I loved this book. Being a North Carolina native I LOVE stories around places I've visited. I truly felt like I had been transported to that world.

I started this one a couple of times before I finished it but I am glad I did! I haven't read a lot of historical fiction lately and this was a refreshing venture back in.

Belle came from poverty but when her father died, her mother met Shipley Newbold, a Indiana gas magnate. Shipley is unaware of their humble beginnings and her mother needs to keep it that way. But when they are invited on a Vagabond camping tour with Henry Ford, they are taken back to the mountains and their past comes rushing back. Meanwhile, Belle is arranged to be married soon to wealthy fiancé that she barely knows. Belle has the opportunity to write about the Grove Park Inn that is being constructed at great cost but instead of angling toward the extravagance, she angles her story at the ordinary people who were making it happen. She relates to the workers from the mountains and wants to tell their story.

I really enjoyed Belle finding herself and her love of writing. I also really liked her step-father, Shipley and their relationship. I listened to this one and the audio was really good! I also got to meet Joy Callaway at an event in August and got a signed copy of the book.

I just love reading about an actual place that I live near or visited, and WHAT THE MOUNTAINS REMEMBER was such a fascinating story, I was drawn to the setting of the Grove Park Inn, located in the NC mountains.

Set during 1913, I was completely captivated by this timeline of Henry Ford’s Vagabonds tour and the TB cases that began in the working class of that time. The attention to historic detail was done so well, and of course this found family theme pulled at my heart.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-historical fiction
-strong women
-found family

*many thanks to Harper Muse and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway is a beautifully written novel about two people who are trying their best to not fall in love with each other. This was a wonderful audiobook thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus. Brittany Pressley did a fantastic job bringing this story to life.

What the Mountains Remember follows Belle Newbold as she reluctantly returns to the mountains of North Carolina, joining a high-profile camping trip with Henry Ford and other influential figures. Set to meet her arranged fiancé, Belle is drawn to the construction of the Grove Park Inn and the men building it, reminding her of her late father. I appreciated the detailed historical backdrop, especially the construction of the iconic Grove Park Inn. While the characters were well-developed, some felt inconsistent at times. The pacing was generally good, though the in-depth descriptions of the hotel occasionally slowed things down. Overall, it’s a beautifully written historical fiction that captures the essence of early 20th-century North Carolina.

What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway was a fantastic dive into history. I loved how she brought the story to life with vivid imagery and made it seem like I was actually there.

I could not develop an interest in the main character. She may have grown throughout the story, but I did not care about her enough to finish the book.

Not a favourite historical fiction, but the story is fascinating.
The story is very well told and it shows the research done.
The characters were a mix of likable and annoying, but their behaviour wasn't consistent throught the book.
It's refreshing seeing an historic drama of this period that doesn't focus on the war.

What the Mountains Remember is a delightful early twentieth-century novel set in the mountains. Belle and her mother join her step-father at one stop of the famous Vagabonds camping with Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs.

Belle is set to meet her intended, who happens to own the land where the Vagabonds have set up camp. As part of the adventure, they get an advanced look at the Grove Park Inn, called The Eighth Wonder of the World because of its awe-inspiring use of local rocks. Thanks to the antics of her 'cousin' with a journalist, Belle finds herself invited to write about the Inn. She sees it as the chance to tell the story of the ordinary men who took a dream and made it reality.

While Belle and her family plus a few other characters are fictional, the Grove Park Inn and some of the characters are real, After enjoying the lovely prose describing the beauty of the locale, I am ready to journey there.

Overall, it is a delightful story that reminds us of the impact an ordinary person can have. I look forward to reading more by JOy Callaway.

Brittany Pressley was a good narrator and kept me engaged. The only times when the audiobook drove me nuts was when she was voicing the annoying 'cousin.' For some reason, the volume of that character was significantly louder than some of the others, so I had to keep changing the volume setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the advanced audiobook copy. All opinions are my own.

Historical fiction, especially set in the south, is something I enjoy! This one is based on a true story, and the plot sounded really interesting. Asheville, NC, is a beautiful setting, and this book's setting is amazing!

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Belle Newbold has not been back to the mountains of North Carolina in 6 years after her father's death in a coal mine. Her mother met and married a wealthy gas magnate, Shipley Newbold, who knows nothing of their meager past and how they are not socialites. They have kept this secret from everyone but Belle knows her only chance of financial security is to marry a wealthy man, not for love but partnership. Shipley curated such a match with like minded bachelor Worth Delafield. The Newbolds have joined Henry Ford and his group of social "Vagabonds" on a luxury camping trip in the mountains of Ashville where she will meet Mr. Delafield for the first time. While there Belle is mesmerized by the construction of the iconic Grove Park Inn and the men, who remind her of her father, that are building it. Given a monumental opportunity to write a story about the inns construction Belle and Worth set out to learn all they can about this historic building, all while desperately trying not to fall in love.

This is a beautiful historic fiction set in the mountains of North Carolina. Callaway does a wonderful job of creating interesting and dynamic characters with passion and enough interest to keep the story moving. The pace of the novel is pretty good, there were point about the description of the hotel that became a bit cumbersome. Callaway has done a massive amount of research and shows her love of the area and the grand hotel. I would recommend this story to historical fiction fans. It also made me want to visit the hotel!

I had the audio version read by Brittany Pressley who does a lovely narration. Her characters and timing are dynamic and kept my interest.

1913 Asheville, North Carolina

Nice blend of fiction and historical detail. The author's note fully explains which characters and details were from her own imagination and which were from the pages of history.

Belle Newbold and her newly married mother are on an adventure with the Vagabonds (think glamping with the upper crust). Belle is continuously on edge as she works to hide her commoner past from everyone except her mother. Most of the tale takes place near the construction of the Grove Park Inn.

All of the historical details, especially regarding consumption, were fascinating. Unfortunately, I didn't like most of the characters.

Nice job by the narrator.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
Beautifully written and researched, this is all that is great about historical fiction. The setting and the time period are so vividly developed that I became completely engrossed. The story deals with grief, societal conventions, expectations, secrets, love, and growth. You really feel for all the characters and become attached to their wins and losses.

The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did a good job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, with what expression/intension, and the appropriate accent. It was a pleasure to listen to. 

Thank you to HarperCollins Focus, NetGalley, and author Joy Callaway for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. What the Mountains Remember is out April 2, 2024.

Belle returns to the Carolina mountains under much different circumstances. She left as a child of a poor mining family and returns as a wealthy socialite, with the potential for a marriage of convenience. With Henry Ford and the Vagabonds, her small family has the opportunity to see the local Eighth Wonder of the World under construction.
The history is really good, so much so that I would absolutely read another from Joy. I've only read one other book that touched on Asheville and Biltmore so seeing this space and time through a different lense was a welcome literary escape. I think I expected a little more romance, but the relationships that develop felt authentic. The threads of hope and triumph are the perfect balance to the emotional turmoil and conflicts that arise throughout.
Thank you to Harper Collins Focus for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

This audiobook and it's a love story to Asheville and it's surrounding areas, as well as a great ad for the Grove Park Inn which is still running as a high end accommodation.

My support of the main character wavers almost chapter to chapter. I wish she was a bit more aware and intelligent and less lost in herself / self destructive.

Having had lived in this area of the country for several years it's nostalgic and wonderful to learn more about a still beautiful nature wonderland.

Belle is trying to find her way in a world not entirely her own. Determined to marry for security, not love, Belle thinks she has her future carefully mapped out.

As a fan of both historical fiction and vintage architecture, this title was perfect for me. Seeing the construction of Grove Park Inn through Belle’s eyes is fantastic, and I appreciate Callaway’s dedication to showing the talents of the “little man” - the workers who built the inn. As Belle works to show the personhood of everyone who plays a role in the inn’s construction, she also experiences a revelation about the value of herself and those around her.

Brittany Pressley is a magician with narration and she is quickly becoming an auto-listen for me. She is the primary reason this one caught my eye and I am so glad it did.

This is my first Joy Callaway book and it most certainly will not be my last; she writes in vivid detail and devastating prose. The history oozes off the pages and as a reader, you are totally immersed into the Blue Ridge mountains.

Belle is thrust into situations beyond what make her comfortable and pushed to do things she didn't think possible. Your admiration for her soars as she steps into these roles and outshines the expectation. As you read, names that are larger than life turn up, like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, and it makes the story so much more tangible. While we may not have known a Belle existes, we all certainly know about Henry Ford.

This story is beautiful and moving and so honest. I now low-key feel like I need to plan a trip to the Grove Park Inn.

This was a beautifully written and narrated audiobook. The writing made me feel as if I was in the mountains of North Carolina. It was refreshing learning about a time in history that I hadn't ever learned about before.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first Joy Callaway book. What the Mountains Remember, narrated by the amazing Brittany Pressley, is a beautifully written, well researched, intriguing story, with in depth character development, particularly in regards to Belle, Worth, and The Grove Park Inn. I enjoyed reading about this time period which I knew little to nothing about and following both the internal and external challenges and complexities Belle faces in her thoughts, ideas, and relationships. While I do believe the book started out a bit slowly, the content kept me going, and soon the pace picked up and remained steady throughout. I'm looking forward to my next Joy Callaway read and would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction and/or romance!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, and Joy Callaway for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyed the characters, setting and description of the building of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. I enjoyed the cameo of Charlotte in there a few times too.

I liked Belle and her forthrightness, being willing to take risks and get her hands dirty rather than fit the mold of a society lady only, and to champion the workers at the Inn. I did like Worth too and how he supported her but he sometimes felt a little annoying how much he was constantly vacillating in his mood and behavior. Also people seem to faint a lot in the book lol.

But I thought the story was great and very interesting, and the writing was excellent. I could identify with the characters, and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine