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The Inn at Lake Devine
This "tale of delicious revenge" ( USA Today ) is also "a punchy little comedy of manners.... Think Jane Austen in the Catskills" ( Chicago Tribune ).
It's 1962 and all across America barriers are collapsing. But when Natalie Marx's mother inquires about summer accommodations in Vermont, she gets the following The Inn at Lake Devine is a family-owned resort, which has been in continuous operation since 1922. Our guests who feel most comfortable here, and return year after year, are Gentiles. For twelve-year-old Natalie, who has a stubborn sense of justice, the words are not a rebuff but an infuriating, irresistible challenge.
In this beguiling novel, Elinor Lipman charts her heroine's fixation with a small bastion of genteel anti-Semitism, a fixation that will have wildly unexpected consequences on her romantic life. As Natalie tries to enter the world that has excluded her—and succeeds through the sheerest of accidents— The Inn at Lake Devine becomes a delightful and provocative romantic comedy full of sparkling social mischief.
It's 1962 and all across America barriers are collapsing. But when Natalie Marx's mother inquires about summer accommodations in Vermont, she gets the following The Inn at Lake Devine is a family-owned resort, which has been in continuous operation since 1922. Our guests who feel most comfortable here, and return year after year, are Gentiles. For twelve-year-old Natalie, who has a stubborn sense of justice, the words are not a rebuff but an infuriating, irresistible challenge.
In this beguiling novel, Elinor Lipman charts her heroine's fixation with a small bastion of genteel anti-Semitism, a fixation that will have wildly unexpected consequences on her romantic life. As Natalie tries to enter the world that has excluded her—and succeeds through the sheerest of accidents— The Inn at Lake Devine becomes a delightful and provocative romantic comedy full of sparkling social mischief.
253 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 1998
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About the author
Elinor Lipman
27 books1,345 followersI love talking with readers - for 1:1s and Book Club visits, find me on Skolay: www.skolay.com/writers/elinor-lipman
Elinor Lipman is the author of 14 humorous novels about contemporary American society; essay and short story collections. Born and raised in Lowell, MA, she divides her time between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley of New York. She received the New England Book award for fiction in 2001. Her first novel, "Then She Found Me," was adapted for the screen, starring Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick. Her fourth novel, "The Inn at Lake Devine" was adapted for the off-off Broadway stage by Tongue in Cheek Theater. In 2011-2012, she held the Elizabeth Drew chair in creative writing at Smith College. Her novel, “Ms. Demeanor," was a finalist for the 2023 Thurber Prize for American Humor. In 2021, her hometown Library, Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell, established The Elinor Lipman Prize, awarded annually to Lowell residents and students at Lowell universities.
Elinor Lipman is the author of 14 humorous novels about contemporary American society; essay and short story collections. Born and raised in Lowell, MA, she divides her time between Manhattan and the Hudson Valley of New York. She received the New England Book award for fiction in 2001. Her first novel, "Then She Found Me," was adapted for the screen, starring Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth and Matthew Broderick. Her fourth novel, "The Inn at Lake Devine" was adapted for the off-off Broadway stage by Tongue in Cheek Theater. In 2011-2012, she held the Elizabeth Drew chair in creative writing at Smith College. Her novel, “Ms. Demeanor," was a finalist for the 2023 Thurber Prize for American Humor. In 2021, her hometown Library, Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell, established The Elinor Lipman Prize, awarded annually to Lowell residents and students at Lowell universities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 679 reviews
March 5, 2017
This book was a very satisfying read. This is a wonderful, almost a comedy of manners, coming of age story. The author shows remarkable perspicacity regarding intergenerational conflict, bigotry, cultural differences, and the eras of the 1960s and 1970s. And I must say I’m always a sucker for any good bad mushroom story.
The first and shorter Part 1 was my favorite portion. During that section, I was often laughing out loud; it was hilarious. The section would have sufficed as a stand-alone novella. I probably also really enjoyed it because I do so appreciate stories about young people.
I’m so glad that Lipman continued with the story. Part 2 actually felt as though it might have been written at a separate time; the style was somewhat different. I was merely smiling, grinning at times, but did not actually laugh as I did during the first chapters of the book; that didn’t diminish my reading enjoyment however. The personalities of the (very compelling) characters did remain true to themselves, even through the changes they all experienced. I was afraid for a time that the ending would be too abrupt, but the novel came to a very satisfying conclusion, and also left me wanting more, which makes it my favorite kind of novel.
I admire anyone who can create such a delightful comedy out of a serious premise: the exclusion of Jews from a restricted vacation property. And I found it fascinating that the author’s mother (revealed in the acknowledgments) had received a similar letter as the Jewish family in this story receives.
The first and shorter Part 1 was my favorite portion. During that section, I was often laughing out loud; it was hilarious. The section would have sufficed as a stand-alone novella. I probably also really enjoyed it because I do so appreciate stories about young people.
I’m so glad that Lipman continued with the story. Part 2 actually felt as though it might have been written at a separate time; the style was somewhat different. I was merely smiling, grinning at times, but did not actually laugh as I did during the first chapters of the book; that didn’t diminish my reading enjoyment however. The personalities of the (very compelling) characters did remain true to themselves, even through the changes they all experienced. I was afraid for a time that the ending would be too abrupt, but the novel came to a very satisfying conclusion, and also left me wanting more, which makes it my favorite kind of novel.
I admire anyone who can create such a delightful comedy out of a serious premise: the exclusion of Jews from a restricted vacation property. And I found it fascinating that the author’s mother (revealed in the acknowledgments) had received a similar letter as the Jewish family in this story receives.
March 8, 2011
I found this book by chance in a Parisian apartment eight years ago when I was desperate to read something in English. I might have enjoyed ANYTHING at that point, but wow, this book was fantastic and an introduction to Elinor Lipman, who is consistently one of our finest writers of contemporary mores. "Inn" tells the story of Natalie Marx, a young girl from a largely non-religious Jewish family in Newton, Massachusetts who, in the 1960s, becomes obsessed with a Vermont guesthouse run by an anti-semitic proprietress. To give away more would be a shame, but it's safe to say that fate conspires to bring Natalie to the Inn both in adolescence and in adulthood, with unexpected results. The dialogue is great; the characters well-drawn, the humor just right. I have re-read this book several times since I first discovered it, and always enjoy it.
August 8, 2018
This was a breezy and delightful novel perfect for summer reading. In 1962 Natalie Marx’s family is looking for a vacation destination and sends query letters to various different Vermont establishments. The reply they get from the Inn at Lake Devine (proprietress: Ingrid Berry) tactfully but firmly states that the inn’s regular guests are Gentiles. In other words, no Jews allowed. The adolescent Natalie is outraged, and when the chance comes for her to infiltrate the Inn at Lake Devine as the guest of one of her summer camp roommates, she sees it as her secret act of revenge. In fact, in the years to come, after she trains as a chef, Natalie will become further entwined in the inn’s life, helping the family recover from a tragedy, falling in love with one of the Berry sons, and unwittingly contributing to a livelihood-threatening accident. Natalie’s voice drew me in right from the start. Lipman’s comedies of manners have been compared to Jane Austen’s, and you can see that likeness in the witty dialogue. I’ll certainly read more by Lipman.
February 28, 2020
This book was like a ratty but very warm and cozy sweater. I just settled right in and read. It helped that, at the beginning, the protagonist is a teenager when I was a teenager (early '60s), and the book rang true.
The set-up is that the teenager's family receives a letter turning them away from the hotel of the title after their name outs them as Jews. The unfolding consequences follow the girl, Natalie, into young adulthood. But, first, I appreciated her feisty response to the slight. The action is set in the northeastern U.S., and maybe that's part of why the subject is openly addressed and not buried and suppressed the way it was in my experience in the south.
The acknowledgements say the author's mother vividly remembers an actual letter from "the hotel on the lake." So there was a real event that gave rise to this book.
After finishing, I wondered if the book was a fantasy, not of revenge (too strong), but of getting even. If so, then it's a way of doing things that's not quite as uncomplicated as the characters are thinking.
A favorite line from the book, and I can't even find it at the moment, has the main character saying something like, "It's 1975!" as though at that late date everything has been figured out, everybody knows how to behave, and reason has triumphed.
This is an author I'd never heard of before. Wikipedia says she's 69, has written 12 novels, a story collection, an essay collection, and a 2012 collection called Tweet Land of Liberty: Irreverent Rhymes from the Political Circus. She's won some awards, had one book made into a movie, and writes a column for parade.com.
The set-up is that the teenager's family receives a letter turning them away from the hotel of the title after their name outs them as Jews. The unfolding consequences follow the girl, Natalie, into young adulthood. But, first, I appreciated her feisty response to the slight. The action is set in the northeastern U.S., and maybe that's part of why the subject is openly addressed and not buried and suppressed the way it was in my experience in the south.
The acknowledgements say the author's mother vividly remembers an actual letter from "the hotel on the lake." So there was a real event that gave rise to this book.
After finishing, I wondered if the book was a fantasy, not of revenge (too strong), but of getting even. If so, then it's a way of doing things that's not quite as uncomplicated as the characters are thinking.
A favorite line from the book, and I can't even find it at the moment, has the main character saying something like, "It's 1975!" as though at that late date everything has been figured out, everybody knows how to behave, and reason has triumphed.
This is an author I'd never heard of before. Wikipedia says she's 69, has written 12 novels, a story collection, an essay collection, and a 2012 collection called Tweet Land of Liberty: Irreverent Rhymes from the Political Circus. She's won some awards, had one book made into a movie, and writes a column for parade.com.
March 4, 2020
I rate this novel as a 3.5. I enjoyed it; having never read a fiction novel quite like this- in the way this nasty subject was portrayed.
The JBC hasn't read many books about anti-semitism that weren't related to Germany or the Holocaust.
The first half of the book was fun with the banter from Natalie's wicked sense of sarcastic humor.
It was as if there was a grown women in a child's body. I must say she was much more aware and knew much more about antisemitism at her age than I did.`It would be only a very short time after that before I would become a young girl slammed by kids and teachers about being jewish.
I felt the second half of the book did not hold up as well as the first half. One reason for that could be the amount of characters increased much more in the second half creating too many subplots going on at the same time, and thought I started to lose interest. That was also short lived, because the humor started again at the hotel in The Catskills. I knew the humor, but had no understanding of what or where the Catskills was until the middle of college. And yes, I saw Flash Dance :) I read a few other books long ago from this author, and would absolutely read more.
The JBC hasn't read many books about anti-semitism that weren't related to Germany or the Holocaust.
The first half of the book was fun with the banter from Natalie's wicked sense of sarcastic humor.
It was as if there was a grown women in a child's body. I must say she was much more aware and knew much more about antisemitism at her age than I did.`It would be only a very short time after that before I would become a young girl slammed by kids and teachers about being jewish.
I felt the second half of the book did not hold up as well as the first half. One reason for that could be the amount of characters increased much more in the second half creating too many subplots going on at the same time, and thought I started to lose interest. That was also short lived, because the humor started again at the hotel in The Catskills. I knew the humor, but had no understanding of what or where the Catskills was until the middle of college. And yes, I saw Flash Dance :) I read a few other books long ago from this author, and would absolutely read more.
December 30, 2010
Few novels manage to combine humor and sadness the way this one does. It touches on anti-Semitism without being heavy-handed, and brings a varied cast of characters to a new understanding of themselves and others. Lipman has a quirky sense of humor and sets up a wonderful premise here in an interesting location. You have to love a protagonist who, learning that a resort on a New England lake doesn't accept Jewish guests, sets out to expose the innkeepers in such an inventive way. There's a romance at the center of this novel, just enough off kilter that it kept my attention and my pages turning so quickly that I read this in a day. It is set in Vermont and Massachusetts in the 60s and 70s, yet it felt like my childhood growing up in the Catskills. This was a wonderful coming-of-age book that was well written and funny, with great dialog and characters who feel incredibly real. This is probably my favorite Elinor Lipman book!
Question: the dedication implies that this is based on a true story--does anyone know if it is?
Question: the dedication implies that this is based on a true story--does anyone know if it is?
March 31, 2008
This was a quick read, and an enjoyable one! When Natalie’s mother inquires about rentals at an inn on a New England lake, she receives an icily polite response making it clear that, as Jews, they will not be comfortable at this resort. Teenage Natalie, fresh from her first reading of Anne Frank's diary, becomes obsessed with the inn and its owner. This part of the book is very funny and was better, I thought, than the second half. The story jumps forward to Natalie's adult years as her relationship to the Inn plays out, with a visit to a Kosher resort in the Catskills along the way.
I spent my childhood summers at a place that was similar to the Inn at Lake Devine--although far more rustic and casual--and have no trouble imagining the premise for this book. And in fact, it is more than just plausible since the author’s own mother actually did receive such a letter.
I spent my childhood summers at a place that was similar to the Inn at Lake Devine--although far more rustic and casual--and have no trouble imagining the premise for this book. And in fact, it is more than just plausible since the author’s own mother actually did receive such a letter.
December 3, 2022
Possibly the best piece of "chick lit" ever written. (Or, okay, my favorite.) The characters all have depth, and the plot is incredibly engaging. Lipman deals with real issues—life, death, love, anti-Semitism, and cookery—and does a fantastic job evoking the atmosphere of Vermont in the '60s and '70s.
January 5, 2022
A fun, fast paced, easy read. My kind of “beach read”. It’s about what your parents may think, cooking, boutique hotels, and romance. Takes place in up state New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont in the 60’s and 70’s. This book roped me in and kept my attention throughout. Definitely a fictional tale but not so outrageous as to send me packing (i can’t stand books that don’t have at least a modicum of realism to them). I read it in a few hours.
September 28, 2023
TRIGGERS: Racism. Death in a car accident.
Twelve-year-old Natalie Marx investigates a summer camp for her family to visit. They have been to a few in Massachusetts and New York state, but are interested in visiting Vermont. When Natalie calls the Inn at Lake Devine, she is told that her family would not enjoy the Inn, they wouldn't "fit in."
She is mystified as to why the woman on the phone suddenly became cold to her after she told her her name. This appears to be the first time that Natalie has encountered racism against Jews.
Natalie actually DOES manage to visit the Inn, in an interesting plot twist. Natalie's unexceptional visit (at the time) affects the rest of her life. How does she handle the anti-Jewish sentiment of the owner?
I found this an excruciatingly slow read. It's not that I don't care about anti-Jewish racism in the 1960's; I just found Natalie and her family so ... self-satisfied?? There was a level of hypocrisy in the family that resonated w/ my upbringing in a faith that follows Jewish kosher laws as well, which Natalie's family did not -- yet she faults the Inn for not providing kosher meals! At least finishing this book has hardened my resolve NOT to fall for the hype in book reviews by Anne Bogel, of the "Modern Mrs. Darcy" blog, as she is fairly enthusiastic about most books she recommends in her lists of books in certain categories, eg "books set in summer camps." Rounded up to 2 stars, b/c I sort of enjoyed the look into the lives of 1960's Jewish families. However, if I want more of that, I think I'll stick w/ "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" on Prime.
Twelve-year-old Natalie Marx investigates a summer camp for her family to visit. They have been to a few in Massachusetts and New York state, but are interested in visiting Vermont. When Natalie calls the Inn at Lake Devine, she is told that her family would not enjoy the Inn, they wouldn't "fit in."
She is mystified as to why the woman on the phone suddenly became cold to her after she told her her name. This appears to be the first time that Natalie has encountered racism against Jews.
Natalie actually DOES manage to visit the Inn, in an interesting plot twist. Natalie's unexceptional visit (at the time) affects the rest of her life. How does she handle the anti-Jewish sentiment of the owner?
I found this an excruciatingly slow read. It's not that I don't care about anti-Jewish racism in the 1960's; I just found Natalie and her family so ... self-satisfied?? There was a level of hypocrisy in the family that resonated w/ my upbringing in a faith that follows Jewish kosher laws as well, which Natalie's family did not -- yet she faults the Inn for not providing kosher meals! At least finishing this book has hardened my resolve NOT to fall for the hype in book reviews by Anne Bogel, of the "Modern Mrs. Darcy" blog, as she is fairly enthusiastic about most books she recommends in her lists of books in certain categories, eg "books set in summer camps." Rounded up to 2 stars, b/c I sort of enjoyed the look into the lives of 1960's Jewish families. However, if I want more of that, I think I'll stick w/ "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" on Prime.
February 23, 2015
A couple of years ago I happened to notice one of those banner ads in Goodreads, one of those that seemed to show up every time you noticed for weeks prior to the summer reading season. It was for “The Inn at Lake Devine”. I feel I need to tell the marketers that their ad worked in that I remembered the book, but unfortunately for them it was when I found the book in a used book store (shout out to Book Hunters in Naperville!). It was a hard cover first edition and autographed, and I discovered later it was also signed by the author. I was confused as to why it was marked down to $1, but bought it. Only when I went to read the book a few years later did I notice that it actually was published more than ten years earlier. Interesting target for a marketing campaign. Maybe those hundreds of “impressions” on me didn’t get you a direct sale, but it did generate at least this review!
“The Inn at Lake Devine” started off as a kind of scheming kid book, which I often find entertaining. This story was no exception, at least at the beginning, as young teen Natalie deals with a hotel’s “Gentiles only” policy as she best sees fit. But she obsesses about the hotel, and by the end of the book we see Natalie coming back to the hotel and engaging in what seems to me pretty typical chic lit romantic fare. I liked the earlier section a bit better, but the food angle kept the story interesting. The ending felt a bit contrived, but not horribly. The antagonist didn't seem to be very antagonistic - she was more just annoying, and had what felt like a minor comeuppance at the end, so that wasn't as satisfying. Fine for a light and entertaining read.
“The Inn at Lake Devine” started off as a kind of scheming kid book, which I often find entertaining. This story was no exception, at least at the beginning, as young teen Natalie deals with a hotel’s “Gentiles only” policy as she best sees fit. But she obsesses about the hotel, and by the end of the book we see Natalie coming back to the hotel and engaging in what seems to me pretty typical chic lit romantic fare. I liked the earlier section a bit better, but the food angle kept the story interesting. The ending felt a bit contrived, but not horribly. The antagonist didn't seem to be very antagonistic - she was more just annoying, and had what felt like a minor comeuppance at the end, so that wasn't as satisfying. Fine for a light and entertaining read.
May 26, 2014
Having stayed in Vermont at an Inn similar to the one in the novel a few years ago, I enjoyed Lipmans portrayal of tight lipped intolerance and false facades. It was still the same three decades after the novels setting when in the place we stayed, the owner , after discovering I was diabetic, would only address my husband and not speak directly to me " does she eat sausages? ". I was also admonished for wearing a football tshirt I had bought in Boston earlier that week , as " the wrong kind for this hotel dear", so the character of Ingrid jumped right out of the page for me as very real and very ghastly. I had met her!
All the characters were funny, warm, flawed and well drawn. I loved Natalie. The ending of the book surprised me and I am not sure if it was a social statement or hypocrisy but I think it is probably the former. Ingrid was exposed and had a comeuppance for her anti-semitism, Linette treated her with nothing but contempt, and yet it is clear that Ingrid eventually accepts her daughter in law but Linette does not lecture her parents for their equal prejudice towards Nelson and chooses to deceive them indefinitely .
I hated Ingrid but shouldn't I have hated the Feldmans too?
I loved the humour, the story, the setting, all of this book, it was Woody Allen meets Anne Tyler, two of my favourite story tellers.
All the characters were funny, warm, flawed and well drawn. I loved Natalie. The ending of the book surprised me and I am not sure if it was a social statement or hypocrisy but I think it is probably the former. Ingrid was exposed and had a comeuppance for her anti-semitism, Linette treated her with nothing but contempt, and yet it is clear that Ingrid eventually accepts her daughter in law but Linette does not lecture her parents for their equal prejudice towards Nelson and chooses to deceive them indefinitely .
I hated Ingrid but shouldn't I have hated the Feldmans too?
I loved the humour, the story, the setting, all of this book, it was Woody Allen meets Anne Tyler, two of my favourite story tellers.
September 13, 2007
Lipman's books look as if they must be 'guilty pleasure' books, but I swear they're good--Lipman has a singular voice and dry sense of humor. They're in a class of books that is hard to come by--maybe not 'literary fiction' but fun: well-written keen studies of people. Though I and others might argue that they are 'literary fiction'! If only the covers didn't scream 'chick lit'...
June 24, 2018
Maybe more of a 3.5? I don’t know. I didn’t dislike the book, but I kept waiting for it to really take off but the plot never gets its momentum going. I guess I can say that I enjoyed a book about 20th century working class Jewish Americans with challenges and loves and drama and which didn’t have an obligatory epic genocide thread as part of the storyline. A good summer read maybe.
May 31, 2020
3.5 but rounding up.
I'm sure I read this two decades ago as I've read most/if not all of Elinor Lipman's books.
Despite dealing with anti-Semitism, this was an enjoyable, easy read. Often charming, often bringing a smile to my face with some of the phrasing/descriptions.
And yes, somewhat predictable though it didn't matter. This was a good diversion and mix-in to my more serious tomes.
However, not a huge fan of the ending.
I'm sure I read this two decades ago as I've read most/if not all of Elinor Lipman's books.
Despite dealing with anti-Semitism, this was an enjoyable, easy read. Often charming, often bringing a smile to my face with some of the phrasing/descriptions.
And yes, somewhat predictable though it didn't matter. This was a good diversion and mix-in to my more serious tomes.
However, not a huge fan of the ending.
June 11, 2020
3.5 - I read this when it first came out and enjoyed the way in which the author exposed anti semitism. I read this again for book club and had the same reaction. Told with humor and irony and mostly contrived, it was still an entertaining read.
November 26, 2019
Easy and fast read with a good plot. Unfortunately, romance novels are not my thing.
May 22, 2020
Fairly cute to start, but fell flat by the end.
August 16, 2021
Breezy and fun to read. I picked this up from a Little Free Library with the intent to read it on the airplane, not entirely realizing it was a romance novel, so that took me a little by surprise, but I enjoyed reading it. My favorite parts were ultimately in Part 1 when Natalie is 14, but overall I liked the tensions between Natalie & her Jewish family and the goyische Berry family at the eponymous Inn, in the 1960s-70s when integration laws and minority-community movements were changing the country.
There were parts that felt a little overdone (the MC’s tensions with her parents, the love interest acting like a jerk around the middle of the book) and some that took me by surprise in what I thought would be a lighter book (there’s a terrible, sudden death of character in a car crash that kicks off the plot of the second half of the book that I was not expecting at all) but ultimately I liked Natalie, liked her connections to Jewish communities, liked the very local Massachusetts references, and liked the tension and the setting. And the central romance was perfectly nice without being either too fast, too overbearing, or forcing Natalie to change herself.
There were parts that felt a little overdone (the MC’s tensions with her parents, the love interest acting like a jerk around the middle of the book) and some that took me by surprise in what I thought would be a lighter book (there’s a terrible, sudden death of character in a car crash that kicks off the plot of the second half of the book that I was not expecting at all) but ultimately I liked Natalie, liked her connections to Jewish communities, liked the very local Massachusetts references, and liked the tension and the setting. And the central romance was perfectly nice without being either too fast, too overbearing, or forcing Natalie to change herself.
May 12, 2010
My favorite among all of Lipman's many wonderful novels, read in a straightforward, unselfconscious way. I handed it off to my daughter's friend Eva as soon as I listened to the last disc. At a time in life when they're trying to figure out just which tribe they belong to, this is a book that teens will appreciate. They'll relate to Natalie Marx's righteous fury about the polite WASP anti-Semitism she and her family encounter when scouting for a place to spend their annual 2 week vacation in New England. "It was not complicated, and, as my mother pointed out, not even personal: They had a hotel; they didn't want Jews; we were Jews." This is Natalie's first encounter with a subject that has obsessed her since reading "The Diary of a Young Girl." "Were they Nazis?" she wonders. Her mother assures her this is 1962 America, not Amsterdam, and that this is a case rather of "bad manners... someone should give this Mrs. Berry a piece of their mind." But this does not satisfy 14 year old Natalie, who can't dismiss this indifferent injustice so easily.
July 20, 2018
My heritage
I rarely give 5 stars. But this book spoke to me. Natalie, our heroine is the same age as I am, so I completely associated her summer camp experiences. Her Jewish parents who married too young, her realization that there were places Jews were not welcome. Her college years that were the same as mine. I had seen Lipman this year for her new book, On Turpentine Lane, which I loved. And had another in preparation for meeting her. But had never read this book, which is apparently her most famous. I did feel a little sad that all 3 Jewish girls ended up with non Jewish boys (which I did, but at least he converted).
However, I must say every character in this book is excellently portrayed with humor and sometimes tragedy. I did guess the climax would center around Mr. Berry's hobby and was a little nervous as to what would happen. I do want to add that this book is slightly autobiographical and The Inn at Lake Devine did discriminate against Jews. Lipman's family was refused a reservation and years later she decided to write this book.
I rarely give 5 stars. But this book spoke to me. Natalie, our heroine is the same age as I am, so I completely associated her summer camp experiences. Her Jewish parents who married too young, her realization that there were places Jews were not welcome. Her college years that were the same as mine. I had seen Lipman this year for her new book, On Turpentine Lane, which I loved. And had another in preparation for meeting her. But had never read this book, which is apparently her most famous. I did feel a little sad that all 3 Jewish girls ended up with non Jewish boys (which I did, but at least he converted).
However, I must say every character in this book is excellently portrayed with humor and sometimes tragedy. I did guess the climax would center around Mr. Berry's hobby and was a little nervous as to what would happen. I do want to add that this book is slightly autobiographical and The Inn at Lake Devine did discriminate against Jews. Lipman's family was refused a reservation and years later she decided to write this book.
July 9, 2024
6/2/10
I lova-lova- LOVE this book!! It's a perfect summer read. And, since my summer really only just began (summer school ended on Friday) it's a perfect time to read it. And, since I have an ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS pile of laundry waiting for me, I am listening to it. YAY!! I love this book!
6/27/11
I tell you, it is absolutely wonderful to again have hours at a single stretch to read. I'm finished already. Still a great book.
June 8, 2013
I am finding that I read this book at the start of the summer. It's too perfect not to. I just read it again, and though I didn't write it down then, I read it at the start of last summer, too.
read count: 5
I lova-lova- LOVE this book!! It's a perfect summer read. And, since my summer really only just began (summer school ended on Friday) it's a perfect time to read it. And, since I have an ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS pile of laundry waiting for me, I am listening to it. YAY!! I love this book!
6/27/11
I tell you, it is absolutely wonderful to again have hours at a single stretch to read. I'm finished already. Still a great book.
June 8, 2013
I am finding that I read this book at the start of the summer. It's too perfect not to. I just read it again, and though I didn't write it down then, I read it at the start of last summer, too.
read count: 5
June 6, 2021
This book was ... pleasant, and occasionally humorous. To use the cooking images that are part of this book, it was never too hot or too cold - just bubbled along at medium, with few highs or lows. Some enjoyable descriptions of Jewish family culture, contrasted with a vacation spot which, in the 1960s, didn't allow Jews. The last 20% of the book tries. to resolve all of the subplots into a happily ever after.
I can't figure out how the proprietress of the inn would know to use the word "gentile" in her letter refusing them accommodations.
I can't figure out how the proprietress of the inn would know to use the word "gentile" in her letter refusing them accommodations.
January 30, 2010
Short, satisfying, and fun, with great dialogue and characters. I had not heard of Elinor Lipman before finding this book--now I want to read others by her. Question: the dedication implies that this is based on a true story--does anyone know if it is?
December 23, 2007
funniest book about anti-Semitism, ever! (No, I'm not joking.)
January 6, 2010
Love Elinor Lipman -- who I discovered this summer -- and this might be one of the very best.
March 10, 2017
One of my favorite Elinor Lipman novels; I just read it for the third time. Now, which of her books to read next?
August 10, 2018
What fun!! Great characters. Humor. A charming love story. And a heroine, Natalie Marx, I’d love to spend more time with. I hate to return to reality.
July 7, 2018
I really wanted to love this book, especially because my mom recommended it to me and I know how much she loves Eleanor Lipman, but I just couldn't get into it.
I loved the humor, the constant Jewish references, and the dialogue was always amazing. However, a lot of the time it felt like the book was too all over the place and the author just kept throwing in new scenarios for dialogue. I think it concluded poorly, too.
It's not that this was a bad book; it's more that the plot lines could use some tying up together.
I loved the humor, the constant Jewish references, and the dialogue was always amazing. However, a lot of the time it felt like the book was too all over the place and the author just kept throwing in new scenarios for dialogue. I think it concluded poorly, too.
It's not that this was a bad book; it's more that the plot lines could use some tying up together.
April 24, 2021
Elinor Lipman has presented a serious subject, anti-semitism with such a light hand, and so much humor that the reader ( at least this reader) can easily think “ how silly are those people who think that way. . . And, behave that way.”
Lipman’s humor is deft and easy-going and I fell in love with this novel in the first chapter. It is a gift to be able to entertain your readers and still give them something serious to think about. I loved every minute I spent with this book.
Lipman’s humor is deft and easy-going and I fell in love with this novel in the first chapter. It is a gift to be able to entertain your readers and still give them something serious to think about. I loved every minute I spent with this book.
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