Doll Houses
But something was amiss. A young marriage dissolved immediately and was perhaps never consummated, based on what she told people. After her mother and nurse, her closest companion was an extravagant collection of dolls and doll houses that she amassed until the end of her life.
“Empty Houses” ends with the ongoing battles over her money. There was no shortage of suspect behavior -- from lawyers, hospital administrators and relatives she never met.
While gracious and wildly generous with people she knew, Huguette was never much of a philanthropist given her resources. In the book, a relative described the trappings of inherited money: insecurity, guilt, a lack of self-worth.
“Having immense wealth,” the relative said, “can lead one to feel isolated and to have a false sense of being special.”
At least you have someplace to live.
(Philip Boroff is a reporter for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)