
The Grand Design
A Novel of Dorothy Draper
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Narrated by:
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Gina Carlson
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By:
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Joy Callaway
About this listen
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 designer
- Stand-alone novel
- Book length: 109,000 words
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So Many Stereotypes Reinforced (I Really Wanted to Like This Book)
- By JRC 318 on 03-22-24
By: Emily Matchar
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Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl
- By: Renée Rosen
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.
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Lots of fun
- By Robin on 05-01-23
By: Renée Rosen
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Empresses of Seventh Avenue
- World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion
- By: Nancy MacDonell
- Narrated by: Gail Shalan
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Empresses of Seventh Avenue will tell the story of how these extraordinary women put American fashion on the world stage and created the template for modern style—and how the nearly $500 billion American fashion industry, the largest in the world, could not have accrued its power and wealth without their farsightedness and determination.
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So boring
- By BVJ on 02-10-25
By: Nancy MacDonell
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The Second Mrs. Astor
- By: Shana Abe
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Madeleine Talmage Force is just 17 when she attracts the attention of John Jacob "Jack" Astor. Jack's mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York's most formidable socialite. Despite their 29-year age difference and the scandal of Jack's recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love. On their honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace away from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time - and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner.
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I did not want this to end ...
- By Georgia on 10-11-21
By: Shana Abe
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The Last Dress from Paris
- By: Jade Beer
- Narrated by: Tamsin Topolski
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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London, 2017. There’s no one Lucille adores more than her grandmother. So when her beloved Granny Sylvie asks for Lucille’s assistance with a small matter, she’s happy to help. The next thing she knows, Lucille is on a train to Paris, tasked with retrieving a priceless Dior dress. But not everything is as it seems, and what Lucille finds in a small Parisian apartment will have her scouring the city for answers to a question that could change her entire life.
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The Last Dress from Paris
- By Mona-Alisa on 07-01-22
By: Jade Beer
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The Story She Left Behind
- A Novel
- By: Patti Callahan Henry
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Theo Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn stunned the world with a book written in an invented language that became a national sensation when she was just twelve years old. Her departure leaves behind not only a devoted husband and heartbroken daughter, but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her landmark work. As the headlines focus on the missing author, Clara yearns for something far deeper and more insatiable: her beautiful mother.
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Beautiful Story! Perfect Narration
- By April on 03-26-25
What listeners say about The Grand Design
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- Etoile NEOhio
- 01-29-24
Historical fiction about The Greenbrier and Dorothy Draper
Growing up in Ohio I have, of course, heard of The Greenbrier Hotel many many times over the years. I was aware of its relationship to the stars and to government but it really had no idea that it was a Dorothy Draper project to refurnish it after WWII. This is a love story in two guises - one in which a man plays a part and the other in which Dorothy's love for The Greenbrier eclipses all. Definitely makes me want to add this destination to the bucket list!
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-26-22
Great details about the Greenbrier
This is a good mix of history and fiction. Much of the story is total history and the fictional parts add interest to the story.i have not been to Greenbrier, but have heard from my daughter, who stayed there that it's unbelievably beautiful.
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- Kathleen C Andolino
- 06-19-23
Half of story is fiction
I've been to the Greenbrier so thought I would enjoy the history - which I did; HOWEVER, and it's a BIG however, 1/2 of the story is pure fiction. The reader might suspect this, but it is abundantly clear in the authors note at the end. I guess the historical portion wouldn't have made a book without the fiction - poorly done IMO.
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- Yann
- 09-28-23
So much fun
This was an absolute pleasure to listen to… being an interior designer and having read several books about DD this was a fun look at what she may have been like in “a life well lived”.., many thanks for bringing DD to life …
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- angel2
- 06-12-22
A woman ahead of her time
What a wonderful story. I loved the detail, right down to the heat of the West Virginia summers in formal dresses. Dorothy was an independent woman ahead of her time in many ways. Colorful, creative and daring. A loved it!
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- Jill A. Kosek
- 09-01-23
Enjoyable listen - For the most part
I really enjoyed learning about the history of the Greenbriar, which I have had the pleasure of visiting only once, the narrator was really annoying. Her idea of an aristocratic voice is snobby and obnoxious. I almost couldn’t listen to the whole book, but was drawn by the information about this grand old resort.
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- Kelly from Texas
- 11-13-22
Highlights a Treasure
Dororthy Draper is certainly a fiction worthy character and I loved the embelishment of her design process I could have lived without the lackluster love life portion.
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- Alice MacQueen
- 05-27-23
A must read for those who know The Greenbrier
I grew up during the 50s & 60s in nearby Lewisburg and have fond memories of our visits to the hotel including swimming lessons, golfing and formal balls. The writer has captured the magic of the place.
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- Elyse
- 07-28-23
Descriptive writing transports to another time
An entertaining and delightful book which helps portray another time. The story is both well written and narrated, and captured my attention throughout. The fantastic names, brands, families and styles of the times were a bit over my knowledge or traditional subject matter, but everything was well described to help fill in the pieces I wasn't knowledgeable of.
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- Danny Ball
- 04-17-24
The Grand Design is a slow burn but stick with it
If you like history. If you love grandeur. If you’re smitten with romance this is a wonderful rendition that includes all that and so much more. It is a slow burn but I am so happy I stuck with it. Dorothy is a true heroine for women and a whole she’s a little over the top with elegance and privilege, she was a pacesetter for strong women. Excellent epic that is worth the time.
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