been overlooked.… Richardson delves into a variety of fascinating deb scenes."
BookPage
"Richardson reminds us in this engaging and thought-provoking history, the use of daughters to cement power and wealth is very hard to give up."
NPR - Genevieve Valentine
"It's an ongoing tug of war between money, race, class, culture and tradition, and The Season makes sparkling work of it."
Bitch Reads
"Phenomenal.… [I]ncludes dozens of captivating interviews with those who’ve chosen to debut."
Nancy Isenberg
"Class power has never been about wealth alone. As Kristen Richardson skillfully and colorfully documents, the marriage market—and the courtly ritual of the debutante—lays open a long, troubling, transatlantic history. This engaging book reminds us that ‘mock royalty’ and the trophy daughter, whether it’s Consuelo Vanderbilt in 1894 or Ivanka Trump more recently, are at the center of America’s love affair with the rich and beautiful."
Tatler - Francesca Carington
"[A] fascinating social history."
Financial Times - Cordelia Jenkins
"Richardson’s sharp account of how the season evolved…is a more absorbing story than any period drama."
Book and Film Globe - Michael Giltz
"[A] serious, enlightening look at debutantes throughout history.… Richardson reveals a rich and complicated world."
Lit Hub - Maitreyi Anantharaman
"An immersive history, and one with remarkable empathy for the women populating it."
Booklist
"The Season is a must for readers of social history, and all will appreciate Richardson's fluid, descriptive prose."
Ira Glass
"Kristen Richardson writes so gracefully, and tells a story of courtship and marriage I knew nothing about and found fascinating."
Donna M. Lucey
"Who knew being a debutante was so tough, and so fascinating? Kristen Richardson takes a deep dive into this centuries-old, highly choreographed tribal rite—presentations at court in London, ‘Ethiopian Balls’ during the American Revolution, Gilded Age Assemblies in New York, the arcane rituals of a secret society in St. Louis, bejeweled dresses more like a suit of armor, and the secret codes embedded in the movement of a fan. And pity the poor Texas girls who had to master the spine-twisting curtsy known as the ‘Texas dip.’ All this for a husband!"
