Since the early twentieth century, the mountains around Asheville have been home to a mix of longtime mountain families and wealthy newcomers. The contrasting lives of those two groups are on display in Peacock Hill. Robin and Kirke Bryant are a sister and brother with deep mountain roots. Robin is a young woman who has never been far from home. Her brother, Kirke, saw a bit of the world when he was in the military and later when he worked for a large oil company in Saudi Arabia. His work for Big Oil left him with enough money to allow him and his sister to continue to live on their family’s land. The Bryants may be financially secure, but not on the same scale as Ezra Calloway, the owner of Peacock Hill. Mr. Calloway lives in a large mansion on a gated manor, with servants and a secretary to help him with his historical research. He and his secretary dress in white tie and tails for dinner, and they never have guests. That changes when Calloway’s great niece, Brooke Hildreth, arrives unannounced. Brooke is young, wealthy, and recently widowed. Uncle Ezra opens his house and heart to her, and Brooke considers staying on with her uncle. But Brooke’s prior life follows her to Peacock Hill. While the household at Peacock Hill remains unruffled by the complications that Brooke brings, Brooke and people from her circle unsettle the routines–and even the lives–of Robin and Kirke.
Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.
