It's April 1913 and the setting is the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Belle lost her coal miner father in an accident seven years before, and her mother has remarried wealthy gas mogul Shipley Newbold who is unaware of their humble beginnings. Now part of an elite group of magnates, the family is invited to attend Henry Ford's famous Vagabond camping tour along with Edison, Firestone and Burroughs. Belle is also going to be reunited with the man she is expected to marry, the very wealthy Worth Delafield. The land they are camping on, set up with lavish tents and food, is owned by Delafield, who is also hiding something from his past. But the highlight of the visit is the soon to open Grove Park Inn, an architectural wonder. The visit awakens Belle to a future she didn't think possible for herself.
Author Joy Callaway brings the creation of the stunning Grove Park Inn to life in What the Mountains Remember. Along with well-researched, factual accounts and true historical figures, Callaway has created a wonderful character in Belle Newbold, a strong, intelligent young woman on a road to self-discovery. The threat of tuberculosis and the wide disparity of the classes were authentically represented. Grove Park Inn was constructed with native granite from the area. With over 400 laborers and stonemasons working ten-hour days, it was built in under a year and when complete, was filled with furnishings of the Arts and Crafts movement. You'll be Googling as you read this enjoyable book.
Many thanks to HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse and AustenProse PR for the advance copy of this enjoyable book.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
Historical Fiction.
Publication Date: April 2, 2024.
Please "like" this post if What the Mountains Remember sounds like a book you might like to read. I'd love to know. Scroll below the photo and click on the red outlined heart on the lower right-hand side of the page. Comments can also be left below.
