I didn't know anything about the Greenbrier until reading Joy Calloway's "The Grand Design" about Dorothy Draper and the hotel. Since then, I've been intrigued by the Greenbrier history and Dorothy Draper. I loved that this book mentioned her and her designs!

This book follows three generations of women in a Jewish family - alternating chapters for each of the women. Their stories are so involved and well written, I felt like I was right there beside them. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters and the townsfolk - everything was so well crafted and the stories blended perfectly. It's a really enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

With a deep love for historical fiction I will try any book from any time period in the hopes of learning and expanding my knowledge of the past. The Greenbrier, a real and fancy hotel in West Virginia, was new and intriguing.

I found it to be an interesting story overall but for some reason the four different POV’s were harder to connect to until halfway through. I usually don’t struggle with multiple points-of-view but this one felt like the stories disconnected for longer than expected making it harder to connect with the characters. By 50% I did find myself engrossed in the story and rooting for each person as they traversed life. It just took a bit to get into it.

I buddy read this with a friend and she pointed out how reading it in large amounts would have made it easier to keep straight. I totally agree with that and wished I’d had the time to just sit and binge and feel the full force of all these characters lives connecting.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for the arc via Netgalley!

A thoroughly enjoyable read about something I truly knew nothing about. The book gave me a glimpse into the history behind the Greenbrier hotel and, as a result, I am hoping to visit the next time we are in the area and book a tour of the bunker. Because this was based on history, I was able to spoiler things for myself, but I truly tried not to so that I could get into the story and be as struck by the ultimate reveal as the main characters were. In the end, while the book did include the bunker, most of the story was about the three characters in the Zelner family history and their secrets. I have to admit that I expected things to happen and, in a lot of ways, there were no surprises until there were. No spoilers though.

The story is well written. It moves along at a good pace. The characters are interesting. The only thing that I found a bit hard was moving between so many characters. But once I got their voices and storylines straight, it was pretty easy to adapt to the different POVs. Doree's story was probably my favourite, probably because I found Sylvia too selfish in a lot of ways. Sure, she made sacrifices, but at a certain point, I wanted her to see the positive in her family dynamic.

All in all, a really good historical fiction that covered something that has not been done before or at least not to my knowledge.

At heart, this is the story of the Zelners, a Jewish family living in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia- in the shadow of the famous Greenbrier resort. Framed by the efforts of Washington Post reporter Jordan in 1992 to uncover its secrets as well as the secrets his mother has kept, it moves around in time and among the family members. Sol and Pauline, Louis and Sylvia, Doree, Allan, and the rest are all well rounded. Things are not easy for the Zelners but the arrival of German and Italian internees upends everything for Sylvia and later for Doree, who has her own secret romance. Big quibble that stuck with me from the start- a reference to the women's pages in the WP in 1992- the WP ditched those and started the Style Section, which is so much more, in 1969. Smaller quibble-that Doree, who had previously only had sips of Passover and Seder wine, was able to handle a different glass of wine with each course of a meal. I've been to and enjoyed the Greenbrier- and the bunker tour- so this was a treat (here's hoping the resort can someday return to its former glory for it is surely not doing so well these days). Make sure to seek out the Ted Gup article in the WP that opened the secret to the world. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

I loved this book. First of all, there was a lot I could relate to here, but I think others would enjoy it no matter their background. The book is multi-narrator, multi-time period, starting with a Jewish man who immigrated from Lithuania to the US in the early 1900s, becoming a peddler and then settling in a small West Virginia town, to his daughter in law, a refugee who fled Nazi-occupied Poland but her family didn't make it out, to her children growing up as the only Jewish family in their town, and grandchildren, one of them who writes for the Washington Post and gets a mysterious tip with a connection to family secrets. All of these generations are living close to and connected to the Greenbrier Resort, a real life fancy hotel in West Virginia that holds secrets of its own. The writing felt very honest and the characters were relatable, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. The ending was, while not all happy, very satisfying. There are several romances in the book, but the focus is more on family relationships. I can't wait to recommend this book to a lot of my friends who I know will appreciate it.

3.75 stars rounded up. I felt like the first round of POVs was a touch slow, but once I was introduced to all the main characters, I was invested. Now I did not know the Greenbrier was a real resort, so the “what is under the resort” mystery was a true mystery to me, which kept me intrigued through the whole story. I liked telling the history of a family through generations, and I like how they slowly melded together. I liked hearing about the Jewish experience as a common theme among the generations and also how the Greenbrier felt a bit like its own character throughout the generations. I read this more with my mind than my heart. I didn’t really invest emotionally in any of the characters but I still enjoyed reading this, and it was a solid historical fiction.

If you like historical fiction that follows a family through several generations, and is intertwined between the timelines, this book will be for you. I typically don't mind such historical fiction but I didn't love this book. It was well written and certainly an interesting topic but I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I will say the ending was very satisfying!

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier comes out next week on March 12, 2024 and you can purchase HERE. I've also read and reviewed historical fiction about the design/remodel of the Greenbrier HERE (which I loved!).

When the letter arrived, Jordan Barber was sitting at his desk eyeing the cuffs of his chinos, wondering if he could hem them with a stapler. If he did it from the inside out, maybe the little folded silver legs of the staples would look like fancy stitching.

A minute before, Rick Lowell from the National News desk had walked by and made a wisecrack about Jordan wearing his dad's clothes. Jordan wanted to shoot back that he was actually taller than his dad, but even he knew this was not the right way to do newsroom banter. So he just stared down at his feet, noticing how the pants puddled around the tops of his brown wing tips that had felt so sharp when his mom bought them at Hecht's the month before but now seemed too shiny, as if announcing "I'm brand-new."

All the top reporters at the Post-the ones whose names appeared above the fold, who talked about having drinks "at Ben's," who'd flown on Air Force One-dressed like they'd slept at their desks all night: rumpled oxford shirts, loafers worn down to the color and texture of cardboard. Nobody else's shoes were shiny. No one else ironed their chinos.

A deep and savory read detailing the lives of the community that the Greenbrier cast it's shadow on. In the Shadow of the Greenbrier is a detailed family saga uniquely written from the points of view of four characters representing four generations of a Jewish family and its struggles to survive the immigrant experience from 1911 to 1992. This book is bound to be a classic literature book and a commentary on the immigrant experience - the good, the bad and the ugly. The writing is tender and you really get to stand in the characters shoes for a while. This a book for readers who enjoy literature and stories with complicated and deep family relationships.

This is not a detailed history of the Greenbrier or it's construction and celebrity guests, but rather it is an evolution of a family living in a town with one main employer. Sol, the grandfather was a peddler that builds a store after a brutal attack and raises a family that finds its place as a Jewish family in a small town in West Virginia. We see the business, the family and a glimpse of the Greenbrier through the eyes of Sol, Sylvia, the unhappy wife of his son Louis, Doree, Silvia and Lewis' daughter and Jordan, Doree's son and Washington Post Reporter. Jordan returns to his family's American birthplace from his upbringing in Baltimore to learn about the Greenbrier for an assignment. He gets much more than a work assignment done. Jordan discovers along with the reader the entire history of his mother's family including its long kept secrets and his discovery brings them all closer. There is very poignant writing about relationships and the Jewish-American experience throughout the book.

This book is an excellent historical fiction detailing the strength it takes to be different and keep your culture and religion active. The title of the book is misleading as you are not getting a history of the Greenbrier or necessarily a history of White Sulphur Springs, but rather a deeper book on the dynamics of a uniquely American family.

I received this book as a ARC from Netgalley and the Penguin group in exchange for my honest review.

Set against the West Virginia mountains, surrounding the Greenbrier Resort, four generations of a Jewish family fight for their place in society. Right before WWII, Sylvia is stuck in a loveless marriage when she meets one of the Italian prisoners of war living in the Greenbrier. Seventeen years later, her daughter, Doree, struggles to fit in as the only Jewish girl in the town and with a brother that people find strange. A stranger comes to town and makes Doree question her loyalty to her family. Years later, Doree's son will unravel all of the secrets that have been held by his family.

This book was very immersive in a town/resort I have never been to, as well as a family as they maneuver life as the only Jewish people in their town. I loved the historical aspect, taking a different look at WWII. I loved the description of the Greenbrier. Finally, I loved the different generations of one family.

Once I was able to figure out the various plots and characters, I really liked the book. As historical fiction, the author succeeds in telling a multigenerational story of a Jewish family throughout the 20th century.
Sol is the first character, the story line in the early 1900’s, as he flees from Tsarist Russia to America. Sol ends up in the Midwest after peddling goods through mining towns. Sol settles in West Virginia, next to a famous resort, the Greenbrier. Sol learned early that he would be treated differently.
Next we meet Sylvia, a Polish immigrant fleeing the Nazis, marrying Sol’s son Louis. Sylvia feels like a foreigner who was not accepted by the locals, always discontented with her lot. Her involvement with someone at the Greenbrier complicates her life even further.
Doreen is Sylvia’s daughter, her story representative of the 1950’s, where anti-Semitism was still a factor, but Doree felt more American than her parents and grandparents. Her relationship with her mother was strained, and although she watched out for her brothers, she felt her mother’s disapproval.
Jordan is Doree’s son, working for the Washington Post on 1992. Jordan and his twin sister Jessica always felt their mother was keeping family secrets. When Jordan receives a letter with a possible scoop about the Greenbrier, Jordan is determined to find the truth.
The novel is well written, and the secrets kept well hidden until the end. Recommended, especially for readers of historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

As a West Virginia girl I knew that is book was going to be a must read. This historical fiction follows multiple family members over 3 generations living in the Greenbrier Valley. The book deals with a complicated mother daughter dynamic and discrimination faced by both. The Greenbrier resort becomes a character of its own with the fantastic descriptions of the interior you feel like you are there.

Emily Matchar creates a compelling historical setting for the Jewish American immigration experience in her book In the Shadow of the Greenbrier. The tale of the Greenbrier Resort, a lavish hidden treasure tucked away in West Virginia's dirt hollers, instantly contrasts class and pits outsiders against insiders. Matchar continues by introducing four generations of Jews who fled the Holocaust by emigrating first to Poland and then Lithuania. We are taken inside the lives of this family across four distinct historical eras, with the Greenbrier serving as the unchanging character, as told from the perspectives of other characters.

This gripping tale has every element of a fantastic book. We get to see the immigrant's internal and exterior conflicts this gripping tale has every element of a fantastic book. Alongside the everyday experiences that comprise the human experience, we get to see the internal and external tensions of the immigrant experience. The narratives of the father Sol, his daughter-in-law Sylvia, her daughter Doree, and her son Jordan are skillfully entwined and provide a range of perspectives from many eras and periods of history. Several of the chapters were a little repetitive, even though they served to further the main plot. The figures lacked depth and relied too much on conventional connotations, despite having unique broad brushstrokes.
The book's central concept and the way its ensemble of characters interact are both masterfully done. The descriptions of this opulent amusement park This gripping tale has every element of a fantastic book. This is a gripping book since it tells the story of the wealthy who live in the Appalachian Mountains and are supported by the labor of the underprivileged. Reading about a little-known historical fact that is nonetheless fascinating and important but was left out of the history books is always a pleasure.
We are grateful to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing us with an advance copy of this interesting book.

n the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar ⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a born and raised West Virginian, I immediately requested this book to see how WV was portrayed. I must say, the author’s treatment of WV was positive, and this story hit on several themes that rings true to the state: family, one-workplace town, small town community skeptical of outsiders and differences. With that being said, I wish the Greenbrier and its history took more of a center stage in this multigenerational family saga. I felt the Greenbrier was merely the setting with minor features interspersed to make it make sense. Given the description, I felt like the Greenbrier would’ve been a bigger part of this one.

Told from 4 different POVs from 4 different generations, this story covered a vast amount of time. The POVs were distinct with some being more fleshed out than others. I wish each were given the same amount of attention as it was evident they (and their time-periods) were well researched.

The pacing on this one was slow and took a bit to get into. However, it did pick up in the last third. The ending made sense and wrapped up nicely.

All in all, this multigenerational family novel highlighted many different themes: family, growing up, secrets. If you’re a fan of family dramas, historical fictions, or stories about small, rural towns, check this one out.

The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, is a world-class resort and National Historic Landmark set among West Virginia’s majestic Allegheny Mountains. It is the setting of this multigenerational historical novel about the Zelner family. In the early 1900s, Sol Zelner, a Jewish immigrant from Lithuania, came to America and went from a peddler to the owner of a dry goods store near the famed resort. By 1942, his daughter Sylvia is helping to run the store and is struggling as a mother and wife. To help the government, the resort becomes an internment camp for German and Italian diplomats. Sylvia finds herself getting close to one of them. When the story shifts to 1959, Sylvia’s teenage daughter Doree hears terrible rumors about her mother. And in 1992, Doree’s son Jordan, a reporter for the Washington Post, heads to the Greenbrier with a tip about a long-hidden secret about the resort. Will the mystery about the Greenbrier also unveil the secrets of the Zelner family?

Author Emily Matchar has done a fine job combining fact and fiction in In the Shadow of the Greenbrier. While the Zelner family is fiction, they represent those Jewish immigrants who ventured outside of the major cities and settled in places where they were complete outsiders. The Greenbrier comes to life in this book – it is so well described. And it is true that it was turned into what was essentially a luxury prison during WWII. While it took a bit of time to keep track of all the characters in each of the four generations, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. You’re sure to be googling afterwards – a sign of good historical fiction.

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier
By: Emily Matchar
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•This book starts with a bang, and I loved how it immediately sucks you into the story.

•There is a lot of suspense in this story! It is a bit slow at times, but I still wanted to know the answers to my questions, which kept me engaged.

•This is a character driven story more so than a plot driven story. I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of all the characters, but by the end of the book, I didn’t feel that anyone was superfluous to the story.

•If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy this book!

————————————————————————————————————————
In the Shadow of the Greenbrier was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 3/12/24

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier is a story full of secrets. Set across the 1900’s, and from the viewpoints of multiple people in a family, we see that there is more than just one secret being kept in this small town.

It was so interesting to see all of the different viewpoints of each family member. We see their struggles and their triumphs, all while in the shadow of a resort (which also became a holding location for Axis power dignitaries during World War 2)!

This was a really engaging story, and I really enjoyed it.

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #historicalfiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #intheshadowofthegreenbrier #emilymatchar #penguingroupputnam

This was a great book made even more interesting to me as my husband spent quite a bit of time working in that area so I know the location well and have been to the Greenbrier. I love historical fiction that is based on true events and Emily Matches has done and an excellent job of sharing history through four generations of a Jewish family and cultural experiences of their time. Very interesting and engaging book. Thanks #NetGalley

I love a good historical fiction book. Especially set in the era of World War II. The author wove real pieces of history into the story of a third generation, family based in white sulfur Springs West Virginia. Showing their struggles, their success, and their tenacity to make a life for themselves.

With all three generations being represented in the story, it takes place over a long period of time. Each generation had its own set of challenges, and yet they all came together to tell a story that broke your heart at times, and yet warmed it at others. This is well written, and I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

I went into this book with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised! I really enjoyed seeing how all of the family members were intertwined through all of the generations. Only thing that I didn’t care for was having to keep track of who was who, and in what generation of the family they were in. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys multiple POVs, multi generational family drama. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

West Virginia is not the place you think would have juicy secrets but this book proved me wrong! I would read anything by this author

I’ve always enjoyed historical fiction, but it’s been a while since I’ve been captivated by an HF book. In the Shadow of the Greenbrier sucked me in far more than I ever expected. The storytelling is masterful and so well tied together while managing a non-linear timeline. Despite having spent time in the Allegheny mountains, I was unaware (likely oblivious) of this part of the area’s WWII history, and I enjoyed learning more while unraveling the Zelner’s multigenerational story.

Thank you to Net Galley who provided this ARC in exchange for honest review.