May 31, 2024
The famous Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs, WV, is the setting of Matchar's (Homeward Bound) gripping family saga that spans 1942 to 1992 and follows four generations of the Jewish Zelner family and their enduring connection to the hotel. Chosen for its secluded location, the Greenbrier was used as a prison for German and Italian diplomats in the United States during World War II. In 1942, expert seamstress Sylvia, a recent immigrant who has fled Poland, is asked to sew dresses for the young daughters of one of the Italian detainees. Narrator Gilli Messer's pleasing Polish accent for Sylvia distinguishes her from the other characters, and she creates rapport and fosters empathy for her situation. Later, in 1992, Jordan, Sylvia's grandson and a reporter for the Washington Post, receives an anonymous letter telling him that the resort holds a long-buried secret. Against the advice of his sister and his editor, he returns to his childhood home, and, while uncovering the clandestine operation beneath the Greenbrier, he also discovers unsettling family secrets. VERDICT A multigenerational tale depicting the hardships and antisemitism experienced by Jews in the rural United States. Recommended for fans of Lauren Fox's Send for Me.--Ilka Gordon
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.