The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman
Fiction
1999 Vintage (first published 1998)
Read in September 1999
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
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 reply: 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.
My Original Thoughts (1999):
Very entertaining, light read. Funny. Reminiscent of Lorna Landvik's Your Oasis on Flame Lake. Likeable and memorable characters.
My Current Thoughts:
The only thing I remember about this book is the humor - not the characters or plot. I had it on my shelf for many years, but decided not to keep it when we moved a few years ago. I haven't read anything else by Lipman, but I may look into some of her more recent books, especially if they're funny.
by 
). I should've have just rented the movie. The book was mediocre at best. Bernice's character was extremely annoying and the storyline dull and unmemorable. It's been almost a full month since I finished the book and I have only a vague recollection of what it was all about. This is definitely one to either borrow from the library or skip all together. However, I'm a big fan of Hunt and Firth and I still plan to see 
. How bad could it be?