WOMEN'S HOTEL

Mara Wilson gives an elegant performance of this novel about the residents of a women's hotel in mid-twentieth-century New York City. Her clear enunciation and careful pacing keep listeners oriented as the narrative sometimes abruptly shifts between the women's backstories and present-day lives. The plot begins with Mrs. Mossler, the hotel's long-term manager, who secured her position by inventing a dead husband after her tea shop failed. Wilson subtly captures the resilience of Katherine, a transplant from Ohio with a past addiction, the sharp-eyed observations of freelance writer Lucianne, and the determination of Gia, who came to New York City to reconnect with a family friend. Wilson is particularly adept at evoking the precise details of dress, language, and food to convey the times. M.J. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2024]