Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland – 384 pages 

ARC from Get Red PR and Berkley for an honest review

Book Blurb:

In its heyday, The Golden Hotel was the crown jewel of the hotter-than-hot Catskills vacation scene. For more than sixty years, the Goldman and Weingold families – best friends and business partners – have presided over this glamorous resort which served as a second home for well-heeled guests and celebrities. But the Catskills are not what they used to be – and neither is the relationship between the Goldmans and the Weingolds. As the facilities and management begin to fall apart, a tempting offer to sell forces the two families together again to make a heart-wrenching decision. Can they save their beloved Golden or is it too late?

My Review: 4 stars

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Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was the perfect book to escape your own dysfunctional family and get an insider’s look into someone else’s. And boy was it fun. This book will be a hot summer read and have you chuckling along the way.

This multi-generational story delved into the past and present of two families that co-own a hotel in the Catskills, which was once the summer getaway and playground for many Jewish families. It brought back fond memories of my trip to the Nevele Resort with my grandparents, so much so, that moments I’d completely forgotten about popped into my head. The Golden Hotel itself had a personality and stood out as its own character – once young, hip and wanted, now old, out- dated and lonely. 

At first, I wasn’t sure about how many characters there were within the three generations of the Goldman and Weingold clans. However, after a few chapters, my worries dissolved as each character was distinctly represented with his or her own sense of self. I felt like I knew them all personally. By the time the decision about selling the hotel came to a head, I was totally invested in the vote and could understand why each person voted as they did. There was a lot of wit woven into the pages, even when someone was in crisis mode. Friedland has a special knack for giving her characters the ability to laugh when life throws curveballs their way. 

Beyond the focal issue of to sell or not to sell, the story also touched on motherhood, infidelity, divorce, the sandwich generation, friendship, LBGTQ acceptance, food, family time versus work time, understanding the younger generation and appreciating the older generations. With all that, I’ll definitely be recommending this book to friends and family this summer. 

Quotes I liked:

Quotes from an advanced copy and may differ from final copy. 

Mothers and daughters. Was there any other relationship so achingly complex?”

“There is literally no way to prepare for parenthood. You can read all the books and make a schedule and love that little person more than you ever thought possible, but being a parent will gut you. Your kid will say they hate you, they’ll projectile vomit in your face. They’ll have friends you don’t like, or they won’t have enough friends and you’ll worry. You’ll never be sure if you should push them harder or whether you should back off. You won’t know whether to follow your instincts or to do what everyone else is doing. You’ll never be relaxed again. All that is to say, I know you’re going to make an incredible father.”