Focusing on the legacy of an American family over four generations, the narrative spans from 1810 to 2010, highlighting the creation of Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum. Located on Narragansett Bay in Bristol, Rhode Island, this 33-acre estate is celebrated as New England's premier seaside garden estate. The story is enriched by a vast archival collection of letters and photographs, which vividly depict the family's history and their contributions to the estate's enduring beauty.
In June 1903, 19-year-old Marjorie Van Wickle embarked on a journey that profoundly changed the course of her life, leading to life-long passions for art, music, and horticulture. For eleven months, she traveled with a chaperone through Europe and Egypt, touring capital cities, small towns, and villages; visiting art museums, historic sites, and legendary monuments. The book is constructed around excerpts from letters and postcards Marjorie sent home to her mother, and photographs she took.