Under a Gilted Moon
Joy Jordan Lake
Published December 2020
409 pages
Historical Literary Mystery
I enjoyed this story of diverse characters set in the middle of the building of Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC in 1895. I have visited Biltmore many times through the years as I only live a few hours away in the Piedmont of NC. I wanted to visit this year – and would have especially enjoyed it during the Christmas season that always offers more beauty, bright lights, and glamour than usual. But during a pandemic, reading this book was the next best thing.
Kerry McGregor, the protagonist, is a strong woman in an age that didn’t encourage strength and independent thinking in its women. The story quickly pulled me inside as I watched Kerry get on a train to return to NC, in spite of her own wishes for a life out of the Appalachians. The scenic descriptions of the train station promised further treats for my senses, and the author did not disappoint. Her visual interpretations of our breathtaking blue ridge mountains were age old, yet somehow fresh.
The author has obviously done her research and used it to enhance the storyline of clashing cultures during this historic time period. I found myself quite liking young Mr. George Biltmore II, who seemed to care for fairness and justice in an unequal world. The character traits of intense pride and independence that have defined the mountain people throughout the generations into today were spot on.
The book was plot heavy and sometimes difficult to keep all of the pieces straight for me but the beautiful prose held my interest to the end.
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