My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
Sex and the City meets Bad Blood and Catch Me if You Can in this riveting true crime memoir that tells the astonishing firsthand story of Anna Delvey—the fake heiress who conned New York’s elite—and the friend she betrayed.
When Rachel DeLoache Williams meets Anna Delvey, Anna claims to be a wealthy German heiress with boundless ambition and an extravagant lifestyle. She treats generously, covering lavish dinners, luxury hotels, high-end workouts, and nights out across Manhattan. Drawn into Anna’s orbit, Rachel is flattered by the friendship and dazzled by the access it provides.
The illusion shatters during a dream trip to Marrakech, when Anna’s credit cards suddenly stop working. Anna insists the problem is temporary and persuades Rachel to front the costs—first flights, then meals and shopping, and ultimately a private villa costing thousands per night. By the time they return to New York, Rachel has been charged more than $62,000, and Anna’s promises of repayment quickly unravel.
As Rachel pieces together the truth, she discovers Anna has left a trail of unpaid bills and deception throughout the city. Determined to reclaim her life and dignity, Rachel goes to the authorities and finds herself at the center of the investigation that brings down one of the most infamous con artists of the decade.
Fast-paced, immersive, and deeply personal, this memoir offers an insider’s account of fraud, privilege, and the seductive power of ambition—told by the woman who lived it.
ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
Sex and the City meets Bad Blood and Catch Me if You Can in this riveting true crime memoir that tells the astonishing firsthand story of Anna Delvey—the fake heiress who conned New York’s elite—and the friend she betrayed.
When Rachel DeLoache Williams meets Anna Delvey, Anna claims to be a wealthy German heiress with boundless ambition and an extravagant lifestyle. She treats generously, covering lavish dinners, luxury hotels, high-end workouts, and nights out across Manhattan. Drawn into Anna’s orbit, Rachel is flattered by the friendship and dazzled by the access it provides.
The illusion shatters during a dream trip to Marrakech, when Anna’s credit cards suddenly stop working. Anna insists the problem is temporary and persuades Rachel to front the costs—first flights, then meals and shopping, and ultimately a private villa costing thousands per night. By the time they return to New York, Rachel has been charged more than $62,000, and Anna’s promises of repayment quickly unravel.
As Rachel pieces together the truth, she discovers Anna has left a trail of unpaid bills and deception throughout the city. Determined to reclaim her life and dignity, Rachel goes to the authorities and finds herself at the center of the investigation that brings down one of the most infamous con artists of the decade.
Fast-paced, immersive, and deeply personal, this memoir offers an insider’s account of fraud, privilege, and the seductive power of ambition—told by the woman who lived it.
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Community Reviews
I absolutely devoured this book! It’s by no means high brow, or written amazingly, but it is a great read. If you’re looking for an easy, addictive read giving you insight into another world, this is it.
I first became curious about this woman when the Shonda Rhimes Netflix series was released. I was fascinated by her ability to walk around knowing she is lying, let her so-called friend assume a staggering debt for a vacation, and then watch that friend's life implode as a result.
Rachel begins by saying "I know you will think I was stupid, but..."
An interesting and cautionary tale about trust, vulnerability and betrayal on the parts of both Anna and Rachel.
I can understand why people do not enjoy and/or connect with this book. It can be hard to believe that someone would fall under the spell that the author and others fell under with Anna Delvey, a con who gallivanted across the global under the guise of being a German heiress. I, however, was fascinated by the Delvey case and can see how someone would do what the author did. I felt bad for her and this book gave me immense anxiety right from the get-go. It was quick and easy read, I devoured it.
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