Susan Ronald's "A Dangerous Woman" sets out to document the life of Florence Gould. From a young age, Florence seemingly already knew what she wanted out of life - a relationship with a wealthy suitor and the freedom to take and leave lovers as long as she had the desire and ability to do so. Surviving the San Francisco earthquake, which in many respects ruined her family business for the moment, her family sought comfort in France. Her initial marriage was hardly worth the paper that created it. All too soon, she was once more free to find a suitable husband worth her attention and desire and someone who came with a fortune that could offer her security for life. She found all of that and more in the form of Frank Gould.
Together with Frank, Florence began to sink millions into French real estate, creating a hotel and gambling empire that at times rivaled Monaco/Monte Carlo. The Great Depression hardly made a dent in her finances thanks to some fortuitous timing in the sale of stock in the US and the ability to begin buying up property throughout France for bargain prices. Her collaboration activities during the Second World War ensured she hardly suffered from the occupation as she continued to host lunches and dinners, creating a "salon" atmosphere where artists, writers, aristocrats, and other public notables could mingle and seek financial help for their projects or simply enjoy the company of other like-minded individuals.
As time went on and Frank's health began to deteriorate, Florence only continued participating in activities that would eventually bring her to the attention of French authorities and the US FBI for her role in various collaborationist activities. No matter, thanks to her money and connections she hardly suffered any consequences in the postwar period and continued to enjoy a life defined by wealth and privilege.
Susan Ronald's look at Florence's life also includes numerous digressions to help steer the reader in understanding the world Florence inhabited. She describes how the Gould fortune was initially created and the infighting that took place among the Gould family before and after Florence's arrival. Having previously written on the period of the Third Reich, Florence's activities during the occupation take up about a quarter of the book but offer a lot of detail with some analysis as well. An issue that might trouble some readers are the conclusions that Ronald sometimes reaches without adequate documentation/sources. Otherwise, this is a highly engaging look at the less well known side of a woman acknowledged for her philanthropy and enormous wealth.
Together with Frank, Florence began to sink millions into French real estate, creating a hotel and gambling empire that at times rivaled Monaco/Monte Carlo. The Great Depression hardly made a dent in her finances thanks to some fortuitous timing in the sale of stock in the US and the ability to begin buying up property throughout France for bargain prices. Her collaboration activities during the Second World War ensured she hardly suffered from the occupation as she continued to host lunches and dinners, creating a "salon" atmosphere where artists, writers, aristocrats, and other public notables could mingle and seek financial help for their projects or simply enjoy the company of other like-minded individuals.
As time went on and Frank's health began to deteriorate, Florence only continued participating in activities that would eventually bring her to the attention of French authorities and the US FBI for her role in various collaborationist activities. No matter, thanks to her money and connections she hardly suffered any consequences in the postwar period and continued to enjoy a life defined by wealth and privilege.
Susan Ronald's look at Florence's life also includes numerous digressions to help steer the reader in understanding the world Florence inhabited. She describes how the Gould fortune was initially created and the infighting that took place among the Gould family before and after Florence's arrival. Having previously written on the period of the Third Reich, Florence's activities during the occupation take up about a quarter of the book but offer a lot of detail with some analysis as well. An issue that might trouble some readers are the conclusions that Ronald sometimes reaches without adequate documentation/sources. Otherwise, this is a highly engaging look at the less well known side of a woman acknowledged for her philanthropy and enormous wealth.