Book of the week: The last Castle: Denise Kiernan
This author tells the legacy of Edith and George Vanderbilt and their house Biltmore (the "last castle"). We traveled back in time: from the beginning, of their good names but tragic loss early in life, to the humbleness nature of their desires that differed a bit from their peers as they definitely built and lived a life suited to their gilded age roots but also got their hands dirty in their life ambitions of essentially taking care of those less fortunate then they were. This resulted in the foundations of charities and businesses and growth in studies and reputations along with life long friends and acquaintances through generations. Biltmore has lasted to this day through private ownership of Vanderbilt descendants. The house itself served as the grand home to George and Edith and their children, host to wartime endeavors and hospitals, and from the late 30s to present, a tourist attraction of days gone by. As the days went by and the ages fell, rose and fell again, The family has risen and fallen with it. Properties were renovated, rented, or sold, as well as the acquired land/stocks-except the Biltmore house and it's surrounding land, of course. The conclusion is that while many legacy's of its time has been forgotten (or overshadowed), you can find history in today's world. It is in the buildings sold that are now storefronts, hotels, and or apartment buildings. Affiliations from yesteryear neighborhoods and/or villages. One can even find it in the remanence of its laws and culture, of its fashion and crafts, of its successes and its failers; as well as it's brain and brawn. And what seems to be most important, the good deeds and money/reputation it profits from/of.
To be honest, I mostly skimmed this book. While it seemed like an interesting read, I found the writing...a bit to textbooky-ish. I did enjoy the concept of it though: preserving and learning through and from history (at least that's what I got out of it).
