The Wedding Veil

This "masterfully woven... literary home run" (New York Journal of Books) follows four women across generations, bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family from the New York Times bestselling author of the Peachtree Bluff series.

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, 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 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 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—despite her family's deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own, and 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 is "a sparkling, fast-paced joy of a book that celebrates love, family, and the right to shape one's own destiny" (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).

About the Author

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, and The Peachtree Bluff series. Her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA Today, Domino, and O. Henry. Her books have received numerous accolades, including Southern Living's Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade's Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly's Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom, Beth Woodson, on Design Chic. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son.

Reviews

"Masterfully woven... [a] literary homerun. This split-time narrative will delight readers of both contemporary and historical novels. As with all her books, Harvey delivers her trademark glamour and lighthearted spirit, all while weaving in fashion, architectural design, and the dramas that play out in daily life. It's a delightful, well-shaped novel that leaves readers with a burst of joy in the end. And who knows? Readers may even close the book believing that with a little magic, a family may be able to survive all the hardships to create their own little happy ever after." —New York Journal of Books

"The author easily switches between the time periods to locate momentous events in the characters' lives and connect each story line with the veil at the center. Harvey, ever a fine storyteller, manages to keep the pages turning." —Publishers Weekly

"Finding inspiration in the true story of Edith Vanderbilt and her mysteriously disappeared wedding veil, Harvey intertwines a veil's generations-spanning journey, the lives of the women who wore it, and the strength required to remove the veil and follow one's heart instead." —Booklist

"The author of the Peachtree Bluff series brings her signature warmth and Southern charm to this story about four women across generations that are bound by a beautiful wedding veil and a connection to the famous Vanderbilt family. Like sweet tea, Woodson Harvey's writing coats your soul with heart." —E! Online

Dimensions: 10.48 x 2.79 x 19.05 cm