Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel
by James Markert
Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N
Paperback: 352 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 9, 2019)
A once-beloved hotel and a fountain whose water suddenly can restore lost memories. But is it a miracle, or are there strings attached?
The Tuscany Hotel was once a haven for young artists. A place full of inspiration and a work of art in and of itself, the hotel was built by Robert Gandy for his wife, Magdalena: a woman of beauty beyond description who was orphaned as an infant in Florence and grew up without the ability to remember. A tragedy caused the hotel to close its doors, however, and it has been years since the fountain in the courtyard ran with water and inspiration.
Vitto Gandy, Robert’s son, returns from the horrors of World War II to a wife who fears him, a son who is too young to remember him, and a father whose memory of him is fading. As Vitto faces the memories that torture his heart and mind, his father runs off in the night to seek solace in the last place he was happy: the Tuscany Hotel. Instead of finding ruins, he discovers that the water in the fountain has begun to run again. And as he drinks it, his memory returns.
Filled with Alzheimer’s patients hoping for restored memories rather than artists longing for inspiration, the hotel is once again a source of life and art. But nothing is truly as good as it seems, and the mysterious gift of the hotel comes with a price that each must determine they’re willing to pay. Bursting with beauty, art, and inspiration, Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel is a story of parent and child, husband and wife, and the joy and pain of what it means to be alive.
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My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
He’d been staring at her in awe but was afraid to say it—in awe because of her pretty face he wanted to touch but somehow couldn’t or shouldn’t, in awe because of those blue eyes that still looked as bright as liquid paint, in awe because of who she still was, that comforting soul, even as a child, who had always seemed to be a bandage for things in need of bandaging.
Time can be a tenuous dancing partner, Mr. Gandy. And memory the devil. Sometimes the wounds we can’t see leave the worst scars, unless they’re tended to.
Her demeanor immediately relaxed them, her smile a deep breath, her gait showing a grace no Tinseltown set could ever muster.
Juba was a vault stuck inside of a vault and he’d swallowed the key long ago.
My Review:
This was only my second time reading James Markert’s masterful storytelling and I was once again wonderstruck by his intricate texturing and craftsmanship. This man can deftly weave a captivating and sophisticated yet circuitous tale that is not fully comprehended until reaching that last thoughtfully written page. The story was slowly and stealthily crafted with threads of Greek mythology, history, and creative magic while deploying a narrative densely populated with elusive and eccentric characters who navigate interesting twists and turns that appeared ancillary until it was apparent they weren’t. Didn’t I mention he was clever and sneaky?
James Markert lives with his wife and two children in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a history degree from the University of Louisville and won an IPPY Award for The Requiem Rose, which was later published as A White Wind Blew, a story of redemption in a 1929 tuberculosis sanatorium, where a faith-tested doctor uses music therapy to heal the patients. The Angels’ Share is his second novel, and he is currently working on his next historical, All Things Bright and Strange. James is also a USPTA tennis pro, and has coached dozens of kids who’ve gone on to play college tennis in top conferences like the BIG 10, the Big East, and the ACC.
Connect with James
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I don’t know if I could do a story about Alzheimers but the rest of it sounds like something I would love! Great review, as always ❤
would make me sad. My mom has MS, and this would be so close to home.
I keep seeing this book featured all over the place and it’s no wonder- it sounds really dynamic. Thanks for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
Great review ❤️
Look like one I’d have to be in the head space for. Great Review
This is more my kind of read. Great review. Love that cover too.
Glad you enjoyed this book, but I don’t think it is my kind of read.
that cover is super-cool! and the story sounds really interesting.