Bookshelf
Alumni and faculty members who would like to have their books considered for this listing should contact Stacey Himmelberger, editor of Hamilton magazine. This list, which dates back to 2018, is updated periodically with books appearing alphabetically on the date of entry.
Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith ’11.
June 17, 2025
Tags Alumni Book
(Bloomsbury, 2025).
It’s the turn of the 20th century, and young Vivian Lesperance has one goal — to get far away from her hometown of Utica, N.Y. Smart, intuitive, and determined, she heads to New York City where she inserts herself into the world of the post-Gilded Age elite. Before long she forms a plan that includes marrying Oscar Schmidt, a middle manager at a soap company, who, like Vivian, carries the residual scars from a less-than-happy childhood. In the mild-mannered Oscar, she finds a partner she can influence to build the life she wants — made easier by the fact that her husband is more interested in men and will leave Vivian to tend to her own romances with women.
With Vivian’s keen ability to forge relationships and Oscar’s knowledge of the industry, the couple connect with Squire Clancy, an eccentric heir to an old American fortune, to form Clancey & Schmidt, a preeminent manufacturer of soap, perfume, and candles. When Oscar and Squire fall in love, the trio form a new kind of partnership, with Vivian able to build her empire while operating behind the image of both men. But when exposure of their private lives threatens, all three are made aware of how much they have to lose.
A sweeping historical novel, Wolfgang-Smith tells the story as if engaged in conversation with the reader. She lends fascinating insight into life in turn-of-the-century New York City as she weaves a spellbinding tale of self-discovery, ambition, and love. “In writing, I pulled quite a bit on my Hamilton experience and the fascinating history of the Utica area, still vibrant in my mind from my time on the Hill,” she said.
According to New York Times best-selling author Ann Napolitano, “Olivia Wolfgang-Smith writes with gusto, confidence and humor, and it’s a magical combination. Vivian Lesperance is a delightful, brilliant woman vying to enter a society that has no room for her, and I rooted for Vivian every step of the way. But it’s the love story that beats at the heart of this novel that won me completely: Squire and Oscar forever and ever.”
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Stacey Himmelberger
Editor of Hamilton magazine
