Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era

In the summer of 1975, Truman Capote is one of the most famous authors in the world. His hit novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958) had been adapted into a Hollywood movie starring Audrey Hepburn in 1961, catapulting him to fame. In 1967, a film adaptation of his wildly popular true-crime book In Cold Blood (1966) was released, cementing his place in popular culture. He is also a frequent guest on late-night talk shows, where he tells stories about his extraordinary life among the elite of New York City society.

For years, Truman has been at work on a new novel, Answered Prayers, which he believes will be the defining work of his career. The novel focuses on the exploits of a group of wealthy, beautiful women as they navigate New York’s elite social scene. It is very loosely based on the lives of Truman’s real friends, known as “the swans”: Barbara “Babe” Paley, considered the most beautiful woman in the world; Nancy “Slim” Keith, the quintessential California girl; Pamela Hayward, a much-married Englishwoman; Gloria Guinness, a brilliant Mexican-born beauty; Lucy Douglas “C.Z.” Guest, a stubborn elitist;