Queen of Diamonds: The Fabled Legacy of Evalyn Walsh McLean

Queen of Diamonds is the story of Evalyn Walsh McLean, a remarkable and flamboyant woman of the early 20th century. Her husband, Ned McLean, wealthy publisher of the Washington Post, purchased the Hope Diamond for her, and she delighted in flaunting a jewel that many considered to be cursed. She and her husband were close friends with President and Mrs. Warren G. Harding, and the couples attended some of the most glittering parties and social events of their time. Queen of Diamonds tells a tale of rags to riches and back to rags again, for Evalyn lived her last years cash poor. She was forced to sell her fabled stone to jewelry magnate Harry Winston, who donated it to the Smithsonian, where it is now one of the most popular museum exhibits in the world.

Evalyn Walsh McLean originally wrote her autobiography, entitled Father Struck it Rich, with the help of Boyden Sparkes in 1936. Out of print for decades, it is now beautifully edited, updated, revised and reissued. The new book includes additional material about Evalyn's later years and a photo section. It has been produced under the auspices of her great grandson, Joseph Gregory,and his research coauthor and collaborator, Carol Ann Rapp.