The Grand Design The Grand Design

The Grand Design

A Novel of Dorothy Draper

    • 4.3 • 48 Ratings
    • $9.99
    • $9.99

Publisher Description

Dorothy Draper has one last chance to prove she chose the right course for her life. With the restoration of The Greenbrier resort at her fingertips, Dorothy aspires to give new life to a place that’s sentimental to her, and to bring a new spark to interior design.

In 1908, young Dorothy Tuckerman chafes under the bland, beige traditions of her socialite circles. Only the aristocracy’s annual summer trips to The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia spark her imagination. In this naturally beautiful place, an unexpected romance with an Italian racecar driver gives Dorothy a taste of the passion and adventure she wants. But her family intervenes, sentencing Dorothy to the life she hopes to escape.

Thirty-eight years later, as World War II draws to a close, Dorothy has done everything a woman in the early twentieth century should not: she has divorced her husband—scandalous—and established America’s first interior design firm—shocking. Now, Dorothy returns to The Greenbrier with the assignment to restore it to something even greater than its original glory. With her beloved company’s future hanging in the balance and brimming with daring, unconventional ideas, Dorothy has one more chance to give her dreams wings or succumb to her what society tells her is her inescapable fate.

Based on the true story of famed designer Dorothy Draper, The Grand Design is a moving tale of one woman’s quest to transform the walls that hold her captive.

“Five Stars!” —Carleton Varney, president of Dorothy Draper & Company, Inc.

“As captivating and confident as the heroine at its center.” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil

“Full of luscious details of fashion and luxury!” —Kelly O’Connor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

“A dazzling, intimate portrait.” —Louise Claire Johnson, author of Behind the Red Door

“Historical fiction at its finest!” —Elyssa Friedland, author of Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
Historical novel centered around America’s first female interior designerStand-alone novelBook length: 109,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs

GENRE
Fiction & Literature
RELEASED
2022
May 17
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
400
Pages
PUBLISHER
Harper Muse
SELLER
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS
SIZE
3.6
MB

Customer Reviews

JCribby ,

Great Book

I’m ready to plan my next trip to the Greenbrier after reading this amazing novel. The details were amazing and I can’t wait to see them in person.

akbaird ,

Great Book Club Pick

I loved how this author chose to write about two significant time periods in Dorothy Tuckerman / Draper’s life as it gives you the insight into how she became a trailblazer for women with her forward thinking, risk taking behavior, and following her heart!

This book includes two timelines:

1908 : Dorothy Tuckermsn vacations to the Greenbriar Hotel with her family as a young adult and all the societal pressure she faced and how she handled it. Her father has in mind who she is going to marry, but is this what Dorothy wants?

1946 : When Dorothy is in her 50’s and her career is established, she is asked to do a redesign of the Greenbriar Hotel after it had been left to disrepair during WWll. With the concern for money, she is pressured to keep it the way it once was, but she has plans to design it to be more vibrant and colorful. Can she come to a compromise with keeping with tradition, but also getting what she wants with a more updated design? Can she prove she has what it takes to get it up and running?

A fascinating read about Dorthy Draper and the Greenbriar hotel, and all the many changes changes it went through! I loved how Joy Callaway included in her author note her inspiration for the book, her research, and how she incorporated it into her book.

Perfect for those who love a well researched Historical Fiction book. A great book club pick as well as it will lead to many great discussions!

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