I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Told in four perspectives of four generations of a Jewish family living in West Virginia, in the Shadow of the Greenbrier is a unique look at World War II. Sol came to the United States so he did not have to join the tsar’s army during World War I. His mom sent him with a little money and his dad’s pocket watch. He makes his start as a traveling salesman to coal towns along the east coast. When he gets a chance to settle down in White Sulphuric Springs, West Virginia he feels like his life as an American can finally begin. After his own kids are grown, his daughter in law Sylvia joins the family. She is a Jewish woman originally from Israel, but moved to the United States from Poland. She is a hard woman that never quite fits in… to the family or the town. Her first child Doree is a smart, curious girl with a brain for math. Doree loves all the things young girls love, including boys. She and her friends are at a Christmas party at the Greenbrier one night when their troubles begin. Doree’s brother Alan begins to investigate a huge hole being dug under the Greenbrier. The only problem is that it is a secret project and Alan pokes around too much. Only when Doree’s son Jordan starts investigating the real reason for the hole does Doree finally tell him the whole story. Although it was hard at first to keep everyone straight, this was a very interesting book with secret government projects, love affairs, family secrets, and more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In this complex historical fiction and thriller, readers alternate between three generations of a Jewish family from West Virginia: Sylvia in 1942, Doree in 1959, and Jordan in 1992. Alternating between their perspectives and their very different lives, readers learn the secret of the Greenbriar Hotel and this small town in West Virginia as it unfolds over a complicated and precarious half century. As readers follow Jordan’s investigation, they learn more about Sylvia and Doreen’s secrets that they kept from Jordan and his sister, Jessica, which reveal the truth about the town and the resort. Matchar balances three very different and often conflicting personalities over the novel, and none of the perspectives overwhelm the other two characters’ chapters. The character development for all three protagonists grows over the course of the novel, and Matchar did this incredibly organically over the course of the novel. As for the setting, the resort and the town present a great backdrop to multigenerational character development and the reveal of local secrets, and they both function as another character in the novel. Matchar’s side characters, particularly the ones that appear in multiple perspectives as their older and younger selves, add some interesting and complicated twists to the rest of the novel.

Personally I love the Greenbriar hotel so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a book about it! That being said, this wasn’t quite right for me as I found it tediously long, in need of more editing, and weirdly “spicy” in ways that felt very disjointed. This would be a great pick for someone who is a huge fan of the historical fiction and family drama genres as the setting is great and it provides a new take on a familiar time period. Told from several POVs I think part of the success of this book for the reader relies on the reader’s connection to the characters. This is where I think I lost my engagement as I didn’t care for 3/4 of the POV sections. An interesting tale for sure but just not for me.

DNF about halfway through due to content (bedroom scenes) and language.

Unfortunate, as I'd been enjoying the story and was intrigued by each of the characters and their respective storylines. (Not to mention that cover! Beautiful!)

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier is a historical novel set at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. This is a family saga that spans four generations in a Jewish family: Sol, who immigrates to America and starts a general store; Sol's daughter-in-law Sylvia, who immigrates from Poland at the start of World War II and becomes involved in an unexpected affair; Sylvia's daughter, Doree, who is mathematically gifted and wants more in life; Doree's son, Jordan, who is a Washington Post reporter looking for answers about a long-time mystery involving the Greenbrier.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction, love family sagas, and enjoy books set at old fashioned resorts.

This book began slowly for me as I got used to learning about four very different characters and their history. I wish that a family tree had been included in the book; it would have been helpful. As I read on I became much more involved in the story and by the time I was half-way through the book, I absolutely could not put it down.

I found the relationships between these family members both complex and fascinating. It was interesting how they all felt so differently about the Greenbrier and about family and their Jewish history and heritage. There were two mysteries in the book -- one about the secrets beneath the Greenbrier (which Jordan investigates) and the other about the secrets of Sylvia and her mysterious and gifted son Alan.

I am glad I read In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, and will look for future novels by this author. I recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone who enjoys a family saga - with a mystery involved as well!

A multigenerational story centered on the Zelner family and their proximity to the Greenbriar hotel and a mystery that happened there. Each generation has their concerns and their secrets, many of which affect the subsequent generation. Overall, a decent family story that dragged out a bit at times. Readers who like multigenerational stories may enjoy this, but the mystery part wasn't much of a surprise for those are familiar with US history in the 40s.

I'm not gonna lie, I genuinely do *not* remember requesting this one. Perhaps it was a "read now" title? This is not my thing sorry folks

I am a fan of historical fiction and this family saga about the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia was something I knew nothing about. It was a story of 4 generations. A little hard to keep reading because it moved a bit slowly, but I'm glad I read this book.

I was very excited to read In the Shadow of the Greenbrier because I'm a fan of historical fiction and the fact that the Greenbrier still operates today. However, the book felt flat to me. It starts off slowly as you meet 4
generations of a Jewish family living in the town where the Greenbrier is located.
My favorite character was Sol,who came to the US in 1909 to escape being drafted into the Tsar's army.
The big secret/mystery of the novel wasn't all that earth shattering if you knew a bit about history.
I give the book 3 stars. Solid effort but it didn't engage me.

I really enjoyed this book! Going through the family history and learning the story of what was going on at the Greenbriar hotel was so interesting and kept we wanting to read more! I gave four stars because it was a bit of a slow burn for me, but I really ended up enjoying it by the end!
I felt the characters were all very well developed, and it was interesting to follow the four different generations to see how they were all effected in some way by the same place.
I definitely recommend this book for any historical fiction fans!
Thank you to @netgalley for an advance #copy in exchange for my honest review

I was really excited to receive a copy of this book, since it combines historical fiction with the saga of various generations of a Jewish family. I never knew anything about this hotel, so it was also a chance to learn more about American history and the South.

The Greenbrier Resort is a famous hotel in West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, and it was known for its luxury setting catering to the rich and famous, including Hollywood stars and presidents of America. But it was also turned into a luxury prison during the years of World War II. And over the course of the 20th century, it exerted a strong influence on one Jewish family living in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

The story is told over the course of a century, through the eyes of four members of the Zelner family at various points in time. Sol immigrates from Lithuania in 1909 rather than comply with the Tsar’s harsh conscription laws for Jewish men, and works as a traveling peddler before settling down in White Sulphur Springs to open a store as the Greenbrier is being built. Sylvia’s story begins in Poland in 1942, when after she marries Louis Zelner, they immigrate to America to work at the store his family owns. Doree’s tale begins in 1958, when she’s expecting to leave her small town to go to college and find a nice Jewish man to marry. Finally, Jordan’s chapters take place in Washington, DC in 1992, where he is a young reporter looking to uncover a story about the Greenbrier from an anonymous tip, while his mother begs him to stay in DC.

Each of the characters was intriguing, but some of them were easier personalities for me to identify with than others, but even the tough ones just needed some time. Once I really got to know who they were and why they were the way they were, it was easier for me to understand. Seeing Sylvia’s suspicion of German and Italian people, even diplomats, was easy to understand in the climate in which she left Europe, when antisemitism was widespread, institutional at the highest levels of society, and completely acceptable. Jordan’s curiosity about the Greenbrier was only enhanced by his mother’s reluctance to talk about anything related to the Greenbrier or her past.

The characters were all so different from each other, yet they were all so willing to grow and learn and change their minds after learning more. Each one had to adapt to changing circumstances, each centered around the Greenbrier, despite the different time periods in which their story was set. There’s an overarching mystery surrounding this hotel in the second half of the book, but I found myself far more invested in the characters themselves, their experiences living as a Jewish family in a small town in the South and facing prejudice and discrimination that changed over time but never really went away, and how trauma gets passed down and becomes part of the fabric of generations in a family.

I was incredibly impressed by this debut, and really had a difficult time realizing that it was a debut because it was done so beautifully. The jumps between time and characters was a bit abrupt at first, possibly because I wasn’t as equally invested in all of the characters, or possibly because the author was finding her stride, but things smoothed out rather quickly. Ultimately, this is a fantastic read not just for the saga of the Zelner family, but also to learn about a historic site that I knew nothing about. I actually found myself browsing the internet to see photos of The Greenbrier, which is still in operation (and is gorgeous, btw). This is a wonderfully done and thoroughly researched historical fiction novel, and I can enthusiastically recommend this one.

This story followed a family through four generations and almost 100 years. While I normally love stories with multiple timelines, this one felt like it had too much going on and some of the storylines seemed disjointed with others. There were a couple of intimate scenes that were also told in too much detail than what I prefer. There were some nice moments throughout the story, but overall it was just ok.

3.5 stars

I love multiple POVs/timelines, but four timelines is a bit much. I struggled with the first third of the book since it took me a long time to connect to the characters and understand what was all going on. I feel like you need to read this book in long stints vs small snippets since it was hard to get engaged in the books since there were way too many stories going on.

After the first half was over, I really enjoyed the book. I do think it felt a bit long at times, but it was very good.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I found this book to be predictable and a little snoozy. I thought the big mysteries of the book were easily discerned and not worth all the cloak and dagger secrecy. Was it a bad book? No. But it also isn't one that I would read again or go out of my way to recommend.

A captivating story covering four generations of a Jewish family told principally in three time periods: 1944, 1958 and 1992. Originally emigrated from Poland and Lithuania, the Zelner family are for many years the only Jews in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Had this remote Appalachian town not been the site of the famous and posh Greenbrier Resort, their lives probably would either not have played out in West Virginia or just blended into obscurity in Baltimore. The family elder, Sol, landed there in the early 1900s, having escaped conscription into the Tsar’s army and found employment as a peddler moving goods between Baltimore and southern West Virginia.
The Greenbrier played a pivotal role during WWII when German, Italian, Hungarian and Bulgarian diplomats were removed from Washington and relocated under house arrest there. Not exactly what one thinks of when hearing about detention in an internment camp. Their movements, access to news, and communications were curtailed, but otherwise they lived the life of guests in a 5 star resort.
In 1958, with the Cold War’s threat of nuclear war, The Greenbrier was begun to be prepared to be used as a bunker in the event Washington was attacked and the government needed to be evacuated. This was kept secret until 1992 when The Washington Post broke the story after receiving and investigating an anonymous tip.
The Greenbrier’s saga along with other prior and concurrent world events is told through the lives of the Zelners, owners of the dry goods store in White Sulphur Springs. They are fictional, the history is real and well researched
I was impressed by the author’s focus on all details about The Greenbrier especially the physical descriptions, its staffing, and inner workings.
Her insightful and emotional portrayal of the family made the pages turn quickly. Past traumas, generational changes, internal conflicts, betrayals, secrets and the difficulties of living in an area where Jewish fellowship was at a two hour distance, all provided storylines which accurately reflected the times and its cultural challenges.
Thank you to the author for a fascinating debut novel, the publisher G.P. Putnam Sons, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

Having grown up in visiting family in West Virginia, I was intrigued to read about the Greenbrier. I knew quite a bit about the Greenbrier, but I didn’t know about its history during WWII. Matchar weaves the story of multigenerational family who live in the shadow of the Greenbrier. It is a captivating story, but the jumping around to the many points of view did make it feel a bit disjointed, but I did very much enjoy the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.

This book is set in White Sulphur Springs, a town in West Virginia. The Greenbriar Hotel is almost a character of its own. This is the big moneymaker of the town and what puts it on the map so to speak.

We first follow Sol. He is a Jewish man that starts out in life as a peddler. After he is robbed and beaten he is given an opportunity to settle in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia and start his own store. He does this as he has a desire to start a family of his own. He marries Pauline and they have a couple of sons. His son, Louis carries on and helps with the store. He too marries a Jewish/Polish woman named Sylvia and they have a family. We see family drama between Sylvia and Pauline, probably quite typical.
Louis and Sylvia have Doree, who we follow during her lifetime. She is the oldest and has two younger brothers. She has dreams of becoming something but feels she is only able to be a math teacher but is given the inspiration to become more and she finds confidence to follow her dreams.
Doree is a protector of her brother Alan, who is very much picked on because he is a brainy kid and a Jew. This family stands out as the only Jewish family in town and there is a lot of challenges and mistreatment they face.
Sylvia has a secret that starts at the Greenbriar. There is much build up about this secret that turns out to be not as big of an issue as it at first appears. Then Alan discovers some interesting things happening at the Greenbriar and is trying to figure it out. That also has a big build up but at the end it just fell flat.

All of this to say, I loved the historical aspect of it. I loved the family saga. It was drawn out and dull at times but aren't they all. I was a bit disappointed by the end as it was a long book and the build up left me wanting more. Overall, it was enjoyable.

i am so thankful that i got to read this book early! thank you so much to the publishers and to netgalley. what a lovely story this was!! it was fantastic and sweet and precious and lovely in every single way!!!

I loved the historical story in this book. It was fascinating to read about the Greenbrier in the past. I liked that the story connected the past to the present with the same family - and how choices made impact what happens in the future. I enjoyed the mysterious aspect too. I however struggled to connect with the 4 characters and their stories until the very end of the book. It made the story feel disjointed. I think there should have been fewer perspectives or maybe just one. I loved that it was the story of a Jewish family - what that meant to each generation and what it is like across history to be Jewish. Overall, a fascinating story about a fancy hotel that I would recommend to anyone interested in historical fiction.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy