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CarolT
Thought provoking
Thank you to translator Alice Menzies for the excellent translation! I can't even tell that this was translated (not always the case with translations). Bivald is excellent at building a town character by character, just as she did in The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, then letting those characters pull us into their world. She is just the writer I need in this chaotic world.
Mary L. (Greeley, CO)
Thought provoking and humorous
Tempted to five this a 4 rating because of my slight frustration about the narrator's switching between high school years and the present, ultimately decided that there gems to be discovered as one reads. Henny, the narrator, has died right at the beginning. However she stays around to observe and communicate with her friends and father, encouraging them to overcome the prejudices of the small town prejudices and misguided "Christianity." She also learns that her seemingly insignificant life has profoundly affected other lives.
Laure R. (Fresno, CA)
Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins
Beginning with the immediate demise of the main character, Hennie, this book is loaded with twists and turns. It switches often from present to past, and all are worthwhile to navigate. Hennie's spirit remains tethered to the community to assist with their grief mixed with some alternative lifestyles and tangled lives.
The story is centered in a small, economically depressed, town in Oregon. The Pine Away Motel and Cabins resides at the edge of same. It houses and/or employs Hennie's dearest friends and family. They are surrounded by others in the community with varying degrees of very rigid conservative views
…more of religion, sexuality and politics. Tolerance becomes very limited.
I found this book to be a very enjoyable read. I did not want to put it down and was disappointed to reach the end. This is the first book I've read by Katarina Bivald and it will not be the last. Kudos to her translator, Alice Menzies, for a flawless job also. (less)"Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins" by Katarina Bivald is wonderful. Special kudos go to Alice Menzies whose work in translating from Swedish needs to be recognized and lauded! Many books have been written lately with the timeline going back and forth, chapter after chapter. But the special twist in THIS one is really fresh. Our hero(ine) dies at the outset but continues to monitor her friends, family, and community "helping" them learn the art of living. Welcome to the Hotel California, indeed! I will be recommending it to my novel-reading book group.
Carole R. (Burlington, WI)
Where do I start?
I hated this book. I loved this book. I thought the first 100 pages would never end. I couldn't quit on this book because I loved the author's first book "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend." This novel is written as past and present vignettes. As I noted this was very confusing as the novel begins.
However, once I settled into commitment to the story and gave it a large block of time, the story unfolds, starts to make sense, and then I had to take a break because I didn't want it to end. This novel is perfect for book clubs because there are so many ways to approach the themes of the book. Church, politics,
…more sexuality, honesty, friendships all waiting for the reader to put the pieces together in the mosaic of life. (less)Very entertaining book with great characters. While the book makes one think a bit of Lovely Bones and Fried Green Tomatoes, it is much, much more. It could easily be converted into a great Netflix or Amazon Prime series with such a cast of lovable, interesting figures. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Dorothy M. (Maynard, MA)
Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins.
It's not often that the main character in a novel dies on page 1 but Henny isn't about to leave the area just because she no longer has a body. She loves the decrepit motel in the small town of Pine Creek in Oregon and she loves her three best friends. She is sure that if she just tries hard enough, she can make sure they will be happy. The publisher describes this book as charming and it is - in spite of being about a town where protestors will try and close down a motel because the manager is a lesbian and the owner is a transexual woman. But you will love these characters.This is a book about roads not taken,
…more communities that can both support and enrage you, and second chances. And you will unexpectedly learn quite a bit about rocks. Katarina Bivald is also the author of "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" - you'll want to check that one out too. (less)This quirky little book starts out with a ghost reflecting on her life and continued existence in a small town in Oregon, but it doesn't stop there. The story weaves the past with the present, life with death. It is a story about beliefs, family, friendship, connection, and what is right. Mostly it is a deep look at love and life and what matters in the end.
