Summers at the Saint

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism and death.

The old golf barn that becomes the staff dormitory represents Traci’s ambitions for and the prospects of the hotel.

The abandoned state of the barn at the opening of the novel reflects the tenuous position that the Saint is in, facing debt and uncertain revenues due to fewer bookings. Transforming the golf barn into a dormitory is one way that Traci hopes she can attract and retain qualified staff for the hotel. The hiring environment is challenging, with several other employers seeking staff or luring away Traci’s employees with better offers. In addition, while Bonaventure is a working-class town, rising real estate prices mean that affluent people are buying vacation property, creating conflict with residents who can barely afford to continue to live in the area due to rising costs.

The barn’s renovations take place with the help of Javi—a longtime employee whom Fred Eddings considered an Ain’t because of Javi’s Guatemalan heritage. While Javi was not allowed to live in the staff dorm when he was a young Saint worker due to Fred’s racism, the renovated dormitory becomes an inclusive living space, happily shared by Saints like Parrish and Ain’ts like Felice and Livvy.

The fire that Garrett and KJ set in hopes of trapping Livvy and Felice symbolizes the destruction that the embezzlers are causing to the hotel as a whole. As Traci regards the burned-out shell of the building, she resolves to rebuild the Saint despite Ric and Madelyn’s machinations and economic pressures.