4.5 stars

I love the Edwardian era. I love the hats, the dresses, and the history! There aren’t that many books set during that time period so when I see one come up for review, I usually jump on it! This particular author is a new to me author and while I have heard of some of her books, I haven’t read any of them yet! So when I saw this book up for review, I was eager for the time period/setting and because I love discovering new to me authors!

To be honest though, this setting didn’t really appeal to me—a new hotel, the Grove Park Inn in the North Carolina mountains, seemed a little basic and uninspiring. However when I started reading about the hotel, the setting grew on me. The Blue Ridge Mountains feel more rugged and robust to me so when I started reading this book I was thinking it would be more like roughing it camping rather than ‘glamping’. Ultimately I ended up really enjoying the setting which was surprising! I thought it added an interesting change for readers!

If you are a historical fiction fan, I hope this one is on your radar! It’s a lovely novel and I think readers will find something refreshing in the pages! I know I did! I am now eager to read more books by this author! I know she has written a number of other historical fiction books set during similar time periods with promising stories that offer new and untold narratives! I cannot wait to check out some of her other books as this one was wonderful!

Summary


At this wondrous resort, secrets can easily be hidden in plain sight when the eye is trained on beauty. April 1913 —Belle Newbold hasn’t seen mountains for seven years—since her father died in a mining accident and her mother married Indiana gas magnate, Shipley Newbold. But when her stepfather’s friend, Henry Ford, invites the family on one of his famous Vagabonds camping tours, she is forced to face the hills once again—primarily in order to reunite with her future fiancé, owner of the land the Vagabonds are using for their campsite, a man she’s only met once before. It is a veritable arranged marriage, but she prefers it that way. Belle isn’t interested in love.

She only wants a simple life—a family of her own and the stability of a wealthy man’s pockets. That’s what Worth Delafield has promised to give her and it’s worth facing the mountains again, the reminder of the past, and her poverty, to secure her future. But when the Vagabonds group is invited to tour the unfinished Grove Park Inn and Belle is unexpectedly thrust into a role researching and writing about the building of the inn—a construction the locals are calling The Eighth Wonder of the World—she quickly realizes that these mountains are no different from the ones she once called home. As Belle peels back the facade of Grove Park Inn, of Worth, of the society she’s come to claim as her own, and the truth of her heart, she begins to see that perhaps her part in Grove Park’s story isn’t a coincidence after all.

Perhaps it is only by watching a wonder rise from ordinary hands and mountain stone that she can finally find the strength to piece together the long-destroyed path toward who she was meant to be. International bestselling author Joy Callaway returns with a story of the ordinary people behind extraordinary beauty—and the question of who gets to tell their stories. (summary from Goodreads)


Review

One of the things that really stands out to me with this novel is the meticulous historical research! I didn’t really know much about the Grove Park Inn, in fact I thought it was a fictional place until I read this book and went down a rabbit hole of research. If you live on the east coast you will likely know this resort but I didn’t know anything about it so discovering the Inn was a big treat for me! I don’t know if I was living under a rock or what but I just didn’t know anything about this place! It was really interesting to learn more about the whole process of building the hotel and how that impacted the town. It is very clear that the author takes time to tell the story not only of the characters but of that time in history. It was very interesting and I loved going down a rabbit hole to find out more about the Inn and how it came to be. That to me was one of the stand out things about this book. Historical fiction fans will surly fall in love with the time and attention to detail this book has!

Not only is the historical part well researched and interesting, but the characters are well developed and likable. I especially loved getting to know Belle. She was a developed character with likable qualities that readers will instantly connect with. I especially loved watching her romance evolve and grow throughout the story. It had an epic feel to it without feeling like it took too long to evolve. Worth, Belle’s fiancé, was a caring and complex character which matched with Belle really well! They both complimented each other so well and I fully bought into their romance. It came full circle in the end and I was satisfied with how things played out. If you love character driven books this is a very good options for you!

This book was such a delight for me to read and I am so glad I said ‘yes’ to this one. I downloaded two of Joy Callaway’s books and I cannot wait to check them out this summer. I loved her historical research and attention to detail as well as he commitment to writing interesting characters and a ‘will they or won’t they’ romance. I was fully invested early on in the book and loved researching more about the Inn which was sort of like its own character in the book! If you want a historical fiction book that is well written with substance that you can sink your teeth into, then I think you definitely need to get this one! I can’t wait for my next Joy Callaway book!


AUTHOR BIO

Joy Callaway is the author of All the Pretty Places, The Grand Design, The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, and Secret Sisters. She holds a BA in journalism and public relations from Marshall University and an MMC from the University of South Carolina. She resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, John, and her children, Alevia and John. Visit her online at joycallaway.com.

Book Info and Rating

Format 368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 2, 2024 by Harper Muse

ISBN 9781400244317 (ISBN10: 1400244315)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Harper Muse in partnership with Austen Prose Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Genre: Historical fiction

“People are all the same deep down, aren’t they? Industrialist or inventor, miner or mason, they’re all looking for something to make them happy and to know they’re worthy enough to be invited to dance.”

What the Mountains Remember is a beautiful tribute to the magnificent Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina when it was under construction in 1913. Joy Callaway paints a gorgeous picture of the hardworking people who built the Inn as well as the wealthy elite who’ve come to watch the construction process. It’s the story of love, redemption, and the acknowledgement that every person’s story is important. I was fascinated by the meticulously researched historical details carefully woven into the story along with the heartfelt, reluctant to fall in love romance.

Belle Newbold, her mother, and wealthy stepfather have all been invited to return to the mountains she used to adore by her stepfather’s friend Henry Ford. He’s part of the Vagabonds, a group of some of America’s most wealthy elite including Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, and John Burroughs who’ve decide to go “camping” along with several other prominent families in the forest near the Grove Park Inn to check on its construction progress.

After the death of her beloved father, Belle has vowed never to marry for love. Though she loves her stepfather, she resents that her mother never talks about her father and Belle feels trapped in her grief and memories. When her stepfather arranges a marriage to Worth Delafield, she heartily agrees knowing it won’t be for love. She hasn’t seen Worth in five years, but it’s his land they’ll be camping on and she’s excited at the prospect of seeing him again. Unfortunately, her jealous “cousin” Marie Austen Kipp will be there as well.

Belle is fascinated by the building of the Inn and agrees to write an article about its construction and the men risking their lives to build it. She’s also finding it hard not to fall for Worth who’s haunted by his own sorrows. As they navigate a careful courtship determined not to fall in love, they find it harder and harder to maintain that commitment especially when they share their deepest feelings with each other. When their pasts come back to haunt them, and jealousy and illness threaten to tear them apart, they have to decide if they will risk it all for love.

I loved Worth & Belle. Their sizzling romance was filled with an underlying attraction made all the more potent by their trying to suppress it. Both had sad tragedies in their pasts making it easy to see why they were so reluctant to fall in love. I enjoyed seeing their growth as the story progressed, the realizations they come to, and the way they support and care for each other. Marie Austen Kipp is one of the love-to-hate villains in the story. Just when you think she can’t get more despicable, she does.

I thoroughly enjoyed the historical figures and details included. I’d never heard of the Grove Park Inn and couldn’t wait to look up the stunning resort. I was also fascinated by the rampant tuberculosis plaguing the workers and the need for so many sanatoriums during that time.

Definitely recommend this fascinating, romantic, well written historical romance. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher through AustenProse PR. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

CW: Infrequent, mild swearing, two mild sexually suggestive scenes, one interrupted, closed door love scene between a married couple, mild descriptions of deaths including death by fire.

“I hadn’t bargained for the way my heart startled and buckled at the sight of the spring-green hills cloaked in cloudy smoke, the way my soul seemed to scream and fall to its knees at the smell of the earthy-sweet smell of home.”

I haven't read anything by this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was immediately enamored with her beautiful and lyrical style of writing, and by this heartfelt story.

Her characters felt so real, and her vivid descriptions had me feeling like I was seeing and feeling the same things that Belle was.

I loved how Belle and Worth gave each other unconditional love and could see who the other person really was. They had both experienced heartbreak, and it was heartwarming how they found healing.

The inclusion of real life historical figures was a great touch, and obviously well researched.

I really loved the way the author honored seemingly ordinary people, and the theme of how everyone makes a difference and has an impact on others.

This was a beautiful story of love and loss, but ultimately of healing and finding joy and peace. I loved it!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse Books, and Austenprose PR for a copy!

Belle Newbold knows she walks a precarious line, and it has never been more obvious until now. Her stepfather Shipley has been invited by friend Henry Ford on one of his famous vagabond weekends camping, or rather “glamping” in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Having been raised in the mountains of West Virginia as a small child she hasn’t seen a peak in seven years, since her father’s mining days. And her heart aches being back in nature where she feels most like herself.
When her biological father died in an accident her mother fell into a deep depression and fought her way out of it and out of that life. With a few white lies, Belle’s mother moved them into a new life with Shipley in Gas City. In this life, Belle is well educated and pampered. Shipley has even helped arrange a marriage between her and Worth Delafield, which is pretty astounding considering his fortune will be left to his biological son and a small pension for Belle’s mother, and not a penny will follow Belle.

When a reporter on the the Vagabond camping trip is thrown out, Belle is unexpectedly thrusted into the roll of reporting on the new Grove Park Inn. A role recommended for her by Worth after he boasted of her writing abilities he’s seen displayed through their correspondence. She prefers researching and interviewing the workers at Grove Inn rather than tromping around participating in Ford’s made-up contests in their camp.

This trip aides Belle in realizing how fragile her future is, and what she really wants in life. With her stepfather’s friend’s a stone’s throw from the workers of Grove Park Inn, Belle sees their circumstances in sharp contrast and does what she can to shed light on blue collar America in her article.

Joy Callaway has obviously taken great care with her historical research, especially the information pertaining to the spread of consumption, and building construction of the time period. Belle is an easy character to admire, but I found her cousin irritating every time she appeared on the page. Though I enjoyed the story, parts of it did lag a little for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and the author Joy Callaway for the advanced copy of the book. What the Mountains Remember is out now. All opinions are my own.

A historical fiction romance you won't want to miss if you adore anything with a Jane Austen feel to it. What the Mountains Remember follows the main character Belle Newbold, the step-daughter of a wealthy oil and gas man who is taking his family on the trip of a lifetime with the Vagabonds of the early 1900's.

The main characters of this story are on one such "glamping" trip along with the Vagabonds and observe the construction of the iconic Grove Park Inn.

Belle Newbold is captivated by the hotel and all that goes into it's construction, including the people behind its creation. She spends much of the story meeting with the craftsman to interview them and writing their story. Which was a questionable profession for a woman during this time period. Not to mention that tuberculosis is running rampant in these parts during this time, putting the construction at risk and everyone involved with it.

While the story focuses much of it's time on this building, and I loved learning so much about it, I was also transfixed by the multifaceted character of Belle and her betrothed, Worth. Belle has a secret history that she cannot afford to let anyone find out. But she knows she needs to marry soon to ensure her future and refuses to have a love match. She saw the devastation her mother endured at the loss of her father and her resolve is strong in that she never wants to experience that kind of loss.

A young man from the same wealthy circles as her step father has agreed to marry her, but he also carries his own secrets, and they are meeting during this trip to assure their engagement and learn more about one another. As their interactions increase and they realize they both share a love for the same sorts of things - including their interest in all types of people and the nature of the world around them - they're both terrified of falling in love. The exact thing both of them want to avoid.

It's a breathtaking journey across a landscape that you can't help but fall in love with and characters that will warm your heart with their kindness and outlook on life. Plus, a wonderfully dreadful cousin that Belle must contend with whose jealousy borders on mania. Her dangerous behavior puts not only herself at risk, but everything that Belle and her mother have worked to put behind them.

My favorite quotes:
"I appreciated the way he stood up for me, the way he saw value in who I was beyond a vessel that would someday bear him children."

"There are three options when a woman is ignited into fury. She can fight, she can let it consumer her, or she can flee."

"Mother always told me you could see love plain in a look, though the beholder and the beholden would never see it. It's a gift, perhaps, from God to show us that true love isn't just a phantom."

As someone who has stayed at the Grove Park Inn, this was an absolute treat to read!

While staying at the Inn, I learned about the Inn's history and the famous people who had stayed there. Seeing that history brought to life in What the Mountains Remember was so cool! I loved the setting and thought the author did a great job paying homage to the place and time. I'm also a huge sucker for a historical romance, and this book hit all the right notes. I can think of several people in my life who I will be recommending this to.

Joy Callaway, a master southern storyteller, returns with an exquisite tale, WHAT THE MOUNTAINS REMEMBER, exploring the history and building of the iconic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.

A story of ordinary people behind extraordinary beauty.

Readers meet Belle Newbold in 1913 and later in Asheville, North Carolina. Her parents have been invited along for a glamping adventure. Her stepfather, Shipley Newbold, a gas magnate, is friends with Henry Ford. Women of elevated social status do not spend time outdoors, camping, or more than an hour or two in the elements, so she is curious about this adventure.

Her mother had forbidden her to speak of the particulars of their former life the moment she met Papa Shipley. No one knew of their true history and never would. Her father had been a coal miner. Papa Shipley was a millionaire who owned most of the gasoline wells in Indiana.

Before the term “glamping” was coined, American trailblazers Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs were some of the first to set up camp in style.

The group called themselves “The Vagabonds” and took almost yearly vacations across the US from 1914 to 1924, contributing to creating the great American road trip as we know it today. In the summer of 1918, these four men stopped in Asheville at the unfinished Grove Park Inn.

Belle's future fiancé, Worth Delafield, owns the land used for their campsite. Their marriage would be arranged, and she has only met him once. Will the Blue Ridge Mountains be any different than the mountains in West Virginia, where she has fond memories of her birth father?

Belle is delighted to receive an invitation to tour the unfinished Grove Park with the owners behind the project, Fred Seely and Edwin Wiley Grove. She soon learns much about Grove Park Inn and the community. She is asked to research and write a newspaper story about the inn's construction and the workers involved, documenting the stories behind the construction of the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

Belle also learns that once a tourist attraction, the town seems to be sanatoriums housing tuberculosis patients. There are many with TB and what about the workers building the inn?

In her latest novel, North Carolina novelist Joy Callaway takes readers to the legendary Asheville hotel during its construction in the 1910s with meticulous research, expertly blending fact with fiction with a retelling of the South's grandest hotel.

The construction process was fascinating! If you have spent time there, you will appreciate it even more after reading WHAT THE MOUNTIAN REMEMBERS. This is also Belle's story of self-discovery, class, and tribute to those responsible for building the inn, ironic and timeless with breathtaking views and backdrop. A must-read for North Carolinians.

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction or romance (preferring mysteries, thrillers, and literary fiction); however, I do like Southern fiction, and the minute I saw this cover, without reading the summary, I knew it was the Grove Park Inn and had to read it. It is a mystery as well as historical. The inn is grand with a cozy lodge feel, a large stone fireplace that is so inviting, views on every level, stunning architecture, and elegant exterior and interiors. I highly recommend going in the fall and during the Christmas season.

As a Charlotte, NC native (like the author), I have often stayed at The Grove Park Inn (now The Omni Grove Park Inn 2013). As a regional VP hotel consultant for many years, I had the pleasure of consulting with Grove Park, touring every department, and meeting with each of them. It is a sight to behold, especially the spa! Whether you choose the old or the new accommodations (I have stayed in both), the Inn is rich in history, time, place, and character. It is exquisite. You will be transported back in time while enjoying the luxuries of the modern day for a memorable experience. I have recommended the hotel to many over the years and look forward to returning.

Thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy for an honest opinion.

The audiobook, narrated by Brittany Pressley, a favorite, enhanced the overall story with a stellar performance, bumping the rating from 4 to 5 stars.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: April 2, 2024
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I loved this story by Joy Callaway! What the Mountains Remember is the story of two people determined to not fall in love. Worth and Belle truly believe that love only leads to heartache because of past experiences. Their relationship is to be a practical one, with no emotion attached to each other. However, the reality is that life doesn’t work that way. Join them as they face their past and hope for their future. You’ll be glad you did!

This historical novel captivated me with its fascinating, flawed characters and the author's meticulous research. I was so intrigued by the Grove Park Inn in North Carolina that I looked up pictures of it right away! I would love to visit it after experiencing its construction through Belle, the protagonist's perspective. The author devoted much attention to detailing the Inn's construction, which sometimes overwhelmed the story. Belle's character, caught between two worlds, was particularly compelling. Raised in poverty, her life changes when her widowed mother marries a wealthy man, catapulting them from 'have-nots' to 'haves,' a past they must hide among the aristocracy. The novel is rich with characters, blending historical figures with the fictional. Belle's impending marriage to Worth, initially arranged, evolves as she discovers he is a good man. Their up and down relationship, along with Belle's dynamics with her cousin, Marie Austen, forms the book's core amidst constant drama. The inclusion of the Vagabonds' camping tours led by Henry Ford was a fascinating historical tidbit.

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.

Since I know her family, I am ashamed to admit that this is the first of Joy Callaway's books I have read, but it won't be my last. Her attention to detail of place, time, and person is amazing, and the story she weaves is enthralling. I was there at Grove Park Inn, holding my breath as the men carefully placed the roof tiles, praying they would not fall. I could see the beautiful sky through the skylight. I could feel the mountains calling to me as they did Belle. Joy's characters are amazing. I felt I knew Belle immediately. I wanted to smack Marie Austen and tell her to grow up. What a frustrating character! Seeing the famous men of the time in a fun and casual light made them more personal. I could feel Belle's struggle with love and her history as she tried to find her place in a time not entirely kind to women. I love that Joy wrote Belle's article to tell of the little people behind the Eighth Wonder Of The Word. As Belle (and Joy) said "No one's life is small". Thanks to NetGalley for introducing me to Joy's work. I am proud to give my honest review of this wonderful book. I loved your book, Joy!

“Everyone — every person in front of us and everyone on earth — is living a grand story no matter how small it seems, and our greatest hope, I think, is that at some point it catches another’s eye and becomes their favorite.“

The seamless blend of history and fiction in What the Mountains Remember delighted me and made me not only want to visit the Grove Park Inn post haste but also to continue learning more about Asheville during that time period. I remember my heart being so impacted several years ago when I learned that there was a German internment camp in Asheville during World War 1, thanks to Pepper Basham’s The Thorn Healer, and reading about the tuberculosis outbreak and the building of the intricately crafted Grove Park Inn in Joy Callaway’s latest novel has piqued my interest the same way. The humanity that Callaway gives to her characters and the life she gives to the setting in What the Mountains Remember is equally compelling and seriously has me craving a long overdue trip to ‘my’ mountains.

Along those lines, I related to Belle quite a bit more than I imagined I would. Like me, Appalachia and its mountains are in her blood, and she feels more alive in their presence than anywhere else. I also know the impact of losing a parent in a coal mining accident, as it’s how my grandfather (at the age of 19) lost his own father. So I immediately felt a kinship to Belle, and though that’s where our similarities ended I stayed invested in her story until the very end. She’s a wonderful heroine with a layered history and winsome personality. Not to be outdone, our hero Worth more than lives up to his name. Because he is a man of true character and integrity and compassion, and therefore worthy of being the man Belle should marry, to be sure. But also because the underlying theme of What the Mountains Remember is that all of us have inherent worth, no matter our station in life or our past or our family – or even if no one else bothers to acknowledge our contributions and talents – there are so small stories or valueless lives. Even the most odious character in this novel, Marie Austen Kipp, has value whether I could find any redeeming qualities in her or not lol.

Bottom Line: In What the Mountains Remember, Joy Callaway brings the mountains of North Carolina and Asheville’s compelling history to life with vivid characters and atmospheric prose. This is my first read by this author, and while it started out a little slow for me I soon came to really enjoy her writing voice and the story itself. I loved the mix of history and fiction, including getting to rub fictional elbows with the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone, and I found the construction of the Grove Park Inn amid a tuberculosis outbreak in Asheville to be particularly fascinating. The romance between Worth and Belle had me swooning and grinning and just altogether delighted, and the tenderness that accompanied the growing sparks between them was so well-written. A great choice for fans of Pepper Basham, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Ann H. Gabhart.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

"Everyone - every person in front of us and everyone on earth - is living a grand story no matter now small it seems, and our greatest hope, I think, is that at some point it catches another's eye and becomes their favorite. I find that fascinating."

Another memorable, historical story from Joy Callaway. She's got such a way with writing, so vivid and lush in her descriptions and the words just flow smoothly. The above quote is just one example. I enjoy reading about and learning more about the areas in her books - this is the first time I've learned about the Vagabond camper excursions and the Grove Park Inn. Belle and Worth were fantastic characters to lead this story, the setting is memorable and it's just an enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, Harper Muse, and Joy Callaway for the opportunity to read the ARC, "What the Mountains Remember." I absolutely loved everything about this book.

I was so excited when I realized the story revolved around the building of the amazing Grove Park Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. I lived near Asheville for several years. Every year I visited the Grove Park Hotel for the annual gingerbread house competition. I also enjoyed going there often to sit out on their terrace and enjoy a meal or drink with an amazing view of the mountains. I think the author, Callaway, did an amazing job of describing the area in and around Asheville. She especially described the blooms and vegetation in spring. One of my favorite past times while I lived there was hiking in the mountains in search of the many different wildflowers that bloomed there in the spring. I was able to envision (and smell) the azaleas, magnolias, mountain laurels, lady slippers, and many other flowers Callaway described so vividly.

I also loved her overall theme of all people being equal to one another. She did a phenomenal job of showing how important the financers and the construction workers were to the final outcome and masterpiece of the Grove Park Hotel. Callaway showed how all of the people involved with the building of the Grove Park Hotel strived to make it the best it could be. She also described how hard the tuberculosis virus hit all of the people living in and around Asheville. The city of Asheville was dependent upon this grand hotel to help bring their town back to life.

I thought this story was incredibly interesting and I learned so much about the area I had lived in for years. I think anyone who enjoys historical fiction will enjoy reading about this marvelous hotel and the difficult circumstances the workers had to overcome in order to build the exquisite and lasting structure of the Grove Park Hotel. This book got a five star from me and I plan on reading more books by this author, Joy Callaway. #WhattheMountainsRemember #NetGalley #JoyCallaway

What the Mountains Remember is an engaging novel based on the history of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. The story takes place while the inn was being built in 1913. It revolves around Henry Ford’s Vagabond camping tours, which I had never heard of before. Essentially, “glamping” in the early days of the automobile. I want to be a Vagabond!

Belle is the perfect heroine for this story, with a secret background of a poor mining family. It was easy to share her frustration with her ditzy, entitled step-cousin who kept getting in the way and causing problems. I was fascinated to observe the building process and the setting of the beautiful Grove Park Inn right along with her.

This historical fiction novels follows Belle Newbold as she travels to Asheville for a camping excursion with The Vagabonds (a group of notable men of the time with names you will most definitely recognize). While there she reconnects with her intended, Worth, a match made by her wealthy stepfather but one of which she approves. They tour the Grove Park Inn during its construction and Belle feels a connection to the workers. From a mining town herself with a father who was a miner she is given the opportunity to tell their story.

As a lover of Asheville this story holds a special place in my heart, but I know people even unfamiliar with Asheville will love this book. Belle pushes societal norms of the time with the support of loved ones. The push and pull of belonging to one class or another causes her to rethink her identity and find peace in the in-between.

This is a story about class, about a city on the brink of ruin, about family, and most of all about love. The story is completely immersive and the characters so complex that I was invested in their personal growth. Belle is a true heroine of historical fiction.

Thank you for this advanced copy!

This is my first book by Joy Callaway, and it was a great experience! I could not resist this book because it is set at my happy place, "Grove Park Inn"Each scene she takes the reader inside the 8th Wonder of the World I honestly can say I felt like I was there. I have been there, however I would imagine someone who is not familiar with Grove Park would immediately feel transported to the Grand Hall and its gargantuan fire places. The over arching story and themes of the book were inspirational and sings the praises of all the men behind the scene of this masterpiece of a hotel. The authors notes alone at the end of the book elevated my appreciation for this book and makes me eager to get back there this summer. All that aside, the story did not hold my attention, and I felt the story was actually pretty weak. The frequent break up/ get back together/ of the various couples was hard to keep up with. The reason behind their breaking up also left me rolling my eyes. Marie Austen was one of the most horrid characters I have read. I cringed whenever she opened her mouth, it was too much, The relationships and the "secrets" the characters here hiding were anticlimatic. The drama fell limp on the page. If I could have a non fiction book I would be hovering a 5 star book, sadly the fictional part only reached the height of a bunny slope. I do hope to read more by this author, I can see she is a great author and I want to check out more. If you have the chance I highly suggested visiting the Grove Park Inn it is a magical and fun place!Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I was not influenced or paid for this honest review.

What the Mountains Remember is a story about grief, finding yourself, and learning to love again after suffering loss.

April 1913 — Belle Newbold, along with her mother and stepfather, are invited to join one of Henry Ford’s famous Vagabonds camping tours.

Seven years ago, Belle’s father died in a mining accident. Since then her mother has remarried an Indiana gas magnate, and Belle has lived in the city. Returning to a similar landscape from the one she left behind awakens a part of herself Belle has kept hidden. But she must keep those parts of herself secret. No one knows of her and her mother’s humble origins, not least of all her future fiancée, Worth Delafield.

She has met Worth only once, but that doesn’t matter to Belle. After seeing how her mother fell apart when Belle’s father died, Belle swore off love. Worth can offer stability and a family, everything Belle thought she wanted.

But the mountain surroundings and the construction of the great Grove Park Inn have brought out something in her that she hadn’t bargained for. Fascinated by the building which looks as though it has rises from the mountain itself, Belle is inspired to write the story of the men behind the inn, for the workers, and for the father she loved who didn’t have the opportunity to be a writer.

I loved the North Carolina setting of this book and Belle’s appreciation for nature. The details about the building of the Grove Park Inn were incredibly interesting. It made me want to stay there myself!

However, I would have been happy if the book ended around the 65% mark. After that Belle’s problems felt a little repetitive and the reveals fell flat for me. Some scenes seemed unnecessary and one of the reveals could have been removed entirely, in my opinion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Harper Muse for providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley.

What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway comes out tomorrow 2 April 2024.

** “Everyone — every person in front of us and everyone on earth — is living a grand story no matter how small it seems, and our greatest hope, I think, is that at some point it catches another’s eye and becomes their favorite.” **

Joy Callaway delivers a delightful story based on historical events and the creation of an iconic hotel in “What the Mountains Remember.”

Belle Newbold has not seen the mountains since her miner father’s death in the mines of West Virginia. But when her family — stepfather and gas magnate Papa Shipley and her mother — are invited to one of Henry Ford’s and Thomas Edison’s Vagabonds Tour in Asheville, N.C., she must face the mountains and what they represent head on.

Some of the activities include viewing the near completion of the Grove Park Inn, a highly unique structure made out of concrete and stones from the mountains. As Belle’s fascination grows with the process and the people who are bringing the structure to life, she is asked to write the story of the people building the hotel. While doing so, she also gets to know better Worth Delafield, the man she plans to marry. Both are searching for a marriage filled with kindness and compassion but not love.

Will Belle be able to overcome several obstacles all while hiding her true past identity as well as her growing feelings for Worth?

Callaway does an incredible job of diving deeply into a real event with real people, all while creating fictionalized characters to further develop her story. Readers will love Belle and Worth, relating to their past struggles and traumas. They will also feel the inspiration the hotel’s workers provide.

She also fills “What the Mountains Remember” with several great themes, like there are no small lives or stories (“It is easy to consider yourself ordinary, worthless even, when you mistakenly think of your contribution as small. No one’s life is small”); guarding one’s heart; dealing with jealousy; finding your purpose; the power of love; and love sets a person free.

Fans of historical fiction and stories about actual historical events and places will love this novel, which is due out April 2.

Five stars out of five.

Harper Muse provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

I love the Grove Park Inn so when I saw the cover, I knew I had to read it. I loved the background and details into the building of the Grove Park Inn. Bella tries to play it safe and marry for security over love but is happy to learn that Worth Delafield feels the same way. The love story was definitely second fiddle to the history of the Grove Park, but I thought it was a good read.