I am a huge fan (almost stalker) of Kristy I cannot wait for new books to come out and I own every book by her that Amazon sells. That being said, this was not a “normal” story by her. This story was a mix of history and fiction. After reading it I want to read whatever I can find on the Vanderbilt family and their Biltmore mansion. I really enjoyed the story of Julia and her family and feel as if I know them personally. Of course the Vanderbilt family is way out of my league but I feel for Edith and how she tried so hard to keep her daughters legacy alive only to find that it wasn’t what her daughter wanted. I plan to preorder several of this book to give to my sister and sisters-in-law. I need someone to be able to talk about the story to and I know they will love and appreciate this story like I do.

The story of the veil and how it worked it’s way through generations of women is a wonderful story. The incorporation of the Vanderbilt’s and the Biltmore House makes the story wonderful.

This is a fascinating fictionalized account of the life of Edith Vanderbilt. Widowed after her husband’s death because of a burst appendix , Edith must try to run the vast Biltmore Estate and the town that survives because of it. Not an easy task for anyone, but for a woman in 1914. Things are not as rosy for the Vanderbilts as the world might believe, Edith is struggling under a mountain of debt, trying to steer the family’s fortunes back in the right direction. She wants to leave a fortune and a legacy for her daughter Cornelia, another high spirited woman ahead of her time. Their lives intermingle with those of Julia Baxter, a modern day bride with a supposedly charmed bridal veil gifted to her great grandmother years before by an unknown woman on a train. I really enjoyed this story, especially the historical part; it was fascinating to get a glimpse inside the life of American royalty