Rightfully Mine

Rightfully Mine is one of my top 20 favorite books of all time. From the first chapter, I was absolutely hooked. What I liked most was the herione, Gaby. From a housewife from Ohio with no previous work experience, she becomes the CEO of a an auction house in NY. The great twist is HOW she managed to do that. A little deception never sounded so interesting.

I got this book years ago at a book sale. Having nothing else to read on a camping trip I picked up Rightfully Mine and didn't want to put it down. Drama mixed with mystery, real life issues and a fanatasy romance I was hooked. I had never heard of the Author and now I'm looking for more of Doris Mortman books. I really think this would be a great movie. For a great escape I highy reccommend Rightfully Mine.

Kudos about the comments that this book is very well written and researched. I was intrigued from the first chapter. I just adore this comptemptory tale of Pygmalion. The herione, Gabrielle, is very lovable, courageous and smart. I just loved it when she went from a bored, dependent housewife to a beautiful, smart woman of mystery. I too enjoyed the whole antique aspect of the story. Most of the times, when authors babble and babble about something uninteresting I just turn the pages. But the antique talk in this book was interesting. Although, I have to say that I did turn pages when the talk of the war came up. I also would have love to read more of the romance between Gabrielle had with Max. The scenes and dialouges were way too short. Anybody else feel that way? Gabrielle is such a renaissance woman--from a housewife to a president of a company at 40 to boot. Well you just gotta love that.

I visited the Cluny Museum in Paris in l997 and was shown a large round room with I believe 7 old tapestries that were made in Flanders. They were beautiful with lovely colors and details, each one telling a story followed by the next one. I remember the unicorns, but I don't remember everything we were told about them. However, in reading "Rightfully Mine" by Doris Mortman, I wondered if some of her inspiration came from those beautiful old tapestries at the Cluny in Paris.

I try to find paperbacks for traveling or while on vacation and often end up with something close to just senseless "drivel". I not only found the writing excellent, but the plot kept me in suspense right up until the very end. It is a story of a woman who goes from what some would call a perfect life...with some rough beginnings in childhood, to a woman who is virtually alone and without money...she reinvents herself in a way that is not a lie, but a extension of her own knowledge given to her by family members. This world of antiques, which she comes to treasure as a young adult, will turn out to be her saving grace. I learned so much about antiques which the author did not have to put in or research...but gladly she did, and also gave me a glimpse into the light and dark worlds of "the wealthy and well-antiqued". I adored the heroine and she was written as a woman with character and true intelligence. Truly a treasure to read anywhere.