Tag: Biltmore

These Tangled Threads by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Publication April 2, 2024-Bethany House-Christian-Historical Fiction-Romance-368pp

Book Summary

Set in the shadow of Biltmore Estate, a poignant tale of friendship, restoration, and second chances.

Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of the great Vanderbilt mansion. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt’s 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesn’t have the creativity needed. But there’s an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save her–if only she knew where to begin.

To track down the mysterious weaver, Lorna sees no other way than to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her past, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of life long ago. She’ll have to risk the job that shapes her identity, as well as the hope of friendship–and love–restored.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

George Washington Vanderbilt III first welcomed family and friends to the sprawling Biltmore Estate on Christmas Eve, 1895. Author Sarah Thomas ushers readers across the threshold of the estate twenty-eight years later; after the premature death of George Vanderbilt in 1914 and the North Carolina flood of 1916. These catastrophic events form the breathtaking, dramatic backdrop of These Tangled Threads.

George’s widow, Edith and 14-year-old daughter, Cornelia, forged ahead, running the estate and its eighty person staff. George had established Biltmore Village in 1889, which included a school, a church, hospital, and cottages to house and support the laborers and artisans working on the estate. By 1901 the Vanderbilts had created Biltmore Industries, the apprenticeship program designed to teach woodworking and weaving. This is where fictional characters Lorna, Arthur and Gentry learned their trades. The devastating flood of 1916 created a financial burden for the Vanderbilt estate, forcing Edith to sell Biltmore Industries in 1917, to Fred Seely of nearby Grove Park Inn, which had opened in 1913.

Sarah Thomas deftly weaves daily life at Biltmore House, the Village, and the Industries, with the life altering effects of the flood of 1916. Thomas uses Lorna’s deceit and guilt, Gentry’s loneliness and search for her mother, and Arthur’s rejection as a child to reveal identifiable and relatable emotions through memories and thoughts. They have endured family challenges, the loss of loved ones, and decisions made either out of love and desperation or selfishness and pride. Thomas creates angst and suspense as the defining threads in the lives of the characters unravel through heartbreak, reflection, and regret. By Lorna’s “reckoning day” the threads of illumination and understanding are rewoven into a glistening tapestry of confession and forgiveness. Through loving, compassionate conversations Sarah Loudin Thomas effectively and passionately shares that God’s grace is not earned, it is a gift. A gift of Amazing Grace. These Tangled Threads: Uplifting and Redeeming

Sarah Loudin Thomas (sarahloudinthomas.com) is the author of numerous acclaimed novels, including The Finder of Forgotten Things, The Right Kind of Fool, winner of the 2021 Selah Book of the Year, and Miracle in a Dry Season, winner of the 2015 INSPY Award. She worked in public relations for Biltmore Estate for six years and is now the director of Jan Karon’s Mitford Museum. A native of West Virginia, she and her husband now live in western North Carolina. 

Facts and Photos to extend the visit to Asheville, North Carolina

The settings of Biltmore House, Biltmore Village, and Biltmore Industries each play a key role in the novel. Here are a few facts about Biltmore House.

Written by Rachel D. Carley, Rosemary G. Rennick, ISBN 1-885378-01-7-Published by The Biltmore Company-116p-Softcover

“On Christmas Eve, the country retreat George Vanderbilt has spent so long planning is marvelously decorated and full of festivity. The finished home contains more than four acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. ” A wonderful site for history & timeline: https://www.biltmore.com/our-story/biltmore-history/estate-timeline/

Building Biltmore=Over a thousand artisans and six years

Naming Biltmore- “Bildt”-Dutch town of George’s ancestors, “More”-old English for open, rolling land.

Designing Biltmore-Richard Morris Hunt-architect for The Breakers and Marble House, Newport, RI, the main façade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, pedestal for Statue of Liberty and Biltmore Estate

Landscaping Biltmore-Frederick Law Olmstead-Landscape Architect- New York Central Park, U. S. Capitol grounds, Stanford University campus, Biltmore Estate

Gardening at Biltmore-Chauncey Beadle-Canadian Horticulturist remained on the estate for 60 years.

Celebrating Biltmore-Opened Christmas Eve 1895

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive.” Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field, Sir Walter Scott The famous quote aptly represents the theme of this novel.

Novels Set at Biltmore House Reviewed by Grateful Reader

Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan Lake : https://gratefulreader.home.blog/2021/12/01/under-a-gilded-moon-by-joy-jordan-lake/

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey https://gratefulreader.home.blog/2022/03/29/the-wedding-veil-by-kristy-woodson-harvey/

The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Happy Publication Day- March 29, 2022

Summary & Pre-Order Link https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Wedding-Veil/Kristy-Woodson-Harvey/9781982180713

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Under the Southern Sky, Feels Like Falling, and The Peachtree Bluff series. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her work has been optioned for film and television, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

The Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

At the back of the wardrobe was the wedding veil that had been worn by generations of Vanderbilt women. The initials of the Vanderbilt women who had worn the treasured veil were embroidered in the lining of the Juliet cap. Was the veil magic? Did it truly ensure a fairy tale life?

Kristy Woodson Harvey’s first foray into historical fiction is a keepsake for fans of the architectural miracle known as Biltmore, near Ashville in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Throughout the marriage of Edith Dresser and George Vanderbilt and later the struggles of their daughter Cornelia, readers will wonder how and why the women of the wealthiest family in America, in the largest home on thousands of acres of land, would feel trapped and without purpose. KWH’s thorough research transports readers to Biltmore’s 250 rooms, George’s famous library with 23,000 books, and to Biltmore Village. Intricate details of daily life, the provision of teaching much needed skills, and the support and encouragement of Edith, Cornelia, and staff after flooding and near financial ruin keeps readers engrossed, in awe, and hopeful that Biltmore will survive.

This is the story of women finding their purpose in life; deciding when to put themselves first and discovering whether a vintage wedding veil is a sign of a happy marriage. KWH writes emotional, soul-searching dialogue between mothers and daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters, and husbands and wives. The scrutiny of the public and press into the Vanderbilt family, especially Cornelia, who only wants to be in the shadows at best, is reminiscent of the treatment of Princess Diana. Cornelia’s unstable habits and moods as she searches for self-worth impact personal decisions and her family life. This glimpse into the lives of the wealthiest family of the early 1900’s, social expectations, financial and personal struggles is a generational contrast to a wealthy present-day family dealing with secrets, decisions, social media impact, and family expectations. Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt’s story is alternated with present day widow Barbara Baxter’s wisdom and joyful attitude and her granddaughter, bride-to-be Julia, who are living their own fractured fairy tales. Readers will get caught up in their adventures with shocking surprises as they each make life changing decisions.

Through touching scenes and conversations between Edith and George, KWH portrays George Vanderbilt as a devoted, loving husband who is respected and well-loved by his staff, especially his favorite footman, Mr. Noble. George’s sharing of his beloved library, enthusiasm for learning, and his dedication to helping the less fortunate make him a central character with influence on family decisions even after his early death. Noble is a good listener, compassionate, and gives great comfort and assurance to Edith that she and Biltmore will be fine.

Kristy Woodson Harvey’s “lessons on letting go of expectations, drawing close to loved ones, helping those in need, and fighting for your dreams” will have readers crying happy tears, laughing with glee, and cheering for unexpected decisions. Maybe there is magic in The Wedding Veil!

https://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore-estate/

Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan-Lake

A “Throwback” post from a year ago-Still aching to see Biltmore in person!

“A meticulously researched, well-crafted mystery; this is historical fiction at its best.” Publishing December 1, 2020 To Pre-Order: https://www.amazon.com/Under-Gilded-Moon-Joy-Jordan-Lake/dp/1713518384

The setting for Under a Gilded Moon is Biltmore House in North Carolina. Left: Biltmore under construction Right: October 26, 1895 George Vanderbilt moved in!

Joy Jordan-Lake is the bestselling author of eight books, including the #1 Amazon Bestseller A Tangled Mercy and Blue Hole Back Home, which won the Christy Award in 2009 for Best First Novel. Her upcoming novel Under a Gilded Moon to be released on 12.01.20. 

​She holds a PhD in English Literature, founded a food pantry in New England for women and families experiencing homelessness, and has taught literature and writing at several universities.

https://www.joyjordanlake.com/at-a-glance


The Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Approach Road leading to Biltmore is a three-mile drive lined with trees purposefully planted to shield the view of the towering spires and laced with twists and turns until the magnificent residence comes into focus. In Under a Gilded Moon Joy Jordan-Lake takes readers on a similarly breathtaking journey through the Blue Ridge Mountains right up to the grand entrance of the estate as it nears completion. Welcome to Biltmore!

 Christmas Eve, December 1895, is a few days away and the manor is crawling with stonemasons, bricklayers, carpenters, and painters from around the world. George Washington Vanderbilt II, youngest child of eight, an artist and a scholar, is preparing to entertain and house his guests in America’s largest, fabulously ornate mansion. As guests are arriving a “bad thing at the station” occurs and just like the twists and turns of the Approach Road, the mystery of how and why slowly unwinds.

Just on the border of the estate, in the shadow of “fairy tale turrets and the glint of copper on gables and towers,” is the run-down cabin of Kerry McGregor. Determined to retain this generational land, she has returned from Barnard College, her chance to escape her mountain life and Dearg Tate, in order to defend her cause and care for her dying father and twin siblings. George Vanderbilt, John Cabot, Madison Grant-all are well- aware of Kerry, the raven-haired daughter of John McGregor, and one of the last holdouts of the mountain folk refusing to sell.

New Orleans elite, Lilli Barthelemy and her mother, due to unrest and protests, have been induced to depart the muggy Delta for the sidewalks and streetcars of New York City. Now Lilli travels to Biltmore with more on her mind than trunks brimming with a wardrobe from posh department stores. Will her past follow her to the hollows of North Carolina and Biltmore?

 Entanglements with Sicilian immigrant, Sal, and his brother, Nico, who have connections to George all the way from Florence; keep the reader traipsing the estate from the stables to the kitchens, and from the library to the dining room-breathless-as guests, detectives and George Vanderbilt bolt into the night in search of a murderer. There are many twists and turns on the Approach Road to Under a Gilded Moon. Clasp your diamond necklace and step into a stunning designer gown in anticipation of this exquisite Christmas Eve gift. It is definitely worth the wait. ***** GR

Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House, the main residence, is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 square feet (16,622.8 m2) of floor space (135,280 square feet of living area).[2] Still owned by George Vanderbilt’s descendants, it remains one of the most prominent examples of Gilded Age mansions.

Visit this site for a beautiful tour- https://www.biltmore.com/visit/biltmore-estate/biltmore-house/