Christmas at the Women’s Hotel: A Biedermeier Story
Lavery follows up his debut novel, Women’s Hotel, with a seasonal sequel that catches readers up on his charming cast of characters as they navigate the challenges and opportunities – financial, romantic and social – of the holiday season in 1965 New York City. The plot picks up not long after Women’s Hotel ends, and although this novella could be a standalone for readers looking for some cozy vintage Christmas atmosphere, having read the first novel is a decided advantage.
Katherine, Lucianne, and Pauline are the main point-of-view characters, each a resident of the fading-but-dignified Biedermeier Hotel for Women. Each has her holiday season complicated by disruptions in her comfortable routines: Katherine, a recovering alcoholic, hears from a sister after years of separation; Lucianne’s successful male escort service – and her own romantic happiness – is threatened by the secrets of one of her escorts; and Pauline’s small-time pickpocket habit is about to land her in serious trouble. But the troubles are minor, and the keenly observed details of the ways in which single women carve out meaningful lives in the big city for themselves create an atmosphere of warmth and humor. Each chapter is really a separate vignette, so plot takes a backseat to character. Lavery’s considerable background in advice writing and podcasting shows up in the creation of a community of memorable, likeable, psychologically complex characters whom the reader will eagerly hope to visit again for a longer stay.
