A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey is set in the early 1900s and follows the extraordinary life of Elizabeth “Bess” Steed. The book starts with Bess as a young girl and spans to her as a great-grandmother. We follow Bess through what life is like as a woman, wife, and mother; we go through her life and all the trials and tribulations that life throws at her. Though her
life is spattered with tragedy, it is also filled with joy and self-discovery. The book is written entirely in letters from the perspective of Bess, this leaves us to infer the words and actions of the character between the time of the letters. This unique style of writing gives us a look into Bess’ deepest thoughts and feelings.

Throughout the book, Bess is a strong feminist, sometimes without even knowing it. She is years ahead of her time with her ideas of what a woman can and can’t do. Her progressive views of marriage were refreshing and surprising for a book set in a time when women had very little say in these things — “Why are women so afraid they are risking the affection of their husbands by asserting their independence” (Forsythe Hailey 55). The first hint of this motif is the title of the book. A Woman of Independent Means gives us a characteristic of Bess before we even meet her. She is independent and can not only take care of herself, but also provide for herself and her family; she is free from the restraints of her husband. Her feminist ideas continue throughout her life, as she encourages women to drive and becomes a partner in her husband’s business. She passes these ideas down to her daughter when she cautions her about what man she marries.

My absolute favorite part of the book is the phenomenal portrayal of the human experience and human emotion. Forsythe Hailey’s ability to make you relate to Bess’ emotions is unlike anything I have ever read. I highlight- ed so many quotes that captured the human experience with frightening accuracy. When Bess is facing extreme tragedy I could feel her sadness — “Injustice makes villains of us all, and I am afraid I am going to lose more than my husband before I find enough charity in my heart to forgive those whose only sin is that they are still alive” (Forsythe Hailey 171). When reading the letters, I felt as if I was in each of the character’s shoes, and I imagined how I would feel if I had received this letter. This is a testament to the transformative atmosphere Forsythe Hailey creates through her writing.

One aspect of the book that had me wondering is Bess’ wealth — she was born into money and was wealthy throughout the book. If Bess had not had these resources, would she have had the same realizations, or would her personal growth have been stunted by her financial situation? 

Bess does willingly admit “I am determined to give my children all the advantages of wealth and position if only to prove how meaningless they are” (Forsythe Hailey 89). Would Bess feel this way if she did not have access to the resources that she did? Class and status had so much to do with how you were seen in society at that time, especially if you were a woman. It is an aspect of the book that I would have liked to see explored a little more.

Overall, A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey kept me turning the pages with the simple story of Bess’ life. The simplicity and realness is this book’s best strength. I would highly recommend reading this book and taking the time to learn a new perspective.