Smitley 1 Leah Smitley Ms.

Caruso English 1202-Final Project April 11, 2012 In Awe of the Vanderbilts The Vanderbilt family may be the most widely known family during the 1800s and 1900s in America who changed the culture of North Carolina. The family was compared to royalty because of their wealth, social status and the way society viewed them. Love, though, is not always an adjective that comes to mind when discussing the Vanderbilts. In the proposed book, In Awe of the Vanderbilts, love is shown by how it is expressed and how it is completely ignored. George Washington Vanderbilt II is noted for being a fair and just employer, yet in the book he is made out to be a material man who thinks of business more than family. Although his personality may be kind when looking on the surface, it is narrator that shows his true colors. George and Edith are the main benefactors to how betrayal can occur in even the most structured home. In Awe of the Vanderbilts is meant to be a simple story with twists to show a timeless family and a back-story no one has heard before. The beginning of the book starts when the main character is twelve years old, yet many events that happened in the past are mentioned such as when George built the Biltmore, married Edith and when they had Cornelia. It is not reveled until much later that Brooklynn, the main character and Theodoor, another important character, are actually twins. The book goes in a chronological order, but she, the narrator, remembers and learns things from the past. An important part of the whole book is that Brooklynn is the narrator and talks from first person, but every few chapters Theodoor becomes the narrator and the readers can hear his point of view.

Smitley 2 This type of book will allow readers to know the inside feelings of two characters and how they view the same situation. It is interesting to see how twins living in the same home, but growing up separated will think the same, yet act different. The beginning of the book is centered on how Brooklynn is raised by the famous Vanderbilt family and what her life consists of. This part is very inward centered. She describes her feelings towards her family and towards herself; readers come to know who she is and what motives her actions. This part is needed because without the knowledge of what motives her readers will be confused in the rest of the book. The middle portion of In Awe of the Vanderbilts is when there is more interaction between characters. Brooklynn meets Amery and their relationship grows to a romantic love. Brooklynn talks to Theodoor more and feels a certain connection that she is not sure she wants to have. Brooklynn begins to come into her own and starts to question the world she was raised in. Her problems may seem small, but as she ages and her life become more complicated her problems grow and how she handles them is in a more mature manner. Theodoor is going through the same problems of feeling that he does not belong. He loves his family and has no problem with them, but somewhere in the deepest part of his soul he is missing something. He feels an ache when he thinks of living a different life. An ache of guilt for thinking he should be somewhere else and an ache of sadness because he longs to be where his heart knows he should be. This part of the book is meant to create anticipation. The reader knows none of the information about their births, but readers know something big is going to happen. All the characters have confusion and question their lives or choices. George and Edith wonder if they made the right decision eighteen years ago, Amery questions his father about his loves past. Brooklynn and Theodoor are confused about the emptiness they feel. The middle part of the book is there to add interactions between characters, show how their lives are changed by the

Smitley 3 split and builds anticipation. This book is unlike any other; there is a mystery to it, without having the scary scenes or the expected outcomes. The last section of the book is all about the characters finding out the truth and how it affects the rest of their lives. Amerys father was there when the twins were separated; Amery finally gets his father to confess. With this knowledge Amery tells Brooklynn, the woman he loves. He cannot keep something so important from her. Once readers know the truth they realize that throughout the whole book there were little sayings and secrets that had to do with the separation said from Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt. Brooklynn freaks out and doesnt know what to do; she is so angry that she storms into her parents room and confronts them about it all. At that moment the readers learn the whole truth in order and everything is out in the air. There is a huge argument and confrontation. The next day Theodoor is sent away before he can learn the truth of his life. He joins the French Foreign Legion, looking for something to invest his new strange life in. Within a year he is killed in battle. While he is in France, Brooklynn and Amery run away together and end of getting married in Kansas. George erases Brooklynn from the family line and tries to cover up the whole mess without anyone knowing. Cornelia marries a rich man and the Vanderbilts are saved from bankruptcies, yet everyone feels differently then they expected. George dies after Cornelias wedding from a heart attack due to stress. Edith remarries mainly to change her last name and to try to forget her mistakes. Cornelia makes the Biltmore estate public and moves out because she cannot stand to live in a home with such horrible memories; she later gets a divorce because she feels her marriage is a fake. The Vanderbilt family is in shambles and nothing is the same. The last part of the book is the reveal and shows how each character deals with the aftermath of something so tragic.

Smitley 4 In Awe of the Vanderbilts is meant for mostly woman from teenage to older years. It is an interesting story with history and love; perfect themes for any woman to enjoy. Because it is such a romantic setting and era people will inevitable be interested in it at first, and once they read it they will not want to stop. The book challenges the well-known Vanderbilt family by creating a story that is suppose to be a deep, secretive narrative of inside the home and away from the public. This book is a mysterious, historical, love story that can grab the attention of readers at first glance. The book is about a simple family with complex problems and intense feelings.