Janny Scott, the daughter of Robert Montgomery Scott, has written a new book on hidden lives behind the walls of the famous Ardrossan estate in Villanova, writes John Timpane for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Beneficiary: Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of My Father is based on the diaries of Scott’s father, who was the grandson of Ardrossan’s creator. The Montgomery/Scott clan has been the subject or inspiration for a number of books and movies over the years, including The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn.

This latest addition reveals another side to the world of charmers and partiers and delves into the ambiguities of inheritance. It also talks about Robert Montgomery Scott’s struggles with self, career, alcoholism, and marital breakdown.

The writer, who grew up on the Ardrossan estate, was promised her father’s diaries in her 20s. He wanted her to have them after he died.

According to Janny, she asked “’Why me?’ He replied, ‘You’re the writer.’ We never mentioned it again.”

Read more about the new book in the Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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