I was sad to miss reading Last Summer at the Golden Hotel in 2021 and impulsively downloaded the audiobook for my road trip on the last weekend of August 2022 - it was a delightful way to pass the driving time. Taking a multi-week summer vacation in the Catskills is far from my experience, but the original Dirty Dancing movie and season 2 of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel helped me picture The Golden Hotel and its patrons.
Founded 60 years ago by good friends Amos Weingold and Benny Goldman, the hotel had its glory days of full occupancy, fine dining, and endless lists of activities. But now vacancies outnumber bookings, the menus are outdated, The Golden's competitors have closed, and Benny Goldman passed away. When the families receive an offer from a casino developer, three generations of Goldmans and Weingolds gather at the hotel to vote to sell or reinvent the property for a new generation of patrons.
I enjoyed the tone of Elyssa Friedland's writing - sentimental yet humorous and practical. Many family members are keeping secrets, and the ways they were revealed were believable. I appreciated the use of newspaper articles and social media to advance the story and the realistic and hopeful ending.
Founded 60 years ago by good friends Amos Weingold and Benny Goldman, the hotel had its glory days of full occupancy, fine dining, and endless lists of activities. But now vacancies outnumber bookings, the menus are outdated, The Golden's competitors have closed, and Benny Goldman passed away. When the families receive an offer from a casino developer, three generations of Goldmans and Weingolds gather at the hotel to vote to sell or reinvent the property for a new generation of patrons.
I enjoyed the tone of Elyssa Friedland's writing - sentimental yet humorous and practical. Many family members are keeping secrets, and the ways they were revealed were believable. I appreciated the use of newspaper articles and social media to advance the story and the realistic and hopeful ending.
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