“A well-wrought, classically inspired riches-to-rags tale.” Kirkus (starred) Review William and Ella Durant, heirs to a bygone fortune, are recounting the events that led to the Durant family downfall during the Gilded Age. In 1931 William returns to visit the estate he once possessed in the Adirondacks to speak with the current owner, copper magnate Harold Hochschild, who is writing a history of … writing a history of the region and wants to include a biography of William. Simultaneously, Ella is visiting with an old family friend and former lover, Poultney Bigelow, a journalist with Harpers Magazine, who talks her into telling her own story. William recounts the height of his glory, after his father’s death in 1885 when he takes control of the Adirondack railroad assets, travels the world in his yacht and dines with future kings. However, his fortune takes a turn during the Financial Panic of 1893 and amid accusations of adultery and cruelty. Ella’s tale begins when she returned from living abroad to launch a lawsuit against her brother for her fair share of the Durant inheritance. The court provides a stage for the siblings to tear each other’s reputation apart: William for his devious business practices and failure to steward the Durant land holdings, and Ella for her unconventional lifestyle. Based on actual events, and historic figures, The Night is Done is a tale about the life-altering power of revenge, greed, and passion.
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Thank you HFVBT for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Night Is Done
A Durant Family Saga
By: Sheila Myers
REVIEW
The Night Is Done is actually the last of a series, but I read it first. This story is told by siblings William Durant and Ella in two different perspectives and two time periods of the1890s and the1930s, as they recount the highs and lows of their lives. Their father owned half a million acres of Adirondack property and the Adirondack Railroad Company, and obviously, he was a wealthy man. Upon his death, William was in charge of distributing the inheritance properly. You can probably guess what happened. The wealth caused a rift between William and Ella. Enough was never enough, despite the lifestyle of luxury. Ella accused William of cheating her. Did he, or was it just greed? These two destroyed their characters in court, each trying to prove their right to the fortune. This story is about the evil of money. William and Ella were both unhappy with their lives in different ways, and living in bitterness and hatred must have been exhausting. Being a true story makes this even sadder. To have the world and lose it-can you imagine? Wealth is not worth the cost. The author did a great deal of research to craft this story and put it all together with different perspectives and time periods. This was an interesting compelling story that fascinated me. If you read historical fiction, I suggest trying this book.
The Night is Done is poetically introduced by the first stanza of Rudyard Kipling’s 1911 poem, The Dawn Wind. It’s the perfect passage to place on the first page.
This book is a dual timeline book, and bounces between the 1890s and the early 1930s, between the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression. Initially, it was challenging to keep up with the changes, as each chapter was written from a different point of view. After a while, I figured out how to make note of who “I” was. Having two main characters was another challenge to contend with. These dual timelines and dual main characters are wonderfully woven together by the author.
As the book opens at Camp Eagle Nest in 1931, Harold Hochschild (1892-1981) finds an old man in his garden, watching loons on the lake. That man turned out to be William West Durant (1850-1934), the property’s previous owner. Hochschild expected Durant’s arrival, however, Durant was a day earlier than scheduled. Hochschild was chronicling the history of the central Adirondacks for his book, titled Township 34. Durant was the father of the Adirondack Great Camp building style, at once “rustic luxury” and “unrestrained opulence.” Hochschild would go on to be the founder of the Adirondack Museum, now known as The Adirondack Experience, on Blue Mountain Lake, which by the way, is a fantastic place to visit if you want to step back in time.
Later in the book, Poultney Bigelow (1855-1954) and Ella, more formally known as Heloise Durant Frethey Rose (1858-1943), reunite at Poultney’s home at Malden-on-Hudson in 1933. Bigelow’s second wife had recently passed away. In addition to their romantic entanglements in the distant past, Poultney and Ella were both authors. As William tells Hochschild his side of the story, Ella tells her side of the story to Bigelow. William’s story is a “personal account of how he went from one of the wealthiest land-owners in the region to a clerk in a hotel.” Ella’s story involves a complex legal struggle to reclaim the wealth she lost when her brother cheated her out of her fair share of their father’s estate.
The Night is Done is a story about a family’s fall from grace. A fortune lost. A family is torn apart. Two greedy people, destroying each other in what ultimately became a lose-lose situation. A pyrrhic victory where the winner fails to benefit.
My favorite part of this woeful tale is the setting. At a time when the wealthy left the hot and humid northeastern cities for the crisp, cool splendor of an Adirondack summer, they brought their fancy tastes with them to the wilderness. Part hermit, part guide, Alvah Dunning (1816-1902), provides some great moments in the book and provides a nice foil to the characters from the cities.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes from this book. “I can unequivocally state that of the many places I have traveled and seen―the temples of Karnak, the crystal waters of the Azores, the chalky cliffs of the Isle of Wight―none compared to the beauty of Mohegan Lake the afternoon I spent with my family.”
This must have been a difficult story to research and craft. Sheila Myers masterfully weaves the antlers into the chandeliers, so to speak. In a tale about revenge and greed, it is ironic how much money wealthy people spend to spoil themselves in rustic richness. When it’s all over, I’m not sure which character was the protagonist, and which was the antagonist. Maybe both and neither, all at once.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Night is Done, and I heartily recommend it.
The Night is Done is the third installment from Sheila Myers series, Durant Family Saga. I found it to be interesting that it was based on a true story. The author obviously did her research to bring to life. I was entertained from start to finish.
I am giving The Night is Done four stars. I would love to read the other books from the Durant Family Saga to find out what had happened prior to this one. I will be looking for more by Sheila Myers in the future.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.