Title: Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
From the wildly popular bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things comes a surprising and uplifting story about the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, and the magic of chosen family.
Tilly was a bright, outgoing little girl who loved fizzy drinks, naughty words, and liked playing with ghosts and matches. When her beloved father suddenly disappeared, she and her fragile, difficult mother moved into Queenie Malone’s magnificent Paradise Hotel in Brighton, with its endearing and loving family of misfits—including the exuberant and compassionate Queenie herself. But then Tilly was dealt another shattering blow when her mother sent her off to boarding school with little explanation and no warning, and she lost her beloved chosen family.
Now an adult, Tilda has grown into an independent woman still damaged by her mother’s unaccountable cruelty. Wary of people, her only true friend is her dog, Eli. When her estranged mother dies, Tilda returns to Brighton and the home she loved best. With the help of the still-dazzling Queenie, she sets about unraveling the mystery of her exile from The Paradise Hotel, only to discover that her mother was not the woman she thought she knew at all…and that it’s never too late to write your own happy ending.
With Ruth Hogan’s trademark quirky, clever, and life-affirming characters, Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel will dazzle readers and mesmerize them until they reach the surprising twist at the end.
Review:
Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan is a poignant novel of healing and love.
Tilda’s relationship with her mother Grace is not a close one so she puts off going through her belongings after her death. When finally ready to face her tangled past, Tilda returns to the Brighton where she discovers Grace’s diaries. Tilda never forgave her mother for inexplicably sending her to boarding school when she was child. From than point forward, their relationship remained distant but will Tilda view her mother in a more favorable light after learning some startling information?
In the present, Tilda is a bit of a recluse who relies on her rituals to protect herself from anything bad happening. A bit defiant of Grace’s choices, she makes herself at home in her mother’s flat. After beginning to read her mum’s diaries, Tilda is rather bewildered by the woman revealed within the pages. Tilda is surprised when Grace’s friend and neighbor Penelope Dane’s provides startling insight in her mum’s feelings for her.
In between reading the diaries, Tilda revisits places she enjoyed a child and she is delighted by the new friends she is making. Joseph O’Shea is a bit eccentric but he is observant and offers astute advice. Tilda is charmed by cafe owner Daniel and when her feelings run deeper for him run deeper than friendship, will she take a chance on love?
In the past, young Tillie is mourning the loss of her beloved father, Stevie, after he leaves the family. Grace deals with single motherhood in unhealthy ways that often leave Tillie fending for herself. Tillie’s childhood perspective is funny as she misinterprets words and their meanings and a little sad as she waits for Stevie to return. She also tiptoes around her melancholy and sometimes volatile mother.
Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel is an engrossing novel with a bit of a mystical storyline and quirky but appealing characters. Tilda is an engaging character with intriguing abilities and endearing idiosyncrasies. With a few unanticipated twists and turns, Ruth Hogan brings this bewitching story to a bittersweet yet satisfying conclusion.
