CHASING BEAUTY The Life on Isabella Stewart Gardner

The privileged world of the spirited Isabella Stewart Gardner is aptly captured by the patrician voice of narrator Maggi-Meg Reed. Born in 1840 to a wealthy family in New York City, Isabella married Boston Brahmin Jack Gardner and proceeded to both dazzle and confuse proper Boston elites. Reed softens her tone when "Mrs. Jack" suffers the death of her only child, to recover, sets off on a lifetime of world travels, collecting art for her several grand homes. Reed's careful pacing and expression elicit genuine admiration for the eccentric and sometimes scandalous Isabella. Gardner leaves as her legacy the Fenway Court building, now the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, famous for its interior Venetian palazzo, eclectic collections, and of course, the still unsolved art heist. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2024]