This book tells the story of the women who lived on, and oftentimes, ran the estates that line the eastern shore of the Hudson. Their lives give the reader an insight into the changing roles of women in New York from the early Dutch settlement through the Victorian Era, and on to the Gilded Age, and the World Wars. The narratives tell of the resilience and strength of these women, born to great privilege, as they adapted to their changing worlds. It includes:
 
Alida Schuyler Livingston of the Manor
Margaret Beekman Livingston of Clermont
Janet Livingston Montgomery of Montgomery Place
Margaret Armstrong Astor of Rokeby
Ruth Livingston Mills of Staatsburgh
Louise Vanderbilt of Hyde Park
Sara Delano Roosevelt of Springwood
Mary Livingston Ludlow Hall of Oak Terrace
Eleanor Roosevelt of Oak Terrace and Val-Kill
Daisy Suckley of Wilderstein
 
These women, deeply connected to their family lands, had a lasting impact on the history, society, and even the geography of the Hudson Valley.