Dainty as crochet doilies placed under a crystal bud vase
next to a velvet draped curtain around a curved bay window in an old Victorian
Inn, Holly Weiss transports the reader to a different, unhurried era of the
early 1900’s in her masterpiece Crestmont.
With a decorous style of writing, the reader is pleasantly introduced
to Grace Antes, known simply as Gracie, a young lady finding her path to her
singing career being circumvented for practical reasons of needing more
money. Leaving home simply by writing a
note to her family, which hints to a saddened upbringing, she sees an ad in a
newspaper requesting seasonal staff help at a resort hotel located in the hills
of Pennsylvania, a town called Eagles Mere, the resort is the popular Crestmont. Visited by aristocrats and regular customers
alike, the Crestmont is a destination for society’s rest and relaxation during
the decades of yesteryear. Beautifully
appointed in décor, and staffed with professionals each there for their own
reasons, Gracie falls into the “click” of the pace and prestige circulating
amongst the guests. Her co-workers truly
become family to Gracie; they adopt her with welcoming arms seeing the hard
working ethics and honesty in her, and accept her into the hotel’s
culture. This is a very heartwarming
aspect of the storyline, as the reader feels they also are being taken into the
confidence and trust of these fine people.
In the economic days where a quarter actually was worth
something, and $2 was fair daily wage, Gracie is asked to care for an elderly disabled
woman, Mrs. Cunningham, as new challenges are brought forth. Working one day a week, on her day off from
the Crestmont, Gracie begins a friendship that brings Mrs. Cunningham into a quasi
maternal role. This caused a bit of
alienation with Madeleine, her daughter, and the dynamics of this relationship
play out in a surprising way.
Set in the mountain retreat, the reader gets acquainted with
wonderfully unique cast of characters with “character” – such as her co-worker
Bessie who isn’t so keen on Gracie, and Mr. and Mrs. Woods, the proprietors. You
have the husband and wife workers, Isaiah the hotel chef and Olivia a
seamstress. A dapper young man named PT
who attends to many tasks and is proud to be the personal gofer for Mr.
Woods. Guests include the flamboyant and
famous Rosa Ponselle, an opera singer with a unique kindness. As the reader is taken on the exploits of
these marvelous interactions, one feels the relaxed pace, the isolation of a
luxury retreat atmosphere and the sense of the times, culture and mannerisms in
fantastic detail. The book pages like a
period piece with every detail researched for accuracy, consistency and
credibility.
Just as traveling to the fresh air of the mountain hotel
would have taken time for a person to get there, the book takes time for the
reader to “get there” as well. Once
“there” you find yourself transported to a place, amongst friends, enjoying a
summer holiday in Victorian style, and in a place that unfortunately nowadays
can exist only in one’s imagination. The Crestmont is a splendid work of
fiction written by a once guest of the hotel, Holly Weiss, while she was
looking at the furnishings, observing the details of the building and the
grounds, and wondering just what types of people constituted its
clientele. As Holly Weiss would close
her eyes to think, her written words open our eyes to this splendid place in
time.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
