Review of The Hotel Balzaar

The Hotel Balzaar The Hotel Balzaar [Norendy Tales]
by Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Júlia Sardà
Intermediate    Candlewick    160 pp.
10/24    9781536223316    $17.99
e-book ed.  9781536240122    $17.99

In this second volume in DiCamillo’s projected trio of novellas (beginning with The Puppets of Spelhorst, rev. 9/23), Marta lives in the attic of a grand hotel where her mother works as a cleaner. Mother and daughter lead anxious, constricted existences as they wait, powerless, for news of Marta’s father, away fighting in the Great War. But Marta’s life becomes more interesting when an elegant, elderly countess (complete with parrot) checks into the hotel and seeks out her company as an audience for her stories. The six tales the countess recounts are mysterious, peopled with nuns, soldiers, kings, foxes, and circus performers. In each there are echoes of Marta’s life and predicament, and in each is a portent of hope. The countess disappears before she relates the seventh and final story. But all is well as that last tale, encompassing all the others, plays out in action as Marta’s father returns. The flavors of this novella—the sorrows of war and the consolations of story—are given sharp specificity in the black-and-white drawings. In the main narrative, Sardà creates the grandest of art nouveau hotels, all decorative pattern and dramatic swoop. In the embedded stories she uses a simpler style, reminiscent of medieval woodblocks. The total effect is generous, rich, and inviting.

From the ">September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

Sarah Ellis
Sarah Ellis is a Vancouver-based writer and critic, recently retired from the faculty of The Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?