In the Shadow of the Greenbrier

by Emily Matchar

For fans of Pam Jenoff and Diane Chamberlain, a deeply poignant multigenerational Jewish family saga set around the iconic Greenbrier hotel, inspired by the remarkable yet little-known true events that shaped America's history.

Nestled in the hills of West Virginia lies White Sulphur Springs, home to the Greenbrier Resort. Long a playground for presidents and film stars, the Greenbrier exerts an undeniable force on the Zelner family. Over ten decades, four generations of the Zelner family—Sol, Sylvia, Doree, and Jordan—must each grapple with their place in their hometown...and their family. 

In 1942, young mother Sylvia is desperate to escape her stifling marriage, especially when it means co-running Zelner’s general store with her husband. When the Greenbrier is commandeered for use as a luxury prison, Sylvia finds her loyalties strained and her heart on the line.

Seventeen years later, Sylvia’s daughter, Doree, struggles to fit in, eagerly awaiting the day she'll leave for college and meet a nice Jewish boy. But when a handsome stranger comes to town and her brother Alan’s curiosity puts him and Sylvia at risk, Doree is torn between family and desire.

An immersive family saga rich with historical detail, In the Shadow of The Greenbrier explores the inevitable clash between the past and the future and lifts up the stories people tell to survive.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Jewish, Book Club, World War II

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2024

About the author

Interested in me talking to your book group? I'd love to! Just fill out the request form: https://www.emilymatchar.com/book-clu...

About me: I’m a writer and author originally from North Carolina

My debut novel, In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, a multi-generational saga about a Jewish family living near the iconic Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, will be published in March 2024 by Putnam at Penguin Random House. Before turning to fiction, I was a journalist for many years.

When I’m not working, I like to hike, cook, garden, try new foods, and travel with my husband and two sons.

Follow me on Instagram at @emilymatcharwriter

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Sulphur Springs, is in West Virginia and built amongst the beautiful mountains is Greenbrier Resort. An upmarket hotel for the rich and famous, film stars and numerous presidents have all stayed here.

This dual timeline story covers a hundred years and four generations of the Zelner family, and told from the perspectives of Sol, Sylvia, Doree and Jordan.

1909. Sol left Lithuania when he gets his call up papers to serve in Tsars army, and he immigrates to America. Sol works as a traveling sales man, he dreams of settling down, getting married and having children. He opens a general store, in the township of White Sulphur Springs and it's the start of his family legacy.

1942. Sylvia is Sol’s daughter-in-law, she's married to Louis and she has a baby daughter Doree. Sylvia worries about her two older brothers still living in Poland and her mother and her younger brothers in Tel Aviv. Sylvia is unhappy, she’s asked to some sewing at Greenbrier resort and it’s full of German and Italian diplomatic staff.

1959. Doree is in her last year of high school, she can’t wait to go to college with her best friend and escape White Sulphur Springs. Doree has two brothers Alan who’s very different and Pete. Alan is always getting into trouble, he doesn’t think like everyone else, he’s smart and curious. Alan keeps harping on about the building of the West Wing at the resort and things about it don't make any sense?

1992. Jordan is a reporter for The Washington Post, when he receives an anonymous letter about Greenbrier Resort, he knows it's near where his mother Doree was born in White Sulphur Springs and she doesn't like taking about her childhood?

I received a copy of In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matcher, the publisher and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. This debut novel isn't at all what I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised.

A story about a Jewish family, full of drama, secrets and hardships, generations living together and it's not easy, hopes and dreams. I would class the novel as a light mystery, I really enjoyed it and five stars from me.

[Teju A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Publication DAY!!!!! ENJOY FAMILY!!!!!!

Standing ovation....!!!! In the light of Kristin Hannah's nightingale and the four winds. Ms Emily Matchar is a true story teller...WOW!! what a debut, im floored for lack of words of how and where to start with this book. Secretly reading it slowly because i just didnt want it to end.

We see a multigeneration family, starting with Sol immigrating from lithuania, then his son's wife Slyvia, from poland, then on to Doree her daughter and lastly Jordan; Doree's son who brings to the light all the hidden secrets. Ms Matchar takes us on a journey through their lives, their loves, hardships and finally comes full circle with all their hidden revelations!

I cant wait for the world to see the genius of this new story teller on the scene and im looking forward to all her future books!!!!!
Ms Matchar Solid 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ellery Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is the case with all the best historical fiction novels, I came away from this one having learned many things I never knew before. I went to Google several times to look up Greenbrier photos, floorplans, and history. Emily Matchar did a fantastic job bringing this iconic landmark to life, but it is her characters, not the place, that will stay with me for a long time. They are all extremely well drawn. Fans of WWII fiction, Jewish fiction, and historical fiction with an edge of mystery will love this book.

[Terry Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story overall, but I found several problems that I can't overlook, and they all have to do with shoddy editing.

First, there's a whopper of an error on page 63. Jordan is driving down I-65. Um, where? To be on I-65 means that Jordan must first have driven about 9 hours west from Washington to Indianapolis, then south on I-65 to Louisville, and then another 7 hours east from there to White Sulphur Springs. A simple look at a map would have prevented this blunder.

Second, why on earth did the author and editors decide to consistently use British spellings? Although words such as toward and towards, afterward and afterwards, backward and backwards, among and amongst have the same meaning, U.S. and Canadian publishers traditionally use the simpler spellings, without the added s (or st for amongst), whereas British and other English-speaking countries (generally those that were members of the Commonwealth) prefer the longer spellings. It's not a big deal, but in a book about a small town deep in Appalachia, with a side story about the U.S. government, I should think the publisher would have known the difference.

Finally, and here's my biggest beef. The book virtually ignores all the Black workers at the Greenbrier, and the many Black citizens of White Sulphur Springs. My husband, who is Black and from White Sulphur Springs, and many of his family members, worked at the Greenbrier as doormen, elevator operators, laundry workers, housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, groundskeepers, bellmen, caddies, and maintenance workers. Yet author Matcher writes as if they almost don't exist. She mentions Black people a couple times, but always in passing, and as if those people are invisible. The vast majority of characters in the book are White or Jewish, yet it was and still is, Black people who keep that beautiful resort running. I was, quite frankly, a little insulted at the paucity of Black characters in this author's book.

[Jessi - TheRoughCutEdge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

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 very real and fancy hotel in West Virginia, was new and intriguing and ended up having quite the history.

I found this 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 were disconnected for longer than I’m used to. 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 my friend Jen 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!

[Collette · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar carves out an interesting historical landscape as a backdrop to the immigrant experience of Jewish Americans. The story of the Greenbrier Resort, an opulent hidden gem amongst the dusty hollers of West Virginia paints an immediate contrast of class, and outsiders verses insiders. Matchar then goes on to introduce four generations of a Jewish family who immigrated from Lithuania, and then Poland to escape the Holocaust. Told from alternate character's point of view, we are invited into the lives of this family during four different historical periods, with the Greenbrier being the constant.

This compelling story has all the ingredients of great read. We get to witness both the internal and external conflicts of the immigrant experience alongside the life events that make up the human experience. The storylines of the patriarch, Sol, his daughter-in-law, Sylvia, her daughter Doree, and her son, Jordan are neatly interwoven and offer a variety of insights from different life stages and historical timeframes. Though the chapters exist to advance an overall storyline, a few of them were a bit trite. The characters contained original broad brushstrokes, but leaned on conventional associations and came off as a bit underdeveloped.

The overall idea of the book and the way the cast of characters interact is very well executed. The descriptions of this extravagant playground for the wealthy nestled in the Appalachian Mountains and fueled by the work of the poor, local townspeople make this a compelling read. It's always a delight to read about a little-known nugget of historical information that didn't make it into the history books but is still interesting and significant.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for and advance copy of this engaging and entertaining read.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Compelling Read with a Flat Ending

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar was an enjoyable read, offering a rich and engaging narrative. I absolutely loved the multiple timelines, which allowed me to delve into the characters’ lives at different points and gain a deeper understanding of how their pasts shaped who they became. The layers of intrigue, suspense, mystery, romance, and tension kept me hooked, and the inclusion of historically accurate moments added an extra layer of authenticity to the story.

In many ways, this book had it all. However, I’m giving it 3 stars instead of 4 due to the quick and unsatisfying ending. After all the buildup and carefully woven secrets, the conclusion felt rushed and flat, leaving me wanting something bigger, more impactful, or more thought-provoking. While the story maintained its grip throughout, the resolution didn’t match the intrigue of the journey, which was a bit disappointing.

That being said, it’s still an engaging novel that blends historical elements with fiction in a compelling way—I just wish it had stuck the landing a little better.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Greenbrier is an actual resort, historic Americana from the 1700's! I'm always up for a story wrapped around real undisguised places.

And, by "resort" one knows this is not a hospice or shelter for the homeless. This is Rich People Mostly property. That is during peacetimes. . .the stories in this read are during the not-peacetimes (or in anticipation of the not-peacetimes). Four generations of the Zelner family are the subject of the book and show how each of the generations are as different as the individuals that make up this Jewish family. What is not different is the abuse and harassment with which they have to face each day whether they are in this LandOfTheFreeAndBrave or across the Pond wherever they started out. The author makes clear the anti-Semitic persecution they face is not just by community or nation - it is worldwide, no matter the year.

The story is interesting, with new information for me on many levels - always a star up-bumper in my responses. New info because I'm a West Coaster - and we rarely are taught East Coast stuff unless it is 300+ years old and tied to national origins. Locality histories always depend on wider reading than many usually engage in - so I'm always grateful for the authors who take the time to write and educate us! (There's my plug for historical fiction - just be sure to remember it always needs a further look.)

If these same topics interest you, I recommend this read to you.

*A sincere thank you to Emily Matchar, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #IntheShadowoftheGreenbrier #NetGalley

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars... a multi generational story about a Jewish family that follows them from overseas to West Virginia. I don't really have anything critical to say, maybe a little more mystery if I had to, but that wasn't really what it was about. I didn't want it to end but it ended so well.. one of the best books of 2023.
I only give 5 stars to unputdownable books. This was very close, am not sure if it's my fault because I have a lot going on right now!
I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating historical fiction debut featuring four generations of a Jewish American immigrant family across the decades. Alternating POVs and timelines we get to know more about each generation, their unique secrets and how their history was all tied to the real life Greenbrier hotel. Intricately researched, moving and unputdownable, this was an impressive debut and I'm excited to read more by Emily Matchar in the future! Great on audio too!

[Lisa Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this book for the state of West Virginia, as my sister and I are “Reading Across America”. Having stayed at the Greenbrier Resort and toured the Congressional Bunker, I feel like Matchar did a great job of bringing the hotel to life in this, her debut novel. I enjoyed the storyline from the four different characters viewpoints. I found the ending very satisfying.

[CammieOH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling familial drama spanning three generations. I loved this book! Told in 3 POVs, each held me captive! 5 Stars!

[Carole Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family lives and loves near a famous resort hotel, experiencing joy, heartbreak, prejudice and more.

In the small rural town of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, there exists a famous resort hotel called The Greenbrier. It has been the idyllic retreat for the glamorous and wealthy, hosted presidents and other powerful people, acted as a wartime military hospital and functioned as an internment facility during wartime for the diplomatic staff of enemy nations. It also served a function that remained a secret for decades. Books have been written about this storied location, but in this novel it is but one character among many. It is the story of four generations of a Jewish family who live and work in the town where The Greenbrier is located. The first to arrive in White Sulphur Springs is Sol Zelner who has fled his small Lithuanian town in the early 1900’s to avoid being drafted as cannon fodder for the tsar’s army, leaving behind his mother and sisters and struggling to make a life in America. He lands in Baltimore, lucks into a job as a traveling peddler, learns English and starts to make a living. He dreams of having a wife, a home and children in this new land, and even in the face of prejudice (including being asked over and over again to show people the horns on his head, which surely he must have being Jewish) remains optimistic. Surviving a brutal robbery on the road, he is offered the chance to open a shop in the town of White Sulphur Springs, where a magnificent resort is being built. He seizes the opportunity, works to become a part of the community that has few if any Jewish people, and even wins the hand of the beautiful American-born Pauline. They have sons, including Louis who when he is of marrying age meets and weds Sylvia. Sylvia like Sol before her has fled her home in Europe, but in her case she has left Poland and is fleeing the Nazis. She is from a fairly wealthy family in the city of Łódź; her mother and younger brothers have emigrated to Palestine, while her two older brothers have stayed to fight with their fellow socialists against the Germans. Sylvia and Louis have three children: Doree, a daughter and the eldest, Alan and Pete. Doree considers herself a typical American girl, is a little boy crazy but does well in school and plans to go to college alongside her best friend Patty.. Doree eventually marries and has children, and it is her son Jordan who (working as a journalist for the Washington Post) looks into a tip about what is really located underneath the famous resort which has been a fixture in his family’s history.
The ups and downs, successes and tragedies, loves and losses of this family span the early 1900’s through the 1990’s . I was attracted to this book for a very personal reason….I got married and honeymooned at The Greenbrier, and was curious to see its legends woven into this novel. That said, I enjoyed the novel a great deal on its own merits, and the setting was just a plus. Through the different characters who alternately narrated the chapters, jumping back and forth between time periods, I was able to get to know each throughout their lives. Sol, with his sense of humor and positive nature, was a favorite, while the dissatisfied, querulous Sylvia was not quite likable but, as’ I learned more about her past and her aspirations I was able to be more sympathetic to her difficulties. The nature of secrets, the desire for acceptance, the bigotry that springs from ignorance, and the need to be seen and accepted for who one is at their core are all woven into the stories and lives of the Zelner family and those in their lives, and I found it an engrossing and ultimately satisfying read. I am not going to reveal what secret The Greenbrier hid for so long, but I can tell you that it is in fact true and is a relatively unknown piece of American history, as are all of the other components of the hotel’s history. Readers of Martha Hall Kelly, Kristin Hannah and Nancy Horan should pick up a copy of In the Shadow of the Greenbrier, as should those interested in seeing a sliver of Jewish American life through the last 100 years or so. If you like to learn bits of lesser known American history while you learn about a family’s history, then add this to your TBR pile. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s edition of this novel, which in turn permitted me to revisit virtually a special place in my own history.

[Alysia · Rating 3 out of 5]

| Booksta Link |

Alright so spoiler alert (sort of?) the Greenbrier is a hotel. A massive hotel that basically supports a small town in West Virginia. There's a big ol' mystery about why they're building such a deep whole near it and what the purpose of it is. In order to tell the entire story, the author provides four different pov's, some of which I found to be entirely unnecessary.

Sol: Sol is a Jewish man who escapes Tsar-Russian military to come to America. He's the first-generation in the family and he founds a general store in West Virgina. Once it opens and he and his wife Pauline are settled, he his store set on fire unless he pays a townie off. Everyone in the family works at the general store that the town calls "the Jew store"....cuuute! *insert eye roll*

Sylvia: Sylvia is a Polish Jewish girl who escapes WWII and comes to America with her father, while her mother and brothers are in Tel Aviv. She has another brother who was killed during the war. Upon arrival her father passes away and she meets Louis in the city. He convinces her to get married and drags her off to West Virginia. She absolutely hates her life and is depressed the entire book.

Doree: Doree or Doreen is the daughter of Sylvia. She's caught up in the times of the 1950's and is struggling to contain her siblings as well as her frustration with her family. Her thoughts are mixed up in boys, college, and her brother Alan's misgivings. After her brother is beaten by the neighborhood boys, an "incident" happens and she and her other brother Pete never speak of it ever again.

Jordan: Jordan is the son of Doree and is the ending of the pov's. We're now in the 1990's and he's working for The Washington Post. He receives an annoymous letter in the mail about the Greenbrier and he's finally ready to uncover his family's secrets. He's ready to find out what lies beneath the hotel and what his mother has been hiding his entire life.

As you can see, this was shown as a mystery, but really it's historical lit. I did not understand the point of Sol's pov. Most of it was very boring and it didn't add to the story for me. I can't really recommend this one because it's a long book that half of it could've been deleted and it wouldn't have changed a thing.

[Mary Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I googled The Greenbriar Resort as soon as I finished the book. Absolutely fascinating!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well-researched and well-written and the multiple timelines were easy to follow. I just felt there was an “edge” to this book- a lot of anger and sorrow across the storylines, and even bitterness towards faith. This plus some extraneous scenes and language that I didn’t feel really added to the story resulted in my giving it three stars.

That said, I did appreciate that unlike many books I’ve read lately, there was thought put into the ending that at least tied up each of the storylines, even if it wasn’t quite what I expected.

[Libby Reidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the history of the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia, this multigenerational novel begins. Spanning the years from the beginning of the 1900's until the 1990's, one family 's history is told through different periods while the resort is built. A unsolved mystery brings all the characters of the story together . Knowing so little about the Greenbrier, I was fascinated with this book. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction.

[Tish’sReadingJournal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one fast. It was super interesting and I enjoyed every point of view. I love historical fiction and this story sucked me in. There were things that made my star count go down. I feel like there were things put in the story for no reason at all. They seemed to serve no purpose. I also felt that the mystery surrounding The Greenbrier was anticlimactic.

[Dawn]

DNF (after 40%): my brain could not handle 4 timelines. Also, I did not like any of the female main characters.

[Amanda Bennett at passionforprose · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier follows one Jewish family’s legacy in the small town of White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia where the legendary Greenbrier hotel hides all manner of secrets.

1909: Sol, the Zelner family patriarch immigrated from Lithuania with nothing but his father’s silver pocketwatch. After getting help from another Jewish immigrant, he starts out as a peddler before finally putting down roots in White Sulpher Springs. He figures here he will have steady business from the employees and guest of the Greenbrier being built nearby. Slowly he builds his legacy, the “Jew store” in town, and becomes an accepted fixture.

1942: Sylvia should have fled to Israel with her mother and younger brothers, but she is stubborn and was a “little fool” over a boy. Eventually she leaves Poland for America quickly falling for Louis Zelner and moving to start a life with him at his family’s store. Always the outsider, even within the Jewish community, for not being American, Sylvia is lonely, and her marriage isn’t what she imagined. When Germans and Italian diplomats are held at the Greenbrier, she wants nothing to do with them. These are the people who hate her family, but one man, Jack, makes her think otherwise and begin to question her future.

1958: Doree just wants to fit in in her small town, go to college to be a math teacher, and marry a good Jewish man continuing what her grandpa Sol calls the “eternal chain”. When the AV repairman for the Greenbrier stops by her family store to stock up on household sundries, she is intrigued. He seems awfully smart for a TV repairman, and he is the first person to notice how she seems to be selling herself short. Like her younger brother Alan, she begins to question what is really going on with the new addition to the Greenbriar.

1992: Jordan is the quintessential good kid. Unlike his wild twin sister, Jordan always does what is expected of him. It’s finally paying off with a job at the Washington Post mostly covering city meetings. When an anonymous tip lands on his desk, he quickly packs up and heads to the Greenbrier. His mother, Doree, is of no help, only pleading for him to stay in D.C., but Jordan knows there’s a story there. Doree never shared much about her past, and her adamant refusal to open up, has him curious to know more.

It’s hard to believe this multigenerational saga is a debut. Emily Matchar does an outstanding job of telling of one Jewish family’s experience facing relentless discrimination in a small town. She explores how each generation’s trauma is passed on, and its effects on their relationships. Her research is evident and the whole idea of what Jordan uncovers is amazing to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group-Putnam, and of course the author Emily Matchar for the advanced copy of the book. In The Shadow of the Greenbrier is out on March 12th. All opinions are my own.

Http://www.instagram.com/passionforprose

[Kate Connors · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The story follows four generations of the same family, starting in 1909 with Sol and ending with Jordan’s storyline in 1992. I loved all the different character storylines. My favorite storyline was Doree’s - an 18 year old woman coming into her own during a time when women still didn’t have the rights or opportunities they deserved. Doree’s mother Sylvie is a strict practicing Jewish mother and the two women struggle to understand each other and connect. I love all the sub storyline’s in Doree’s chapter - her friend Patty, her brother Alan, the audiovisual employees at the Greenbrier resort. Sometimes side plots can be distracting but these weave perfectly into the narrative.

Sylvie’s storyline is equally compelling - coming to America during WWII and struggling to adjust to the culture of West Virginia. The story delves into several crucial periods in history, examining how this one Jewish family lived through these different periods in West Virginia.

Jordan is Doree’s son, and the story begins with him receiving a letter at his news desk at the Washington Post telling him that there is a secret buried under the Greenbriar Resort. Jordan’s exploration into the past starts a train of events in motion, bringing to life secrets from Sylvie and Doree’s past.

[Sarah Chilva · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐ rounded up

"Americans thought happiness was their right. If they didn't have it, they were allowed, encouraged to tear their lives apart, looking for it."

"Sometimes you did things for survival, even when they were wrong."

'The things that connect us are not things at all. We're connected by people, our children, our grandchildren. One day, you too will have children and they'll connect me to the future even though i'll be gone. That's what being Jewish is: a connection.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a 4.5 star, almost 5.. I didn't want it to end but it ended so well. All the feels about a Jewish family through the generations from overseas to West Virginia. It was very character driven and just an overall good story. Definitely one of the best books of 2023.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley I'm exchange for an honest review.

[Stacy Brunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

My family is from West Virginia. I've known of the Greenbrier for years - even though it's in the southern part of the state and my family is situated in the north. The story of my family back four generations also includes wars, secrets, and getting further from our faith.

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier tells the story of the Zelners who have a very different West Virginia story from mine. The immigrant characters come to America bearing the trauma of war. Those who've been in America for any amount of time, in any of the generations, are dealing with some level of discrimination.

All the characters are navigating the waters of who they are in their family, in their community, in the world. It's a relatable story. There could have been a deeper thread of faith in the story - an older character with a strong attachment to their Jewish roots or one of the younger characters who reconnects with God.

For the most part, the story tells of a people who step further away from their faith into affairs, lies, and secrets. And maybe to some degree they are pushed by the experience of two world wars that left their families scattered around the world. Or maybe they are pulled away from the faith by American culture, as strong in West Virginia as it was in Washington or Baltimore.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I'm being entirely honest, I didn't have high expectations for this book. I only picked it up because 1.) the author was coming to my favorite book store in my current hometown of Greenville, SC and 2.) it's set in my original home state of WV and despite having moved to SC in 2009, I will always be a proud WV native and love reading anything set there. But, what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be! As Ms. Matchar read a few pages from one of the earlier chapters, I was already following in love with the characters and, in particular, the writing. This is a debut novel for Emily Matchar but her writing has the elegance of someone with many successes under her belt. When I got home with my copy, I dove right in and found it to be both lyrical and entertaining. I couldn't wait to see where the story would take me. I may be a bit biased but for me, this was a 5 out of 5 stars book!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier follows 4 story lines of one family, spanning across the 1900s. Part of the storyline were extremely enjoyable. But the ending fell flat and was a little bit of a let down. Not what I was expecting. There was also a lot more language & open door scenes than I expected there to be.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published March 12, 2024.

This review appeared in the Saturday/Sunday March 9-10, 2024 edition of the Charleston (WV) Gazette Mail

Deep in the West Virginia hills, in the town of White Sulphur Springs, four generations of the Zelnar family have battled to live, love, survive and thrive, all with the storied hotel, the Greenbrier, as a backdrop to their family stories: “A palace as large and white and splendid as anything in [the] history books, sitting tall on a gentle rise in the valley floor, the dark ridgeline of the Alleghenies its backdrop.” During the time the family called White Sulphur Springs home they were the only Jewish family who lived there.

First came Sol who was 17 in 1909 when he fled Lithuania after being called up for the tsar’s army. His mother had saved for this day and sent him to America with all the family’s riches and his father’s watch. He landed not at Ellis Island but in Baltimore and became a peddler, supplying good to homes in the southeastern United States (with no English at all.) This eventually led him to White Sulphur Springs where he opened what would become the family store, Zelnar’s Low Price Store, in 1911. They sold everything and they were the only store in town that would also serve Black customers. At this same time the Greenbrier was being expanded into the hotel that exists today.

Sol had a son, Louis, who married Sylvia, from Łódź, Poland. It is now World War II. Louis and Sylvia are living with their in-laws and their baby daughter. Things are not easy for Sylvia. She was raised in a cosmopolitan city and now she’s in a backwater and there’s a war on. The Greenbrier is being used as a luxury prison to detain German, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Italian diplomats and their families. Sylvia wants nothing to do with them, but her skills as a seamstress put her in high demand and she becomes entangled against her will.

Sylvia’s baby daughter is Doree. It’s now 1958, and Doree and her brothers are just trying to fit in (which is a bit difficult for her brother Alan; something mysterious is going on at the Greenbrier and he’s incredibly curious as to what it is.) Doree’s fondest desire is to go to West Virginia University or Fairmont State and to meet a nice Jewish boy to marry. Doree has a bit of an inferiority complex about her home and notes “when people heard she was from West Virginia and raised their eyebrows a little - a look that said they were thinking of tar paper shacks and toothless snake handlers and black lung - Doree wished she could walk them through the Greenbrier resort in the winter of 1958” with “the acres of lawns as pampered as a starlet’s hair. The fleet of bottle-green Rolls Royces. The dining room so big, waiters used to ride horses through it.”

During Doree’s senior year a stranger comes to town and changes both Doree and Alan’s lives.

Then it’s 1992. Jordan Barber is a new reporter at the Washington Post. He receives an anonymous tip about a big story to be had in White Sulphur Springs - his mother, Doree’s hometown. He pitches the story to his editors and he’s off to southeastern West Virginia to investigate (not-so-spoiler alert: I don’t think I’m giving anything away when I hint at what is going on at the Greenbrier in 1958 that Alan was so curious about and what Jordan’s hot tip is about, right?)

And perhaps the Dorothy Draper styled rooms aren’t for everyone as the author notes, “all the greens and florals made Jordan feel like he was inside one of those Easter baskets with the fake grass they sold at Rite Aid.” However, even Jordan, who is only one generation removed from living in West Virginia himself, has this uncharitable view of people from the area, “people from grim little Appalachian towns like White Sulphur Springs ought to be odd in either charming or sinister ways, like something out of a Faulkner novel.”

How incredibly lonely it must have been, to be the only Jewish family in White Sulphur Springs. There is mention of.a synagogue in Beckley, but to have no one with whom to share your prayers, your feast days, how very isolating. To marry another Jew one must look outside the community. And the horror of the war years. Poor Sylvia, having to consort with Germans and Italians, all while knowing what was being done to Jews in Europe. It’s unimaginable.

Those who lament the lost Mobil star of the Greenbrier today will find a lot to love here as Matchar recalls its heyday while acknowledging the fact that White Sulphur Springs has long been a “company town” - for generations many of its residents have been employed by the Greenbrier (though not the Zelnars.). “Bluefield and Welch will be in trouble when the coal mines play out…but we’ve got the Greenbrier,” and this has proven prescient as those towns have suffered while White Sulphur is seeing a resurgence,

The book is a fond look back while bringing a new dimension to understanding the area around the Greenbrier.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the idea of this novel, and in a piecemeal way, I enjoy most of the pieces. :P But, to nitpick in a developmental editing way that the author surely isn’t asking for now, I’d reframe most of this story.

This multigenerational story follows the Zelner family from 1909 to 1992, most of which they spend in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, titularly in the shadow of the Greenbrier. The Greenbrier is a lush resort with a storied history, from pandering to the rich and famous, to serving as a detention center for Italian and German diplomats, then a military hospital, and then finally…well, spoilers if you go past this point of the review. (To be technical, it primarily went back to being a hotel.)

Also, to be technical, the Greenbrier is a real place, and a real journalist, in place of the fictional character Machtar created here, cracked the case for the Washington Post back in 1992. The bowels of the Greenbrier was designed to be an underground bunker for the U.S. government, in case of nuclear attack by the Russians. This is more or less the driving drama of the two latter storylines in this book.

Part of me agrees with Beth Dwoskin’s take on the reveal in the Jewish Book Council review: “It feels some¬what anti¬cli¬mac¬tic when that secret is final¬ly revealed; the bunker is a rel¬a¬tive¬ly inof¬fen¬sive project in light of oth¬er Cold War intrigues.” I was puzzling it out, too, until I read one of Machtar’s research books in her acknowledgments: The Story of the U.S. Government’s Plan to Save Itself—While the Rest of Us Die. :0 An oversight, on my part, perhaps due to my age (I was under 10 when the USSR disbanded) not to do the math about how a bunker only saves the people inside the bunker from nuclear annihilation. But the bigger issue here is…secret government schemes and how they affect citizens aren’t really at the heart of this story.

Sure, there’s political themes. Maybe even some nice literary symmetry between using the Greenbrier as a detention center for foreign government agents vs as a bunker for our own. But to my mind, the heart of this story is about the Zelner family, and particularly about Sylvia (and her daughter, Doree, especially in my rehauled version of the novel. :P)

Sylvia was the character with the most “agency,” imho. Like Dwoskin said in her review, she could come off as one-dimensionally unlikeable. Her surly nature could be relatively off-putting, especially her disdain for her Litvak Jewish in-laws. As some of my own ancestry is of the Litvak Jewish persuasion, Sylvia, I say STFU. :P

But as we follow her as a young mother in 1942, the trauma unfurls in her life. Her isolation, borne out of being forced from her homeland and lifestyle, her distance from her mother who fled to Palestine, and the dawning, harrowing realization of what her brothers were facing back in Poland. The decisions she made in the West Virginia life that felt distant from her past reality started to make sense.

And I wish Matchtar had focused more on the relationship between Sylvia and Doree, whose narrative was from 1959 when she was a high school senior, rather than all the “gotcha” moments about family secrets. Because Machtar worked in four timelines, she worked extra hard to keep these truths hidden from readers until just the right moment. This is the sort of plot-driven writing that doesn’t appeal to my literary snobbery.

The intriguing “secrets,” imho, are about Sylvia’s standoffishness and how it affected her children. For Doree, I liked the focus on what she wanted out of her burgeoning adult life, but pretty much everything about her and the Greenbrier felt a little strained. More internal work and less external, plz!

Maybe the story still could have lasted until 1992, but with more of a focus on Doree, rather than her own two children who barely registered as characters in their own right. And, as much as I appreciated the archetypal story of Sol, the peddler who escaped conscription into the Russian Empire’s army, and as fekelmpt as I am regarding Sol’s ruminations on Jewish family and peoplehood, it kind of went beyond the scope.

I do love how Machtar dissected the Greenbrier’s affect on the townies who lived below it, as well as the sparse religious/cultural outlets available to West Virginia Jews. But in terms of characters and relationships, it’s Sylvia and Doree whom I wish took center stage.

Still, I’ll give this four stars for general enjoyment, hee. As my good friend, Kirkus, says, it’s an interesting glimpse into American Jewish history.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier is a truly captivating story, following four generations of one family, each grappling with their own secrets and struggles. Emily Matchar weaves together personal stories beginning with the interesting history of the Jewish peddler trade in America, offering an intriguing glimpse into both the culture and the challenges of rural West Virginia.

The book’s mystery keeps you hooked as the hidden truths within the family gradually emerge. Sylvia’s story, marked by her bitterness and anger, shows how unresolved pain can fester over time, making her journey particularly poignant. Doree, on the other hand, is filled with fear as she considers revealing the true past to her son, Jordan, a Washington Post journalist. Her hesitation about dredging up old wounds adds a layer of tension, but there’s also a possible allusion to healing in her relationship with her daughter if she can let the truth come out—something that perhaps could have offered Sylvia some relief, had she allowed herself the same openness.

Watching the family’s four generations try to move beyond their painful histories while navigating life in rural West Virginia was compelling. Their stories felt challenging and relatable, especially as they faced the pull between staying rooted and connected to their cultural past or seeking something new.

Overall, this book is a great read for anyone who loves family sagas filled with complex characters, historical context, and an emotional, slowly unfolding mystery.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting four-generational family drama, each with strong ties to the historical Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. The story begins with Sol, an immigrant from war-torn Poland, who gets a job as a peddler - which brings him to both the landscape of Virginia and his future wife. Their son Louis marries young Sylvia and they stay with his parents and work at the family store. But Sylvia has other aspirations, and her decisions guide the trajectory of the rest of the family and their stories. Their daughter Doree and son Alan carry the story forward into finding truths and secrets that put their lives in danger. And while Doree hopes to live with these secrets, her journalist son, Jordan, receives a note that pulls him back into the Greenbrier Resort to find the truth about the Resort and his family. The stories of each generation play out in their own chapters until the stories intertwine into the current generation's drive to get the truth from both the Greenbrier and Doree. Even when the reader feels the ending is what they know will happen, there is a little bit of another secret that peaks through... that Doree does not share. An interesting read with some historical information about the Greenbrier Resort that is probably not well known. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group, Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #IntheShadowoftheGreenbrier