I bought this book at the Book Fair Australia. I suspect I asked for a recommendation from the bookshop which had taken a stall there, but I can’t find anything on my credit card to support that. I’m just going to ignore the why I have this book and concentrate on the book itself.
The concept of this book is that of a hotel travelling through space, travelling from one planet to another and one galaxy to another. They take on passengers, they let passengers go. But the passengers are just a means to a story, and the story is not the real story. Yes, there is the search for a publisher. The Lamplighter’s publications are highlighted prior to each chapter and they tell the story of the poor working class, those who have been sent to a planet to stripmine it. And also those who are left behind on a planet with no resources. This is a gentle dig at those in charge who don’t care about the workers or the poor.
But the real story is the staff at the hotel. Each chapter gives us the back story of one of the members of staff. We do get a little bit of the chase of The Lamplighter in each chapter, but the book is not about The Lamplighter, it’s about the staff members. I found it a feel-good story because each person has a history that has brought them to the Grand Abeona Hotel.
I loved each chapter. I found myself caught up in each back story, sometimes not realising it was a back story until the end of the chapter. I found myself revelling in the story that is found family. Each person found themselves a niche in the hotel which also found them very good friends…friends who are so close they’re actually family.
In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s a love story to found family. And how many of us have so many issues with our family that we leave them far behind and find our family in our friends? This text is an ode to these people. I’m well known for not liking a romance, but this was very different and I’m there for it.
However, if you’re looking for a book with a heavy plot, or firm answers then this book is not for you. It’s gentle, and there are so many questions left unanswered. I had so much trouble putting it down.