From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled–by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack’s rugged behavior by tutoring him in the ways of refined society, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie’s efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt’s lady’s maid. But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs…and their hearts.
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Violence - 1/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
Overall Love this thoughtful read from Deanne Gist. For starters it is set around the turn of the twentieth century on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate. Ms. Gist is gifted at intertwining history with imagination to produce delightful historical fiction novels. A couple of themes stood out to me, one being that as parents we must not try to live out our dreams by forcing them upon our children. The flip side of that, as a child it is wise to seek the counsel of parents, but one must stop short of denying her own dreams. The protagonist learns that she must follow her dreams, not the unrealized dreams of her mother. Our protagonist, Tillie, also learns that having
access to a more privileged lifestyle does not bring happiness either. Better to have little and be happy and content, than to have much and be miserable and always wanting more. The novel is a good read with a believable plot, and interesting information about the Vanderbilts and their progressive attitudes toward their servants and community.