No, don’t make me go home!

Man, I finished this book a few weeks ago and I’m still bummed that I had to leave the premises and return to boring old life in my boring abode in a boring suburb in North America. Please, take me back to the Bird Hotel, a funky and oh so gorgeous place, far off the beaten path, that is brimming with tweety birds and big-color flowers, and where you get to look out at a beautiful lake and volcano from a cute little patio, all while gulping down luscious exotic meals made with love by loyal, local Maria. The hotel, which has only four guest rooms, is in Central America somewhere. Beautiful indigenous people, cool colorful clothes, and a rich and uncomplicated life. Why can’t I stay there? Please please please! I don’t want to return to taxes and smartphones!

That just tells you how much this book transported me. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that made me feel like I was actually on some exotic vacation, and at a spot I desperately didn’t want to leave. I have such a strong feeling that I was actually there, it’s bizarre!

And it’s weird for a couple of reasons. First, you’ve no doubt heard me say I don’t like nature (lol, I guess I lied); here, I felt all calm and bright-eyed at the beauty of this secret-gem spot. The birds, flowers, breezes, water, and light slayed me. Second, the author doesn’t seem, on the surface, to have exceptional tricks up her sleeve (but apparently she does); she doesn’t throw out dry or overly long descriptions to try to get me to visualize the place and get attached to it. But oh I got so attached. That’s an expert writer who can pull that off. I seriously have vacation withdrawal!

The story is about a woman, Irene, an artist who has some big losses and wants to get as far away from her old life as possible. She ends up in a little town, at this teensy hidden hotel in the middle of nowhere, in a country far away. She and the hippie woman owner become friends. Irene ends up spending years there, getting entrenched in the lives of the people. There’s not just one huge plot line; sometimes we get stories of past hotel guests or local heroes or weirdos, and I liked those short-story-like chapters. But don’t get me wrong—there’s also a well-paced long story, good drama, and interesting characters. And I ended up feeling a lot for Irene. It’s not always smooth sailing—there are some sad times in paradise—but they don’t outweigh the happy parts and the beauty.

I had a few gripes, but I don’t want to pull them out into an official Complaint Board and call big attention to them. One problem is that you have to buy into a big coincidence toward the end. As is always the case when I love a book, I chose to go with the flow and not let it annoy me. Also, there’s one section toward the end when the author seems to back into a plot line (instead of making the scene straightforward, like she had done throughout the book), and it felt like an awkward construction. An editor should have made the author rework it. Also, I have a little nit: she called someone her teacher but then a few pages later called her a friend. This is so minor I’m embarrassed to even bring it up, but when I see a mistake like that, it takes me out of the story for a few minutes, and I’m suddenly super aware of the writer making the story up.

I’ve really liked the other few books I’ve read by Maynard, but I almost always find teensy problems with her stories. I can live with that. She is an expert storyteller who has now earned a spot on my Favorite Authors shelf.

So if you want to visit a calming, exotic, beautiful place while never leaving your chair, look no further. For some reason, I love books about women in the jungle or on an island, which is so funny because I hate hate hate the heat and also bugs and snakes. In this book, it’s scorpions, eek! But don’t worry, they don’t play much of a role. It’s just the mention of them that makes me shudder!

Oh, and by the way: Goodreads says there are 288 pages, when in fact there are 432 pages. Just so you know, in case you were looking for a shorter book.

Yep, the stones on the patio are hard to navigate on a pogo stick, but I managed. I couldn’t stop hopping!

Expected publication date: May 2, 2023

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Irene, a young woman who feels she has lost everything and thinks she has nothing to live for rediscovers a sense of self after she ends up living in a Central American village at the base of a volcano. Irene becomes the proprietor of a rundown hotel and channels her energy into updating it, meeting all sort of people along the way.

This is the first time I read a novel by Joyce Maynard and I was immediately drawn into Irene's story and her tragic past and present. The author is a skilled storyteller, though I do think the story could have been streamlined and entire chapters removed without detracting from the overall story. There are some twists along the way, some more predictable than others. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a drama with tidy endings and sprinklings of magical realism. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Joyce Maynard never disappoints and her latest, The Bird Hotel is the most beautifully written book I’ve read in a long time. I loved every page of it, from the beginning to the end. The characters are easy to fall in love with and easy to root for! Highly recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful lush book full of characters who are relatable. I think for me the setting of Central America was the best part. I enjoyed the small town, the plants and animals , the volcano as much as Irene and her visitors and friends.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

It's been a long time since I've read a Joyce Maynard novel and I was excited to be offered a copy of her upcoming book, The Bird Hotel. Maynard writes so well that i had to rate her book 4 stars, but i still had some reservations. So here goes,

Things I Liked:
1. The narrator is a Gringo (Gringa?) and is not fearful of writing about a community of Latino people in what seems to be Venezuela - and she nails the culture.
2. The characters are three dimensional and believable, particularly the Chinese doctor and the ill-suited honeymooners. Colorful residents accurately depicted by their professions, clothing or beliefs.
3. Her descriptions of birds, flora and fauna, vegetables, fireflies, spearfishing, food clothing and nature are detailed and easily translated into mind pictures.
3. Descriptions of natural disasters like a hurricane and volcano eruption are chillingly real.
4. Irene's years of living in and running the hotel feel like a vacation in Central America.

Things I Didn't Like:
1. The book was entirely too long, being in need for judicious editing.
2. Did Irene (Joan?) really need her grandmother to change her identity for fear of being linked to a terrorist.? It was her mother who bunked with the Weather Underground. Why would her young daughter be in danger?
3. Why did Irene so often cut herself off from people who might have enriched her life and led her to love?
4. Why was it necessary to repetitively mention her age and how old her son would have been?
5. I tended to resent the foreshadowing of events. Either tell me when you get to it or don't hint about how it turns out.
Okay, you may call my reservations nit-picky, as I did hang in for the long run and finished the book. There was much to enjoy here. Good editing could tighten the novel and make it move along more smoothly. Thanks much to Arcade Publishing and NetGalley..for an early ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is magical, beautiful, sensitive and everything else I was looking for to read. A cast of imperfect characters set in (mostly) a Central American country near a volcán. I love all of the metaphorical elements throughout the book. The story will stay with me for some time. I really appreciated the acknowledgment pages in the book with the nod to writers to tell their story regardless of current trends and imposed restraints. Can’t wait to read more from Joyce Maynard!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I love Joyce Maynard's writing. It always draws you in, even though her subject matter is not usually on the happier side. This novel follows Irene, a woman on the run from very sad circumstances, who escapes to Central America to a charming hotel. Then the novel spans more than 10 years in her life. At times, it reads in vignettes, focusing on different backstories of the townspeople. I loved this tale and couldn't put it down, even when the stories were difficult. I strongly recommend this to anyone who likes interesting characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are mine alone.

Joyce Maynard does an excellent job at creating scene--I felt like I could picture in my mind exactly what The Bird Hotel and the surrounding area looked like. The setting definitely evokes a sense of beauty, wonder, and possibilities.

For the first quarter of this novel, I was pretty invested in Irene's story. As things progressed, however, I found that there were so many characters introduced in many of the short chapters, and too much time was focused on them and their individual tales/issues. I could see this novel's storyline as a tv series, where a new set of characters/story is played out each week in the same locale (kind of like Fantasy Island or Love Boat.). But as a cohesive whole, it was difficult to care too much about all the new characters in addition to the main ones.

I also don't think the chapter headings were necessary, especially given how many short chapters there were.

As someone who loves a good surprise, I have to say there were a couple of times where the plot went in a direction I didn't see coming. That being said...there were so many instances where all the loose ends wrapped up too perfectly. At times I caught myself saying "seriously?" Perhaps I'm just a reader who prefers that plots remain messy and complicated, if for no other reason than to avoid predictability or cliched outcomes.

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to a reader who likes to be transported somewhere beautiful, and who likes getting to meet many interesting characters throughout the story.

This book started out fine and captured my interest at first. Things deteriorated from that point. The author's writing is decent (though lots of editing is needed) and was engaging in the first sixth of the book. Afterward, characters were presented in almost a cameo style; there were snippets in which they were introduced but they were never truly developed or woven in a story. The most important part of a brick wall would be the bricks. The author had some decent bricks (characters) but lacked the mortar to hold the construct together. I found myself longing to finish the book and I began skimming, at times, in order to do so. Sad, because there really is some potential here.

The Bird Hotel is the first book I have read by this author and I was impressed. Where have you been all my life Joyce Maynard? A bit fairy tale which I thought was perfect as it was a nod to the magical realism tradition of South American authors where part of the book is set. This is a book that will appeal to readers that like stories that follow a character through the decades. It also has a large cast of secondary charters that are appealing. Sit back and enjoy this one.

In her late 20s, Irene finds herself at the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge ready to end her life. While her childhood lacked stability, she found her way into a life of unconditional love. Everything she cared about was gone she didn't see how she could go on anymore. She is luckily unable to do this. Through a series of unplanned events, she finds herself in Central America, with no idea what she is looking for and where she will go next. We get to see her life unfold after devastation.

This is a great book full of love, justice, loss, community, and most of all hope. The main character was loving and smart. This allowed for the book to invoke a lot of emotion in me. You get to experience the good and bad in people of all different types of backgrounds, which is a fact of life. I think that is very important in a story that takes place where privileged white people are coming to make a life where a disadvantaged indigenous population lives. The book is eventful without feeling like things are just happening one after another. I also loved all the characters that are presented throughout the book. From the ex-pats to the native population, there are many great and awful characters that make this story fun to read.

There are some errors that I did notice throughout the book. These include switching the names of characters, the wrong pronouns to refer to someone who has been identified to be a woman, and some grammatical issues such as the first letter of a sentence not being capitalized.

This was a fun read and if you are looking for a book with a beautiful background, many surprising events, and through all a message of hope I would definitely recommend this book!

This was a wonderful novel! Honestly, I usually have a hard time reading anything that takes place outside of the United States, so I was not sure about reading this one, but because of the beautiful, lyrical storytelling from Joyce Maynard, I absolutely loved The Bird Hotel! By the end, I felt like I personally knew the characters, and La Llorona sounded so beautiful, I wished I could book a room and stay a few days there myself!

This is Joyce Maynard's first book of fiction in awhile, and it certainly is a page-turner. It begins with a child born to a hippie, vagabond mother who lives with a succession of men while traveling around. The mother ends up with the Weather Underground, there is an explosion , and the mother is presumed dead.

The young girl is brought to live with her grandmother. Her name is changed and she is warned to never speak of the incident. We learn that she grows up to be a wife and mother of a son, and both her husband and child are killed in a freak accident.

What comes after is the meat of the story. She boards a bus of hippies that end up in Mexico. From there, she finds herself in a small town and becomes friends with the proprietress of a run down hotel. The story evolves to her place in the hotel, her relationships with the various people who both pass through the hotel and live in the town, and how she makes her home in that little village.

Engrossing and visual, highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

This is one of the best books I’ve read so far in 2023! I had a feeling because Joyce is a powerhouse author. It didn’t take me
Long to become invested in the characters and storyline. I love all things Guatemala and Joyce is so descriptive in her storytelling that this made it more enjoyable for me. Five stars! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love Joyce Maynard and I love this new entry in her novels that cover the human experience. In The Bird Hotel, we are privy to the life of a woman who has experienced a terrible trauma. Through a series of short chapters we meet a multitude of characters that will interact with her and be changed in some way. Best yet, this novel takes place in a country similar to Guatemala and a town similar to San Marcos or San Pedro La Laguna. As someone who has spent quite a bit of time in the villages of Lago Atitlán in Guatemala, I was charmed by this story and could picture all of it in my mind's eye. This a great novel for those who love literature, becoming immersed in a character's entire life/span and fans of South and Central America (maybe you dream of becoming an expat like me!). Pick up this jewel of a novel and live a very special life.
#JoyceMaynard #SkyhorsePublishing #TheBirdHotel

I would like to make a reservation at the The Bird Hotel! Another beautifully written book with a lot of heart by Joyce Maynard that transports readers to a serene village set in Central America. There are many pieces to this story as of spans almost an entire lifetime, and I appreciated the way everything wrapped up at the end. The characters, relationships, and plot are all interesting. Short chapters made it hard to put down, just one more I would say to myself! Highly recommend.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a pretty dedicated reader when it comes to Joyce Maynard books…..having read and enjoyed most of her novels and each of her memoirs …..
A few of my favorites were:
“Count the Ways” …published in 2021…(*incredible* family saga)….and her greatest achievement to date.
“Under the Influence”…(one of those stories that pulls you in so fast - exploring friendships & deceit - that it’s impossible to not read to the end)- I loved the crazy complexities.
“At Home in the World”….one of the most unforgettable memoirs I have ever read — and her toxic relationship with J.D. Salinger
“The Best of Us” ….a beautiful - loving memoir….a tribute to her husband who died of pancreatic cancer…made me cry.
And ….
I enjoyed “Labor Day” both her book and movie….and ‘others’.

So now…..Joyce brings us “The Bird Hotel”…..(to be published in May, 2003)….
I’m always happy to be back in Maynard-land. One thing that is consistent in her writing is that Joyce is a master at detailing generation eras…..especially ‘The Boomer’ generation.
Her stories are sparkling with personal details….and in “The Bird Hotel”….she does it again….sparkles us page after page.
Its filled with life, love, loss, secrets, grief, fears, sadness, joys, mystery, drama, disappointments, adventures, romance, Lilies, orchards, hummingbirds, beadwork, gardening, wonderful meals,
stories told during dinner gatherings on the patio,
hippie-travelers flocked to the village every winter,
lots of playfulness, empathy, nature, pop-culture, and a touch of mythical elements.

Joyce emotes strong sentiments. Our feelings and thoughts get a marathon workout in “The Blue Hotel”.


READ THE BLURB….
…..it’s the perfect blurb to give a great flavor of what this novel is about.
No QUESTION….
…..it’s “a big sweeping story spanning four decades, offering lyricism as well as whimsy”…..
Our protagonist- Irene - suffered loss after loss ….as a child….and as a young adult.
From San Francisco to Central America to a beautiful lakefront dwelling fixer-upper hotel in La Llorona…..at the base of a volcano…..with a stimulating cast of characters — this would make another great Joyce Maynard movie (or even a series) ….

NOTE….
The symbolism for volcano has long been a metaphor used to understand creation, mortality, and nature…..[exactly what this novel does].

I have one small critique. The book is 432 pages ….and although I easily finished it in three days, I feel it could have loss a hundred pages. A couple of the chapters were a little over-written. A chapter about macaroons and baking went on too long for me. Maybe if I liked macarons….lol ….I would have felt different …..
But I’m being picky….
This is an a very absorbing saga….filled with hardships and joy….
And all those yummy Joyce Maynard descriptions. The nostalgia is fun!
….ha…
Be it…hippies, marijuana, LSD trips, VW bugs, Tie-dye T-shirts, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Creme, Vietnam war, Woodstock, marriage, love, death, traveling in a Green Turtle Bus with strangers, Hare Krishna, Cocoa Puffs, singing, painting, birds, plants, flowers, water wonders, sunshine, swimming, boyfriends, family, friendships, foods:
[Yummy breakfast:
Plato Tipico—huevos rancheros, with frijoles, queso, platanos, and crema, also orange juice, with a side order of pancakes]….etc.
And….
…..the power of fairytales, love…..etc. etc. etc….
like I said….
…..THIS IS A BIG SWEEPING SAGA ….over those four decades.
Perfect for Baby Boomers ….and/or for those of us who live in the SFBay area ….and/or have a thing for settings in Central America.

A few excerpts:

“When there’s no place you want to be, you’re in no rush to get off the bus”

“There’s was always someone playing guitar or harmonica, always someone sleeping, someone smoking, someone holding fourth about astrology or hydroponic marijuana, cultivation, or hidden messages you divined by playing Pink Floyd backwards. The Wall”.

“I’ve been thinking about our book, he said, not the most romantic line for a man to deliver to a woman under the stars—but you had to give him credit for sincerity”.
“Have you heard of the exotic conures that escaped from a pet store somewhere in California years ago and settled in San Francisco? he said. There’s a whole flock of them now, living on Telegraph Hill. We could go there together. You’d paint them”.
“For a moment then, I pictured myself returning to San Francisco with Jerome, and how it would be to go to my old neighborhood with this man. I’ve seen those. conures, I told him. A long time ago”.
“After one kiss, Irene was very clear she couldn’t make a life with Jerome. The very thing he dismissed as a fantasy reserved for the foolish young, (passion, and love head-over -heels) was the only thing that made sense to her”.

“There was only one spot in La Esperanza where a person could get a meal that came anywhere close to the ones Maria created at the hotel—Rosella’s place, II Piacere”.
“We could have taken ‘tuk tuk’ into the village, but Jerome suggested we walk. It was the time of day I loved best, when the sun was sinking behind the volcano in the sky, changing color every few seconds— rose color, giving way to peach, giving away to violet, golden glow on the hillside, and birds swooping low over the water”.

4 + stars….. other than some editing quibbles….I fully enjoyed it….and hope they make a film.

’You might call this story a fairy tale, or a fantasy, or just a dream. The part about the power of love—and the capacity of those who experience its effects to accomplish what might otherwise seem impossible—is real and true.’

This is a story of life-altering events, and how they can change us in many ways. Lift us up, bring joy or comfort. They can destroy us, as well, or perhaps cause us to destroy ourselves. This story begins in San Francisco, but it doesn’t stay there very long, and then wanders back in time to the beginning to share this story of love, loss and despair. A story of reinventing oneself to hide from the pain, and a story of a search for the truth, and peace.

Joyce Maynard’s story spans four decades, weaving in and out of Irene’s life over the years. As this story begins, Irene is living in San Francisco an artist who began her career by drawing medical illustrations for work, but draws on her own time for herself, to get lost in the art rather than her memories.

But that is not, technically, when Irene’s life begins. This goes back and forth across time, returning to her childhood sometime around in the 1960s, when as a child she attended Woodstock with her mother and her mother’s then boyfriend - who isn’t in the picture long. This will be a pattern.

This is an enchanting story, at times, especially as the story returns to Irene’s desire to leave her life behind for a new life leads her to La Liorona, a hotel that has seen better days, in Central America. A place where the beauty of nature surrounds her, including a lake, and which lies in the shadow of a volcano. And even though she didn’t exactly plan to be there, she finds herself becoming more and more herself as she leaves behind the memories she’d rather not revisit of her former life.

A beautiful story about life and love, set in a village which shares an aura of magic, and shared through beautiful, simple prose which capture a tangible sense of love and hope.


Pub Date: 02 May 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Skyhorse Publishing, Arcade

SO many thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the opportunity to read The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard. I fell in love with this book on page one. Ms. Maynard's writing speaks to me. And then I fell in love with La Llorona. And the people of La Llorona, and the village. Magical. This is a book i will pick up again and again.