Capote's Women

''A glittering insight into the high society world of Capote''s swans. The ruthless betrayal of the muse by the artist leaves you breathless.'' Anna Pasternak

''There are certain women,'' Truman Capote wrote, ''who, though perhaps not born rich, are born to be rich.''

These women captivated and enchanted Capote - he befriended them, received their deepest confidences, and ingratiated himself into their lives. From Barbara ''Babe'' Paley to Lee Radziwill (Jackie Kennedy''s sister) they were the toast of mid-century New York, each beautiful and distinguished in her own way.

For years, Capote had been trying to write what he believed would be his magnum opus, Answered Prayers. But when he eventually published a few chapters in Esquire, the barely fictionalised lives (and scandals) of his closest female confidantes were laid bare for all to see. The blowback incinerated his relationships and banished Capote from their high-society world f