Belle Burden's 'Strangers' Memoir: Financial Peril or Privileged Narrative?

Belle Burden's memoir 'Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage' became a publishing phenomenon, debuting at No. 1 on the Times hardcover nonfiction list in January and remaining near the top after nine printings. The book recounts Burden's discovery of her husband's affair and subsequent divorce, focusing on her financial insecurity. However, a New Yorker investigation reveals that Burden's prenuptial agreement and divorce settlement show she had significant inherited wealth, including a $45 million trust from her father's estate. Court documents indicate Burden reported an income of over $800,000 in 2019, while her net worth statement from December 2020 showed assets exceeding $10 million in a Vanguard account and WAMBCO stake. The divorce settlement gave Burden both marital properties, $3 million from her ex-husband's WAMBCO investment, and $50,000 monthly child support until her youngest child turns 22. Burden's ex-husband Henry P. Davis, a former attorney and hedge fund employee, agreed to the settlement 45 minutes before a scheduled status conference. Critics question whether Burden's narrative of financial jeopardy accurately reflects her circumstances, given her substantial trust funds and assets. Burden maintains she wrote honestly about her fear and privilege, stating she stands by her account of the emotional and financial turmoil she experienced.