The Grand Design had me from the beginning! I love a historical fiction novel that transports me completely, and I gives me the opportunity to learn about something, someone or somewhere new. The Grand Design hit all those boxes.
My best friend had been to the Greenbrier Resort, but other than hearing about her trip, I really wasn't familiar with the Resort or its famous designer Dorothy Draper. The story is told in a split time line where we meet Dorothy as a young lady in the early 1900s staying at Greenbrier Resort with her family. She feels the societal constraints so tightly around her, and simply knows she wants something different for her life. She meets Enzo, a young Italian race car driver, and her heart is immediately taken but their path is not so easily laid out for them. In 1946, Dorothy Draper is now a rising interior designer who has been hired to return the Greenbrier Resort to its former glory and establish it as the place for stars and high society to visit.
The descriptions of the Greenbrier Resort and Ms. Draper's designs are captured so vividly that when I looked at photos online they were exactly as I had envisioned them. I absolutely fell in love with this story and am now trying to figure out when I can plan a trip to West Virginia to visit the Greenbrier in person. I had not heard of Dorothy Draper before and am in awe of her story and accomplishments.
The Grand Design gets all the love from me and a five star rating. I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My best friend had been to the Greenbrier Resort, but other than hearing about her trip, I really wasn't familiar with the Resort or its famous designer Dorothy Draper. The story is told in a split time line where we meet Dorothy as a young lady in the early 1900s staying at Greenbrier Resort with her family. She feels the societal constraints so tightly around her, and simply knows she wants something different for her life. She meets Enzo, a young Italian race car driver, and her heart is immediately taken but their path is not so easily laid out for them. In 1946, Dorothy Draper is now a rising interior designer who has been hired to return the Greenbrier Resort to its former glory and establish it as the place for stars and high society to visit.
The descriptions of the Greenbrier Resort and Ms. Draper's designs are captured so vividly that when I looked at photos online they were exactly as I had envisioned them. I absolutely fell in love with this story and am now trying to figure out when I can plan a trip to West Virginia to visit the Greenbrier in person. I had not heard of Dorothy Draper before and am in awe of her story and accomplishments.
The Grand Design gets all the love from me and a five star rating. I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
RSS Feed
