Book Review: "Last Summer at the Golden Hotel" by Elyssa Friedland

Can family and longtime friends save a Catskills hotel before it’s too late? That's the key question at the core of Elyssa Friedland's upcoming novel, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.

Back in the day, The Golden Hotel was the jewel of the Catskills. Benny Goldman and Amos Weingold, childhood best friends, owned the hotel and each summer their families presided over the jubilant crowds of Jewish families escaping the heat of NYC for time in this mountain oasis. The best entertainers would perform, the meals would be bountiful.

But over time, the appeal of the Catskills started to dwindle and families began vacationing elsewhere. Many of the leading resorts fell into disrepair and were converted into other things, from casinos to yoga retreats. Only The Golden has survived—and it’s barely hanging on.

When an offer is made to buy the property, three generations of the Weingolds and Goldens must come together to decide what to do. Do they find ways to make the hotel appeal to a new generation, or do they sell something that has been such a significant part of their lives for so long?

Of course, when families and longtime friends and business partners get together, there’s bound to be drama. What secrets will be revealed? What old wounds will be reopened? Can the relationships survive?

Family drama (when it’s not mine) is so appealing to read about, so I was sold on Last Summer at the Golden Hotel the moment I heard about it. But having grown up Jewish in the NJ/NY area in the 1970s, we made many trips to the Catskills so this book felt so familiar to me. It’s a world that was so hard to explain to other people.

I really enjoyed this book so much, and there was even a little bit of a Dirty Dancing vibe in the resort's similarity to Kellerman's. (No Patrick Swayze, though.) There was drama, family dynamics, and a sense of nostalgia that pervades the book. Such a fun read.⁣ Bravo to Elyssa Friedland!

Get Red PR and Berkley provided me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. I also had the opportunity to participate in a great group chat about the book on Bookstagram, and may participate in a Zoom chat with Friedland, so thanks to all who made this possible!

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel publishes 5/18!