Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

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    Oh, I've been in a bit of a reading slump the past few weeks. I have oodles of books here at home, but I just can't seem to sit still long enough to make a dent in any of them. So frustrating! 

I picked this novel from June's BOTM choices because it looked fun. You know sometimes you get in a slump and keep reading the same type of book over and over, and you just don't realize it. Well, that was me. Reading Last Summer at the Golden Hotel kicked me out of my routine and it was the perfect summer book for me. 

Nostalgia is HUGE in this novel about two families: the Goldmans and the Weingolds. Benny and Louise Goldman, and Amos and Fanny Weingold owned the famous Golden Hotel in the Catskills of New York State. For sixty years, it was a classic summer getaway for Jewish families living in the big city. A week or two spent at the Golden Hotel meant plenty of time for swimming, dancing, endless food, class A entertainment, and plenty of gossip. The Golden was a family tradition for thousands of people over the decades-something very special. 

Now, however, the Catskills are no longer a big draw, and the Golden Hotel is the last remaining resort. Others went out of business or were bought out and turned into casinos or golf courses. The Golden is teetering on the brink of closing. Guest counts are way down; the place needs serious renovation, and now a company wants to buy it and turn it into a casino. Brian Weingold has struggled to keep it afloat, but now must call in both families to spend one last week at the Golden and decide if they want to keep it or sell it. Amos and Fanny, and Louise arrive. Sadly, Benny died a few years before. Louise's daughter Aimee arrives with two of her adult children. Her husband, a doctor, is in serious trouble with the law, and Aimee came to the Golden to get away and figure out what to do with her troubled marriage. Amos and Fanny's grandchildren Phoebe and Michael arrive as well. Phoebe is an Instagram influencer, and Michael has a secret he is afraid to share with his family. Peter, Brian's twin, stayed home with his wife. Peter is a super successful lawyer who is only concerned about making money. 

Aimee, Brian, and Peter grew up at the Golden. They have so many memories, just being there brings back so many wonderful memories. It may be run down, but the Golden still has some magic. Will the family decide to sell or to keep it, and try to bring it back to life? Over the course of one week, you'll get to know both families and understand the dynamics between the two. The staff who work at the Golden are a treat, and you can't turn a page without grinning. This novel is truly a nostalgic read--even for those of us who have never been to the Catskills. 

I so enjoyed reading this book. It was delightful, even if a bit sad in parts. If anything, it is a gentle reminder of days gone by full of happy memories and people we love who have passed on. It's also a reminder that in our busy world, sometimes the best vacation is to unplug and return to simple pleasures in life, spent with the people who matter the most to us. 

Rating: 5/6 for an absolutely satisfying read about days gone by, the intrusion of today's high speed world, and reconnecting to family and what is important. A part of Americana that has slowly faded away, but remains a golden memory. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

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Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

Review: Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon and Giveaway Winner Announced!

I always get a kick out of past books I've read having something in them that surfaces in newer books I read.  Amazing how that happens sometimes.  In this instance, many cultural references from Bill Bryson's One Summer:  America, 1927 pop up in this tale of cultural clashes, class struggles, and the growing pains of the women's movement of the 1920's.  Toss in moonshine and whiskey smuggling and there's a lot going on in Cape Ann.

The novel starts off in 1917 with Bea, a young 17 year old Jewish girl who is staying at her Aunt and Uncle's home because she's been disgraced by becoming pregnant. Her parents are well off, and of course Bea has ruined everything:  her college years at Radcliffe, her growing talent as a pianist; her chance at a good marriage that will help to erase the shame her mother feels at being Jewish in a world that doesn't tolerate them--especially the more well-to-do set.  Bea is supposed to give the baby girl up for adoption, but the coldness of the adoption nurse leaves Bea fearing for her daughter's well being.  Instead, Bea takes her daughter to her Uncle's pear orchard, where she knows during a certain time of night, at a certain time of year, an Irish family steals pears to make perry, a hard hitting liquor made out of fermented pears.  She leaves her baby under a pear tree, and sure enough, the Irish family finds the baby and takes her away.  

It's ten years later, and Emma Murphy struggles to keep her family fed, and her husband Roland has been gone out to sea for two months.  Her daughter, Lucy Pear, doesn't look like any of her other eight children, but she's a good, sweet girl, and Emma considers Lucy her own.  Emma's world changes when she goes to Josiah Story, a wealthy man who runs the local quarry, and is running for mayor.  She is looking for start up money to help her start a mill to produce perry.  Josiah is drawn to Emma, and works it so that Emma begins an affair with him.  They're both married, but find solace in each other, even though Emma resents Josiah's hold over her and her family's well being.  

This affair with Josiah brings Emma into the realm of Bea Cohen, who is staying with her Uncle and needs help taking care of him.  Josiah offers Emma's services as a nurse for Bea's Uncle.  It's a way for Josiah to garner Bea's support for his mayoral run. Yes, this is the Bea who gave her baby away ten years before.  Now married, she has never forgotten the baby she gave up, and wonders what happened to her.  Emma sees Bea, and immediately knows she is Lucy's mother.  How can she keep it a secret?  The two women, both from completely different social classes, begin a tentative friendship that soon becomes complicated.  

This novel has so many layers, so many issues, that it would make a very good book club discussion.  Everyone in this novel pretends to be someone they are not; they all hide their heartbreak and misery behind public masks.  There isn't one character in this novel who is happy, and it is the slow unraveling of those issues that keeps you reading.  There are a few surprises, but mostly it is a satisfying story about social unrest, class strife, and regrets.  Oh so many regrets.  

I'm happy to announce the winner of a copy of Leaving Lucy Pearl:

 Caren E., you are a winner!  Congratulations!  And a big thank you to all who entered.  More giveaways are coming soon.

Thank you to Penguin/Random House for the advanced copy, and for sponsoring the giveaway.  

Rating:  7/10 for a novel that has characters that are full of faults and regrets, but are fascinating because they aren't perfect.  A look at America during 1927, when it seemed the world had gone crazy, and the growing pains of our nation were very evident. 

 

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Review: Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon and Giveaway Winner Announced!

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

It's been a while since I've come across a novel that I finish in a few days (I would have finished it in a day if I didn't have to work!).  Once again, my theory that books come to you when you're ready to read them has proven to be true for me.  The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant is a novel that I've seen countless times, and yes, even talked about a few weeks ago at two book club meetings--but I had never read it.  A trip to the library ensured that I read it right away.  I am so glad I did, and here's why.

The Boston Girl is narrated by Addie Baum, born in 1900 to Jewish immigrant parents, and the youngest of three daughters:  Betty, Celia, and Addie.  They live in Boston, in a nasty tenement, and scrape by working hard and living simply.  Addie tells her story from the age of 85 to her granddaughter, and it's a wonderful story that will pull you in and make you smile.  No, this is not what some people term an "immigrant success story", but more about a young woman who finds her voice and herself during a time where women (and her cultural heritage) believed marriage and babies were the only type of life suitable for young girls.  

But Addie is made of sterner stuff; she goes to school, but her mother--a real pill!--Mameh wants her to work in a factory to help provide for the family.  Addie joins the Saturday Club, where girls gathered to talk, gossip, and learn about life.  There she forms life-long friendships and begins to understand there is a big world out there to explore.  Addie tells her story with wit and humor, and as we all do, a gentle laugh at the naive young girl she once was; especially with men.  Moving from the early 1900's through 1985, we see Addie grow up, mature, and bounce from secretary jobs, to newspaper columnist, to teacher.  

Addie is probably one of my favorite characters so far this reading year.  Proper, yet never stiff, humorous and faithful to friends, she struggles to be accepted by her Mameh, who always sees Addie as a traitor to their Jewish heritage and a failure.  Addie is a woman who wants more for herself, and is always open to ideas, notions, and the ever-changing role of women in the early 20th century.  

Loved this novel.  Just loved it.  Written very simply and straightforward; yet carries a powerful message.  I wish I had had a chance to have such a talk with both of my grandmothers.  If you're lucky to have grandmothers in your life, sit down and simply say "Tell me about your life.".  You will get an incredible education.  

Rating:  8/10 for Addie and her life story about growing up in Boston in the early 20th century.  A simple and engaging life story told with gentle humor and grace.

Available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio.

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The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant