It's unlikely that the book will attract many who don't recall Ms. Mesta's name, a woman who enjoyed her heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, and the cover and title certainly don't help.
The title does little to attract readers. For those who remember her, Ms. Mesta's name should be front and center.
The cover makes no sense since it appears Ms. Mesta was a friend of Jacqueline Kennedy of whom she was not, having greatly offended the Kennedys when Jack was a presidential candidate in 1960 and Ms. Mesta went overboard in her support of LBJ.
So much for White House invitations which ceased after JFK took office in January, 1961, darkening Ms. Mesta's lights in Washington where she had been non-stop socialite and party hostess, a Washington institution about and around town during most of her adult life.
Wikipedia says Perle Mesta (1882-1975) inherited what would be today approximately $1.4 billion from her husband, George, a steel industrialist who preceded her in death by 50 years.
Ms. Mesta used the money to fundraise for the Democratic party and entertain politicians, spouses, Washingtonians, and celebrities.
Often, her parties were attended by thousands. She was an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and worked hard with elected officials to gain support for it.
Until JFK's ascent to the presidency, Mesta had been a constant visitor to the White House during Presidents Truman's and Eisenhower's terms, she being close friends with both Mr. and Mrs. Truman and Mamie Eisenhower, however, Eisenhower did not re-appoint her to the Luxembourg ministry like Truman had initially, Truman never naming Ms. Mesta "ambassador" for some unsaid reason, but "minister."
In Luxembourg, the State Department staff ridiculed her, jealous, I suspect, but the Luxembourgers loved her.
At the first of every first month after they had been paid and could afford to get to the embassy, Ms. Mesta hosted at her expense, parties for U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe.
After Luxembourg, Ms. Mesta toured the world as a "diplomat “ and wrote a newspaper series, lecturing to large audiences who loved her, chronicling her months-long 1953 visit to Russia which welcomed her and permitted her to often visit forbidden places.
She did not shy from describing Russian life as she saw it, writing about, for instance, women performing heavy labor.
On her trip, she stopped in Ukraine and noted that Ukrainians were highly offended if someone called them "Russian."
"Their reaction sheds some light on why the Kremlin continues to be troubled about the Ukraine, the second largest republic in the Soviet Union and the source of much of its food, coal and iron ore." (P. 214)
The public and catty comments found throughout the book and attributed to social competitor Gwen Cafritz about Ms. Mesta's physical appearance, her lack of education, and social niceties are astonishing to read.
Yet Ms. Mesta never seemed to go negative in response (at least, in the book), always maintaining a positive outlook and wide smile.
"The hostest with the mostes" was a title borne in a Broadway musical about her by Howard Lindsay with music by Irving Berlin, and starring Ethel Merman. It was Call Me Madam.
Ms. Gordon includes all things good and bad about Ms. Mesta, her money, travels, mobility. Ms. Mesta's schedule and energy, even during latter years, left me envious.
Overall, a good read for Washingtonians and others interested in social life in our nation's capital, including those nasty State Department snobs. (Almost 400 pages.)
Who fills her shoes now? Nobody.
patricialesli@gmail.com
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