AMERICAN LADY is a concise biography of a remarkable woman, Susan Mary Alsop (1918-2004), a descendant of one of the Founding Fathers (John Jay), born in Europe, raised in Argentina, who later became a New York debutante, and by the time she was in her mid-20s, was married to an asthmatic U.S. diplomat (Bill Patten) and living in Paris.

Susan Mary managed to carve out a niche for herself while living in France as a hostess, someone who was well-read in history, literature, and politics, and forged many relationships with many of the powerful and influential people across France, the UK, and the U.S.

Following the death of her husband Bill in February 1960, Sarah Mary would succumb within a year to a charm offensive conducted by an exchange of letters between herself and Joseph Alsop, an old friend who was also one of America's most renowned journalists and a Washington power broker sans pareil. The two would marry in February 1961 and Susan Mary would move into Alsop's residence in Georgetown with her two young children, where she would soon earn a reputation for herself during the Kennedy Administration for hosting "dinner parties that were the epitome of political power and social arrival." Indeed, Susan Mary would remain for the rest of her life a prominent figure in Georgetown society (even after she and Alsop divorced a decade later) among much of the political and literary elite of the country. Furthermore, Susan Mary herself would go on to write a number of books and articles, and live out a full and purposeful life.

This is the kind of biography that can be read within a week. It also has various photos spanning Susan Mary Alsop's life. For anyone interested in reading a biography of a noteworthy person whose life encompassed most of the 20th century, you'll profit from reading American Lady: The Life of Susan Mary Alsop.