Book Review: Becoming Duchess Goldblatt

In the most convenient of coincidences, I began reading Becoming Duchess Goldblatt at the same time as I was reading The Circle by David Eggers. Both books are about being connected through social media but where the Duchess forms genuine meaningful connections, the network in the circle is so toxic I had to take breaks in my reading because it provoked such anxiety. 

Becoming Duchess Goldblatt came recommended by a person whose literary judgment I trust. 

Duchess Goldblatt is the persona developed by the  anonymous author, in part to channel the grief and frustration she was experiencing from the upheaval of her personal life. By engaging with followers online, she was able to find a way through her own issues and help others with their struggles.

I launched into reading the book without preamble, assuming I was reading a work of fiction. At one point  I wondered how the author was able to get permission to use the names of so many famous people such as Lyle Lovett and Benjamin Dreyer. On a whim, I checked Twitter, assuming an account would have been opened in conjunction with the release of the book. I found that the Duchess Goldblatt Twitter account had been active since 2012 with 25,000 followers. It really changed the flavor of the book and made it even more delightful and more poignant. 

Description

Part memoir and part joyful romp through the fields of imagination, the story behind a beloved pseudonymous Twitter account reveals how a writer deep in grief rebuilt a life worth living.

Becoming Duchess Goldblatt is two stories: that of the reclusive real-life writer who created a fictional character out of loneliness and thin air, and that of the magical Duchess Goldblatt herself, a bright light in the darkness of social media. Fans around the world are drawn to Her Grace’s voice, her wit, her life-affirming love for all humanity, and the fun and friendship of the community that’s sprung up around her.

@DuchessGoldblat (81 year-old literary icon, author of An Axe to Grind) brought people together in her name: in bookstores, museums, concerts, and coffee shops, and along the way, brought real friends home—foremost among them, Lyle Lovett.

“The only way to be reliably sure that the hero gets the girl at the end of the story is to be both the hero and the girl yourself.” — Duchess Goldblatt

I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Becoming Duchess Goldblatt from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.