The Amateur Inn

"The Amateur Inn" by Albert Payson Terhune is a story set in the early 1900s about a man named Thaxton Vail, who comes back from war to find he inherited a huge estate. However, there's one strange catch: he has to keep some rooms open for travelers, making his home a kind of unplanned inn. Located in the pretty Aura Valley in the Berkshires, the book tells of Thaxton’s struggle to run Vailholme, while dealing with his great-uncle Osmun Vail's odd rule, and trying to manage relationships with friends and unwelcome guests who show up, including a nasty couple looking to take advantage of the inn; these characters complicate his life as he figures out his new role and what he wants for himself.