‘There are certain women,’ Truman Capote wrote, ‘who, though perhaps not born rich, are born to be rich.’ These women captivated and enchanted Capote, he befriended them, ingratiated himself into their lives, and received their deepest confidences. From Barbara ‘Babe’ Paley to Lee Radziwill, they were the toast of mid-century New York, each one beautiful and distinguished in her own way. After struggling with crippling writer’s block, Capote was struck with an idea for what he was sure would be his magnum opus, Answered Prayers . But when he eventually published a few chapters, it became clear that he had used his friends for inspiration, exposing their barely fictionalised lives and scandals to the world. The blowback incinerated his friendships and banished Capote from their high-society world forever. In Capote’s Women, Laurence Leamer investigates the true story of one of the original literary scandals, weaving together a fascinating story of friendship, intrigue and unforgivable betrayal.
