Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life and Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt

The Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Heiress Peggy Guggenheim has been named a Best Book of 2021 by the New York Post and Book Riot, as well as a Best True Crime Book of 2021 by CrimeReads. This captivating work invites readers into a sordid court battle between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her socialite mother, offering a "sensational story told with nuance and humanity" (Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

At the turn of the twentieth century, as American women began to seek passion and livelihood outside the home, authorities grew alarmed. They feared that "over-sexed" women could destroy civilization, either by crossing the color line or passing on their evident defects to their children. It is against this backdrop that The Unfit Heiress chronicles the fight for inheritance between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her socialite mother, Maryon, who had her daughter sterilized without her knowledge.

The ensuing sensational court case presented a golden opportunity for powerful eugenicists to restrict reproductive rights in America for decades to come. Through brilliant research, author Audrey Clare Farley captures the interior lives of these women and poses questions that remain relevant today: What does it mean to be "unfit" for motherhood? How do racial anxieties continue to influence who does and does not reproduce? In the battle for reproductive rights, can we forgive those who side against us? And can we forgive our mothers if they are the ones who inflict the deepest wounds?

For readers of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Phantom of Fifth Avenue, this captivating work offers a nuanced and humane exploration of a dark chapter in American history. Farley's skillful storytelling invites us to confront the complex legacies of eugenics and the enduring impact of maternal betrayal. The Unfit Heiress is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of gender, race, and reproductive justice.

product information: