Hetty: The Genius and Madness of America's First Female Tycoon

Hetty Green (1835-1916) was the only woman to make her mark in the financial markets during the Guilded Age of the late 1800s. She parlayed an inheritance of $500,000 into $100 million ($2.5 billion in current money), amassing fortunes in U.S. bonds and real estate through impeccable timing. Immortalized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "world's greatest miser," she kept her family living in modest tenements, dressed in drab clothes, and was a notorious penny-pincher. Dubbed the "Witch of Wall Street," she was widely believed to live an unhappy existence despite her riches. Slack's account reveals a much more multidimensional character than Green was popularly believed to be; yes, she was eccentric, but her wry wit and colorful personality bring humor and pathos to this story. She was unfairly vilified because of her sex, and readers cannot help from cheering for her at every turn. David Siegfried
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[An] instructive account. Slack offers an exemplary retelling for a new generation. (Kirkus Reviews )

A fascinating book. (New York Post )

Fascinating. (Tucson Citizen )

[A] nuanced portrait. (Newsweek )

[A] page-turning portrait of an important and complicated woman. (Richmond Times-Dispatch )

A wonderfully detailed new biography. (Forbes )

Slack concentrates on telling a good story and telling it well.... [An] entertaining biography. (Publishers Weekly )