William Durant returns to Eagle's Nest, one of his Adirondack Great Camps in 1931, after losing all of his land. William is there to talk to Harold Hochschild, the current owner of Eagle's Nest who is writing a history of the area. Simultaneously, William's sister, Ella Durant visits her longtime friend, Poultney Bigelow who is a journalist for Harpers. Poultney talks Ella into telling her side of the family story. The siblings recount their versions of the family's properties after their father's death and their time spent in the Adirondacks.
The Night is Done is the third book in the Durant Family Saga. I have only read this one and didn't feel like I missed anything. I was also lucky enough to read this while in the Adirondacks looking over some of Durant's former land, which gave me a great sense of perspective and place. William's story begins with glory, riches and dreams before turning south. Ella's story begins with a ruined reputation, going after her brother for money and land before finding her place. The Durant's story in this book is one of their downfall, showing the effects of greed and mistrust. I enjoyed reading about Durant's construction of some of these iconic Great Camps. It is obvious that Durant took great care in the building and design of each of his camps and valued the land and nature that they were built on. With that, Durant isn't exactly a likeable character, his constant need for bigger and better eventually concretes his downfall. His interactions with Ella and refusing to give her any land to the point of a lawsuit over inheritance sets the siblings up for a public display of tearing one another apart. Ella is also not the most likable, making a series of questionable decisions and fighting over land that she doesn't necessarily want or need. The Durant's are characterized through their pride, greed and stubbornness. The story is obviously well researched and gives an insight into the family that opened up the Adirondacks as a resort for the wealthy.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Night is Done is the third book in the Durant Family Saga. I have only read this one and didn't feel like I missed anything. I was also lucky enough to read this while in the Adirondacks looking over some of Durant's former land, which gave me a great sense of perspective and place. William's story begins with glory, riches and dreams before turning south. Ella's story begins with a ruined reputation, going after her brother for money and land before finding her place. The Durant's story in this book is one of their downfall, showing the effects of greed and mistrust. I enjoyed reading about Durant's construction of some of these iconic Great Camps. It is obvious that Durant took great care in the building and design of each of his camps and valued the land and nature that they were built on. With that, Durant isn't exactly a likeable character, his constant need for bigger and better eventually concretes his downfall. His interactions with Ella and refusing to give her any land to the point of a lawsuit over inheritance sets the siblings up for a public display of tearing one another apart. Ella is also not the most likable, making a series of questionable decisions and fighting over land that she doesn't necessarily want or need. The Durant's are characterized through their pride, greed and stubbornness. The story is obviously well researched and gives an insight into the family that opened up the Adirondacks as a resort for the wealthy.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
