Renowned for its historic mansions, posh resorts, and deep blue waters, Lake Geneva is a haven for Chicago's movers and shakers since the Great Fire of 1871. This guide talks about Lake Geneva, providing images and details from local residents. It features tours of lakeshore homes, engaging profiles, and insights into the local scene.

Named a Best Book of Summer by Good Morning America • CNN • Parade • EW • Travel & Leisure • PopSugar • New York Post • BuzzFeed • Brit & Co • SheReads • Women.com A dazzling portrait of a young woman coming into her own, the youthful allure of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and what we lose—and gain—when we leave home. ONCE IN A LIFETIME, YOU CAN HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE The small town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is an unlikely location for a Playboy Resort, and nineteen-year old Sherri Taylor is an unlikely bunny. Growing up in neighboring East Troy, Sherri plays the organ at the local church and has never felt comfortable in her own skin. But when her parents die in quick succession, she leaves the only home she’s ever known for the chance to be part of a glamorous slice of history. In the winter of 1981, in a costume two sizes too small, her toes pinched by stilettos, Sherri joins the daughters of dairy farmers and factory workers for the defining experience of her life. Living in the “bunny hutch”—Playboy’s version of a college dorm—Sherri gets her education in the joys of sisterhood, the thrill of financial independence, the magic of first love, and the heady effects of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But as spring gives way to summer, Sherri finds herself caught in a romantic triangle—and the tragedy that ensues will haunt her for the next forty years. From the Midwestern prairie to the California desert, from Wisconsin lakes to the Pacific Ocean, this is a story of what happens when small town life is sprinkled with stardust, and what we lose—and gain—when we leave home. With a heroine to root for and a narrative to get lost in, Christina Clancy's Shoulder Season is a sexy, evocative tale, drenched in longing and desire, that captures a fleeting moment in American history with nostalgia and heart.

Lake Geneva was originally called Kishwauketoe by the Oneota tribe, a name meaning clear or sparkling water. Carved out by a glacier, this same crystal water has attracted residents and tourists for centuries, and continues to be a retreat for many in every season. Through a collection of vivid vintage postcards, authors Carolyn Hope Smeltzer and Martha Kiefer Cucco provide an overview of Lake Geneva's rich history, rendered in views of mansions, cottages, and camps, and in images of recreation, the surrounding towns, and, of course, Lake Geneva itself.

In 1816, following the scandalous collapse of his marriage, Lord Byron left England forever. His first destination was the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva where he stayed together with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Godwin, Claire Clairmont and John Polidori. Byron in Geneva focuses sharply on the poet’s life in the summer of that year, a famous time for meteorologists (for whom 1816 is the year without a summer), but also that crucial moment in the development of his writing when, urged on by Shelley, Byron tried to transform himself into a Romantic poet of the Wordsworthian variety. The book gives a vivid impression of what Byron thought and felt in these few months after the breakdown of his marriage, but also explores the different aspects of his nature that emerge in contact with a remarkable cast of supporting characters, which also included Madame de Staël, who presided over a famous salon in Coppet, across the lake from Geneva, and Matthew Lewis, author of the splendidly erotic `Gothic’ best-seller, The Monk. David Ellis sets out to challenge recent damning studies of Byron and through his meticulous exploration of the private and public life of the poet at this pivotal moment, he reasserts the value of Byron’s wit, warm-heartedness, and hatred of cant.

As beautiful Lake Geneva plays host to Chicago's elite in the exciting Big-Band era, aspiring reporter Meg Alden wants to work in a man's world. Will the man who steals her job also win her heart? It's 1933, and beautiful Lake Geneva is a summertime playground for Chicago's wealthy. Local girl Meg Alden works at the town newspaper, but she aspires to be a real reporter. When a job opens up, Meg spies an opportunity to break into the business -- until Jack Wallace, son of the newspaper's owner, is hired instead. How will Meg ever be able to work with the man who stole her job... and makes her pulse race?

Delving into firsthand accounts, rediscovering evocative imagery, and intricately weaving together long-forgotten details about the Sanitariums of Lake Geneva, including insights into their founders, staff, and patients, Sonja Akright has vividly captured the intrigue – and enduring legacy – of these once-venerated, now-vanished institutions. Now she invites readers to journey through time and explore Lake Geneva’s upscale sanitariums. Nestled in the heart of the “Newport of the West,” these facilities housed and treated patients from the regional to the far-flung, from the anonymous to the renowned. Offering an immersive, nuanced perspective on experiences within these institutions, "The Sanitariums of Lake Geneva" serves as both a tribute to the past and as a rallying cry for preserving local history. Akright's passion for her subject shines throughout this compelling narrative of the past – a storied past that has etched the landscape and character of Lake Geneva. Akright’s years of meticulous archival research, dedication to historic preservation, and determination to bring the past to life are testament to the power of community-driven stewardship, a vital aspect of safeguarding, chronicling, and giving voice to our shared heritage for future generations.