REVIEW: The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey

In The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey, Edith Vanderbilt and her loving husband George had been an indomitable team in keeping their beloved Biltmore running against all odds. But in 1914, when George suddenly passes away, Edith is left on her own to raise their teenage daughter Cornelia–as well as ensure their grand home and surrounding village continue to thrive. Test after test, she doesn’t relent. Through it all, Edith does her best to instill her sense of compassion and goodwill in Cornelia, hoping when she inherits Biltmore at age twenty-five, she will continue their legacy. But as life in the spotlight becomes too much for Cornelia to endure over the years, will she choose to stay at Biltmore so her sons can eventually take over? Or will Cornelia choose to seek a new life far away from the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina?

‘Edith’s greatest strength was that she had learned how to be a survivor. Now it was her job to make sure Cornelia did, too.’

Julia Baxter has dreamed of being married at the Biltmore estate since she was a young girl. And now, the day has finally arrived. But when a bombshell is dropped about her fiance, she’s unsure if she can go through with the wedding. It’s when the heirloom veil is being placed on her head–her family’s symbol of love and happiness–that Julia knows she can’t marry Hayes. One impromptu trip to the Virgin Islands, many tears, and one fateful meeting later, she’s getting ready to start a new chapter in her life. As is her grandmother, Babs, when she has the chance to rekindle a relationship from almost sixty years ago. But Julia can’t let go of the history behind her family’s wedding veil and the resemblance to the one Cornelia Vanderbilt wore almost a century ago. Could there be a link there?

‘My entire life that veil had been a symbol of happiness, but I realized that, for me, its significance wasn’t even really about marriage. It was about the connection that touching it, wearing it, seeing it, made me feel to Babs and Mom, to my great-grandmother, and Aunt Alice.’

The Wedding Veil was a deeply emotional–and completely fascinating–multi-generational tale of four women: the mistakes they made, their strength and bravery in all they endured while carrying on their legacies, and the cherished bonds they made throughout their lives.

“Is this a magic wedding veil, Mama?” Edith asked.
Susan nodded enthusiastically. “Why yes, darling,” she whispered. “You have discovered the secret. Once you wear it on your wedding day, you will be happy forever.”

I’ve fallen in love with Kristy Woodson Harvey’s insightful writing over the years where it delves into complicated family dynamics, the difficulties of navigating love and even friendship. But this…*this* novel went way above and beyond the rest. The way KWH weaved together historical fiction with contemporary women’s fiction and romance was seamless. And compelling. I will mention that if you’re a fan of “the story behind the story”, please make sure to read the Author’s Note at the end of the book. The way KWH’s research and story idea came together was pure serendipity and I loved finding out which parts of the novel were true and what was a blend of fiction and known (possibly factual) historical information.

Told from four POVs, The Wedding Veil had several timelines, beginning as far back as 1879 when Edith was a young girl and then bouncing between several points from then to present day, which was with Julia and her grandmother Babs. Edith’s daughter Cornelia was the fourth POV. And as she grew up, hers was the part of the story that, while it was extremely interesting, bugged me the most with the choices she made. The Dresser/Vanderbilt veil being one of those decisions that had a big impact later on.

I do think that seeing so many generations of women, though, made it easier to understand what happened in each of their families, the choices they made. But it was also easier to see which of the women had moments of selfishness. Plus, comparing what Edith and Cornelia lived through–WWI, the Spanish Flu, the stock market crash and the Great Depression, floods–to present day was eye-opening. The struggle to keep Biltmore going and thriving during such harrowing times showed the determination of the Vanderbilts. And thank goodness for that, for it’s still a place where history is kept alive and new generations of women (like Julia) can visit, celebrating their special occasions in a place rife with tradition.

QOTD: Kind of like a magical talisman, the wedding veil was supposed to bring luck and happiness to those who wore it. Do you have any “good luck charms”?

Book Info:

Publication: Published March 29th 2022 | Gallery Books |

The New York Times bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky and the Peachtree Bluff series brings “her signature wit, charm, and heart” (Woman’s World) to this sweeping new novel following four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family.

Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it.

Present Day: Julia Baxter’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil’s good luck isn’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago.

1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the untimely death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—in spite of her family’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore’s gilded gates.

In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil brings to vivid life a group of remarkable women forging their own paths—and explores the mystery of a national heirloom lost to time.