Latest news with #AvallonHotel
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Book Review: In ‘The Listeners,' Maggie Stiefvater approaches WWII with a distinct voice
Maggie Stiefvater has brought her magical prose with her to her first adult novel. 'The Listeners' takes place at a luxury hotel in West Virginia as World War II begins. In need of a place to store their foreign nationals — i.e. Axis diplomats and their families — the U.S. government takes over the Avallon Hotel, forcing its manager and her staff to scramble to balance hospitality and hedonism. June Porter Hudson, the hotel's general manager, is a self-assured woman, wholeheartedly devoted to the Avallon Hotel at the cost of her identity. Tucker Minnick is a tough but emotionally wounded FBI agent, responsible for diplomatically monitoring his hostages and any accomplices. When June and Tucker meet, their logistical tug-of-war serves as mutual annoyance, entertainment and self-discovery. Humanizing and detail-oriented, 'The Listeners' is a story about both people management and self-regulation. It's a unique, domestic take on World War II that showcases the encroaching nature of war as men are drafted, families are torn apart and rations are enforced. At the same time, the novel shows how class divide fosters privilege – and ignorance – in the rich, especially during dark times. When the reality of the conflict finally hits the hotel, both the reader and the narrators have no choice but to reckon with the gray area that exists during wartime: Enemies can be likable; friends can be unsavory. In her afterword, Stiefvater revealed that 'The Listeners' was inspired by real people, events and attitudes, which made the novel that much more impressive. It was well-researched and tactful, handling dark issues with sensitivity and embedding colorful detail onto each page. The many threads opened at the beginning of the book in the form of letters, hotel room orders, oddly specific details and mismatched characters begged the question, 'Will this come together?' But character development came full circle, loose plot threads tied up and previous hints were unveiled as June and Tucker formed a quaint alliance, wrestling to protect the most vulnerable at the Avallon. The result of their efforts was unexpected yet undeniably satisfying. Stiefvater is not afraid of using punctuation in unconventional ways. She demonstrates yet again that rebelling against conventional writing standards can allow creativity to flourish. The prose maintained a sense of magic and possibility, while maturing respectively from her previous young adult work like 'The Raven Cycle' and 'The Dreamer Trilogy.' 'The Listeners' could've been more grounded at times, the supernatural properties of the mountain sweetwater distracting from the novel's historical fiction genre. Altogether, 'The Listeners' lived up to the literary finesse Stiefvater has established in her previous work, this unique take on World War II delivering a beautifully developed setting, riveting plot twists and vivid characters. book reviews: /hub/book-reviews
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Fantasy Novel Inspired By Real History, When U.S. Hotels Housed Nazis
THE LISTENERS, by Maggie Stiefvater There's something peculiarly fascinating about novels set in self-enclosed communities with their own rules: a ship at sea, a research outpost, a university. While the inhabitants of such places may believe themselves to be insulated from the outside world, their stories tend to prove them wrong. In 'The Listeners,' the adult debut from the best-selling young adult author Maggie Stiefvater, the community in question is a hotel called the Avallon, built on West Virginia mineral springs. The surrounding area is hardscrabble coal country, but the Avallon is an island of luxury, a retreat for 'people so high on the social ladder they had to duck for the sun to go overhead.' And it's all overseen by June Hudson, the hotel's manager, whose 'holler-bred accent' betrays her humble origins and who sees her job as 'intentionally curating joy for anyone who came.' A self-made hospitality prodigy, June led the Avallon through the Great Depression without sacrificing its commitment to the finer things. But now it's 1942, and war will test her skills in a whole new way. In the wake of Pearl Harbor, the State Department is relocating captured Axis diplomats to upscale hotels pending an exchange for their imprisoned American counterparts abroad. At the Avallon, June must expel her well-heeled guests and give their rooms to Nazis and Japanese imperialists. This premise is based on real events. Some American hotels really did house enemy diplomats during World War II. But at the fictional Avallon, with its reputation as 'a place where past and future were erased, replaced by an immutable, carefree present,' the repercussions of this unusual arrangement are perilous. The bad vibes that arrive with the new guests threaten the Avallon's main attraction: the springs that run under the hotel and fill it with scents of 'perfume, blood, fruit, dirt, caves, blossoms.' The sweetwater is, you see, a bit alive. June's special sensitivity to it is one of the secrets to her success, and she fears the water will react poorly to the hotel's new occupants, who are essentially pampered prisoners. Melding history and fantasy in fiction can be tricky, but Stiefvater deftly pulls off this particular magic via a resonant central metaphor. For June, the 'guiltless game of luxury' is itself a form of enchantment that involves anticipating unspoken needs and smoothing over conflicts. Her mystical relationship with the water follows naturally from the same ability to 'listen' that makes her a superlative hotelier, and she's fully committed to the sleight of hand required to maintain the Avallon's legend. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Book Review: In the ‘The Listeners,' Maggie Stiefvater approaches WWII with a distinct voice
Maggie Stiefvater has brought her magical prose with her to her first adult novel. 'The Listeners' takes place at a luxury hotel in West Virginia as World War II begins. In need of a place to store their foreign nationals — i.e. Axis diplomats and their families — the U.S. government takes over the Avallon Hotel, forcing its manager and her staff to scramble to balance hospitality and hedonism.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Book Review: In the ‘The Listeners,' Maggie Stiefvater approaches WWII with a distinct voice
Maggie Stiefvater has brought her magical prose with her to her first adult novel. 'The Listeners' takes place at a luxury hotel in West Virginia as World War II begins. In need of a place to store their foreign nationals — i.e. Axis diplomats and their families — the U.S. government takes over the Avallon Hotel, forcing its manager and her staff to scramble to balance hospitality and hedonism. June Porter Hudson, the hotel's general manager, is a self-assured woman, wholeheartedly devoted to the Avallon Hotel at the cost of her identity. Tucker Minnick is a tough but emotionally wounded FBI agent, responsible for diplomatically monitoring his hostages and any accomplices. When June and Tucker meet, their logistical tug-of-war serves as mutual annoyance, entertainment and self-discovery. Humanizing and detail-oriented, 'The Listeners' is a story about both people management and self-regulation. It's a unique, domestic take on World War II that showcases the encroaching nature of war as men are drafted, families are torn apart and rations are enforced. At the same time, the novel shows how class divide fosters privilege – and ignorance – in the rich, especially during dark times. When the reality of the conflict finally hits the hotel, both the reader and the narrators have no choice but to reckon with the gray area that exists during wartime: Enemies can be likable; friends can be unsavory. In her afterword, Stiefvater revealed that 'The Listeners' was inspired by real people, events and attitudes, which made the novel that much more impressive. It was well-researched and tactful, handling dark issues with sensitivity and embedding colorful detail onto each page. The many threads opened at the beginning of the book in the form of letters, hotel room orders, oddly specific details and mismatched characters begged the question, 'Will this come together?' By the third half of the novel, the conflict was waiting to bubble over. But character development came full circle, loose plot threads tied up and previous hints were unveiled as June and Tucker formed a quaint alliance, wrestling to protect the most vulnerable at the Avallon. The result of their efforts was unexpected yet undeniably satisfying. Stiefvater is not afraid of using punctuation in unconventional ways. She demonstrates yet again that rebelling against conventional writing standards can allow creativity to flourish. The prose maintained a sense of magic and possibility, while maturing respectively from her previous young adult work like 'The Raven Cycle' and 'The Dreamer Trilogy.' 'The Listeners' could've been more grounded at times, the supernatural properties of the mountain sweetwater distracting from the novel's historical fiction genre. Altogether, 'The Listeners' lived up to the literary finesse Stiefvater has established in her previous work, this unique take on World War II delivering a beautifully developed setting, riveting plot twists and vivid characters.
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Book Review: In the ‘The Listeners,' Maggie Stiefvater approaches WWII with a distinct voice
Maggie Stiefvater has brought her magical prose with her to her first adult novel. 'The Listeners' takes place at a luxury hotel in West Virginia as World War II begins. In need of a place to store their foreign nationals — i.e. Axis diplomats and their families — the U.S. government takes over the Avallon Hotel, forcing its manager and her staff to scramble to balance hospitality and hedonism. June Porter Hudson, the hotel's general manager, is a self-assured woman, wholeheartedly devoted to the Avallon Hotel at the cost of her identity. Tucker Minnick is a tough but emotionally wounded FBI agent, responsible for diplomatically monitoring his hostages and any accomplices. When June and Tucker meet, their logistical tug-of-war serves as mutual annoyance, entertainment and self-discovery. Humanizing and detail-oriented, 'The Listeners' is a story about both people management and self-regulation. It's a unique, domestic take on World War II that showcases the encroaching nature of war as men are drafted, families are torn apart and rations are enforced. At the same time, the novel shows how class divide fosters privilege – and ignorance – in the rich, especially during dark times. When the reality of the conflict finally hits the hotel, both the reader and the narrators have no choice but to reckon with the gray area that exists during wartime: Enemies can be likable; friends can be unsavory. In her afterword, Stiefvater revealed that 'The Listeners' was inspired by real people, events and attitudes, which made the novel that much more impressive. It was well-researched and tactful, handling dark issues with sensitivity and embedding colorful detail onto each page. The many threads opened at the beginning of the book in the form of letters, hotel room orders, oddly specific details and mismatched characters begged the question, 'Will this come together?' By the third half of the novel, the conflict was waiting to bubble over. But character development came full circle, loose plot threads tied up and previous hints were unveiled as June and Tucker formed a quaint alliance, wrestling to protect the most vulnerable at the Avallon. The result of their efforts was unexpected yet undeniably satisfying. Stiefvater is not afraid of using punctuation in unconventional ways. She demonstrates yet again that rebelling against conventional writing standards can allow creativity to flourish. The prose maintained a sense of magic and possibility, while maturing respectively from her previous young adult work like 'The Raven Cycle' and 'The Dreamer Trilogy.' 'The Listeners' could've been more grounded at times, the supernatural properties of the mountain sweetwater distracting from the novel's historical fiction genre. Altogether, 'The Listeners' lived up to the literary finesse Stiefvater has established in her previous work, this unique take on World War II delivering a beautifully developed setting, riveting plot twists and vivid characters. ___ AP book reviews:
