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If you love your historical fiction with a side of luxury, The Grand Design by Joy Callaway might catch your eye. Set at the glamorous Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, the story is based on real-life interior designer Dorothy Draper, who carved out a career for herself in an era when women were expected to marry well and stay quiet.
Callaway paints a vivid picture of high society in the early 20th century, from debutante balls to decor trends. The historical tidbits about Draper’s life and inner circle were genuinely interesting, and I enjoyed learning more about the Greenbrier itself—it’s the kind of place that’s fun to peek at from afar, but not exactly in my travel budget.
The problem? I just didn’t care much about these people. Dorothy’s ambition was admirable, but she wasn’t easy to like, and the story’s focus on the woes of the ultra-wealthy left me cold. While I appreciated the portrayal of a woman blazing a trail in business, I had a hard time relating to the privileged bubble she lived in.
The audio narrator did a fine job, but using different character voices would have been an improvement. The eBook is well-written and well-researched—but emotionally distant. If you like elegant escapes, give it a go. Otherwise, it might leave you feeling like a guest who wandered into the wrong party.
** Thanks for NetGalley, and Harper Muse for copies of the eBook and Audiobook. The opinions are my own.