I have been a Joyce Maynard fan for many years and have loved all her fiction and non-fiction books. This book transported me to different times and many different places, especially South America. I loved how descriptive the writing was, I could picture the different flora and fauna in my head and the hotel repairs and decorating made me feel I was there with Irene and the people she meets...hotel guests and locals alike. I was invested in the characters' lives and cared about what happened to them.

Each chapter is like a short story, vignettes if you will. The story spans forty years of Iren's life and I liked the back-and-forth timeline as Irene remembers her painful painful past, tries to heal from her present and moves forward toward her future. Irene has had lots of losses and some parts of the book are not easy to read. I loved the short chapters in this enchanting story with love and loss in equal measure. Everyone Irene interacts with teaches her something and she learns to appreciate the nature around her. I learned a lot about Mayan culture reading this, including the different food, art and clothing. Simply a book about life and how we can try and run away from our problems but our problems really don't go away and about how time can heal all wounds.

I just finished the ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of “The Bird Hotel” by Joyce Maynard, and wow. The novel tells the story of an artist named Irene who, after suffering multiple tragedies, leaves her life in NY and moves to an unnamed Central American country a lot like Guatemala where she is gifted a decaying hotel called La Llorona on the shores of a beautiful lake a lot like Atitlan. In the process of restoring the rundown property, interacting with indigenous and expat locals and hotel guests, and absorbing the wisdom and magical realism inherent in living in the shadow of volcanoes, Irene rediscovers and heals herself.

The characters are vivid, imperfect, and believable, and the descriptions of setting evocative and spot on. And because Joyce is a master of storytelling, the plot twists and turns, with a mystery at its center. “The Bird Hotel” will appeal to anyone who loves to be transported to a different world by a book. It’s a place I personally want to check in, and never leave.

I’m grateful to Skyhorse Publishing,and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved Count the Ways, one of my top books of 2022, so I was so excited for another Maynard book! The novel follows Irene (also known as Joan) who has had both a tragic childhood and early adult life. She flees to South America where she stays endlessly at a majestic and seemingly magical hotel where we meet a cast of characters and marvel at the animals and nature around it. For some reason I thought this was a short book but in fact it’s over 400 pages. I wish it was a little shorter frankly as I felt the book meandered a bit and could have some to some conclusions more quickly. However I did like the serendipity of circumstances and as before I enjoyed Maynard’s characterizations.

Take a trip to La Liorona.. a hotel in Central America surrounded by a lake and in the shadow of a volcano. You won’t want to leave the hotel or this village.
Irene’s story of her journey from San Francisco and how she ends up at this beautiful place with these wonderful people is incredible and just filled with so many emotions.
This story spans four decades so it is quite long.. but I enjoyed every minute!

I love this author’s writing!

Thank you to Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing Arcade for the ARC!

I received this from Netgalley.com.

A great read. The descriptions of the characters plus the wildlife and fauna added depth and richness to the story.
I hadn't read this author before and now have several of her books added to my read pile.

4☆

THE BIRD HOTEL
BY: JOYCE MAYNARD

Joyce Maynard has easily become one of my favorite Authors. "The Bird Hotel," reads like a fable or a fairy tale in its description of the beauty a woman has lovingly restored her hotel after a hurricane. With beautiful tropical plants and flowers, that she replaced it sounds like a paradise. I imagined a warm climate with bright sunshine with natural lakes with a nearby volcano someplace in Central America. This was shorter than I expected so I wonder if I am missing part of this lovely novel. I enjoyed it immensely. This features both a fictional strong woman protagonist, that has endured much tragedy, but still manages to radiate with being a positive role model. She has lost her only child, a son, and her husband before coming to this place she creates as an oasis. Her mother abandoned her when she was only six years old, leaving her in New York with her Grandmother. Two people we come to know that she thought were her friends, Dora and Gus succeed in swindling her hotel away from her. This young woman still perseveres after every setback showing that with hope and effort a dwelling of love can be a source for others to visit and enjoy the fruits of her labor. This is a hotel that I would love to stay at.

My all time favorite Audible that I have never found anything close to as intimate and honest is Joyce Maynard's first memoir. It's called, "At Home in the World," read by Joyce. It is an honest depiction of the horrible treatment she received from J.D. Salinger. She was a young woman who left Yale, to be abused by an older man who I thought was cruel to her for nothing that she did to deserve it. If anything she bent over backwards to please him. After twenty-five years of silence she bravely describes their relationship which took courage. She gives insight when she describes her difficult relationships with her family of origin. Joyce also describes her first marriage, and her painful divorce with the father of her three children. I have much admiration for her honesty, and I reiterate the courage, and she shows herself to be not one bit resentful, which in "The Bird Hotel," although fiction this lovable Author's resilience appears in the main character in the good deeds she bestows to those who inhabit her life.

I also admire her for her same honesty and enormous courage in which she shares the man of her dreams as they both suffered with his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. This happened shortly after they both fell in love, built on mutual respect, and their gratitude for finding in one another a deep love and appreciation of each other's characters. This memoir by Joyce is the heartbreaking journey of searching for treatments, and I am happy for Joyce Maynard, with everything she and Jim endured. Including the death of a spouse she has managed to write two amazing novels including this one.

One of my favorite novels by her was a buddy read that I did on Good Reads, many years ago when Joyce Maynard published "Under the Influence." This one is very different, but it is my second favorite of her fictional novels. I haven't read all of her novels, but I highly, highly recommend the works that I have mentioned in this review. "The Bird Hotel," her latest is a delightful Five Star reading experience. I felt a lightness and happiness, while totally absorbed the entire time that I read it. Enjoy!

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Joyce Maynard and Skyhorse Publishing Arcade for generously providing me with my ARC, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Here is the link to Joyce's heartbreaking memoir called, "The Best of Us."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#TheBirdHotel #JoyceMaynard #SkyhorsePublishingArcade #NetGalleyTHE BIRD HOTEL
BY: JOYCE MAYNARD

Joyce Maynard has easily become one of my favorite Authors. "The Bird Hotel," reads like a fable or a fairy tale in its description of the beauty a woman has lovingly restored her hotel after a hurricane. With beautiful tropical plants and flowers, that she replaced it sounds like a paradise. I imagined a warm climate with bright sunshine with natural lakes with a nearby volcano someplace in Central America. This was shorter than I expected so I wonder if I am missing part of this lovely novel. I enjoyed it immensely. This features both a fictional strong woman protagonist, that has endured much tragedy, but still manages to radiate with being a positive role model. She has lost her only child, a son, and her husband before coming to this place she creates as an oasis. Her mother abandoned her when she was only six years old, leaving her in New York with her Grandmother. Two people we come to know that she thought were her friends, Dora and Gus succeed in swindling her hotel away from her. This young woman still perseveres after every setback showing that with hope and effort a dwelling of love can be a source for others to visit and enjoy the fruits of her labor. This is a hotel that I would love to stay at.

My all time favorite Audible that I have never found anything close to as intimate and honest is Joyce Maynard's first memoir. It's called, "At Home in the World," read by Joyce. It is an honest depiction of the horrible treatment she received from J.D. Salinger. She was a young woman who left Yale, to be abused by an older man who I thought was cruel to her for nothing that she did to deserve it. If anything she bent over backwards to please him. After twenty-five years of silence she bravely describes their relationship which took courage. She gives insight when she describes her difficult relationships with her family of origin. Joyce also describes her first marriage, and her painful divorce with the father of her three children. I have much admiration for her honesty, and I reiterate the courage, and she shows herself to be not one bit resentful, which in "The Bird Hotel," although fiction this lovable Author's resilience appears in the main character in the good deeds she bestows to those who inhabit her life.

I also admire her for her same honesty and enormous courage in which she shares the man of her dreams as they both suffered with his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. This happened shortly after they both fell in love, built on mutual respect, and their gratitude for finding in one another a deep love and appreciation of each other's characters. This memoir by Joyce is the heartbreaking journey of searching for treatments, and I am happy for Joyce Maynard, with everything she and Jim endured. Including the death of a spouse she has managed to write two amazing novels including this one.

One of my favorite novels by her was a buddy read that I did on Good Reads, many years ago when Joyce Maynard published "Under the Influence." This one is very different, but it is my second favorite of her fictional novels. I haven't read all of her novels, but I highly, highly recommend the works that I have mentioned in this review. "The Bird Hotel," her latest is a delightful Five Star reading experience. I felt a lightness and happiness, while totally absorbed the entire time that I read it. Enjoy!

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Joyce Maynard and Skyhorse Publishing Arcade for generously providing me with my ARC, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Here is the link to Joyce's heartbreaking memoir called, "The Best of Us."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#TheBirdHotel #JoyceMaynard #SkyhorsePublishingArcade #NetGalley

After a childhood filled with heartbreak, Irene, a talented artist, finds herself in a small Central American village where she checks into a beautiful but decaying lakefront hotel called La Llorona at the base of a volcano.
This is a beautifully written, emotion evoking novel spanning four decades. I could perfectly picture La Llorona’s lush beauty and the colorful cast of characters.

I've been a fan of Joyce Maynard for a few years. I’ve read most of her novels. She is a great story teller. When I first read the description of The Bird Hotel, I didn't think it would appeal to me. I was wrong. I should have known!!!

The book starts out quite sadly, I was not sure where it was going. But, I was soon on a journey with Irene, the main character. The destination was not known, Irene was escaping from her present life, but she did not know what her end destination would be. She ends up in a small Central American village, at an old hotel on a lake facing a volcano.

Anyone who is familiar with Ms. Maynard knows that this setting is her happy place. She owns a property (not a hotel) in a very similar location. Volcano and all. She draws on her knowledge of the location and the local people to create a great story that totally captivated me. Her descriptions of the flowers, the lake, the birds and the people paint a vivid picture of a place I would love to be. The location is definitely to be considered a character.

Irene is the constant in the story, along with a few employees at the hotel. Other characters pop in and out. Some are guests of the hotel so we only have a glimpse of them. Some of them are residents of the town. Nevertheless, they are an interesting part of the story.

The story covers a long period of time. We see a lot of changes in Irene and the hotel. Sadly, we do meet some evil people, even though it seems like paradise. There are even a couple of unexpected twists in the story.

In my mind, the ending seems a little hurried and tidy. But, perhaps that is because I did not want the story to end.

I was happy with the ending. But, I was sad that it ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

It's been several years since I read a Joyce Maynard book and I was happy to find she still writes books with interesting characters, cultural touchstones and most of all heart. The Bird House is about a woman named Irene who was raised in the 1960's by her grandmother after her mother disappears. Her mother was a hippie, nomad type and became involved with a group of terrorists called "The Weathermen". Irene never found her true home until she met the love of her life and became a mother. But fate struck again in the form of tragedy and when Irene feels she cannot go on living, fate brings her to a Central American country and to a hotel called La Llarona.

La Llarona is almost a magical place and amid the beautiful flowers, birds and most of all people, Irene finds her place in the world. As the years go by, we meet the many visitors to the hotel, all told in short chapters. Some visits are good, some are bad and nature is always there to give its own verdict on the happenings. At times the novel reminded me of the TV series ":The White Lotus" and there is perhaps just a touch of magical realism in the stories, many of which are parable like. I did feel the book was a little long and by the end I was looking forward to Irene's story wrapping up. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After experiencing tragedy, Irene finds herself at a magical Central American hotel, where she slowly rebuilds her life.

Some repetition, which will hopefully be corrected before publication.

I loved this book so much. Magical realism at its best. The characters were fabulous and the storyline unique. Kept me in rapt attention all night.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Literary Fiction

The Bird Hotel is narrated from its protagonist Irene’s perspective. Irene, previously known as Joan, grows up with her grandmother, and both try to hide their identities from the world because of something terrible Irene’s mother has done or was a part of. The story follows Irene’s life journey from childhood until her forties and all the hardships she goes through, be it a family loss, betrayal from those she thought were friends, or deceptions from a love interest.

The main character’s life takes a different turn when she moves to a small village and stays at a hotel called La Llorona. She gets acquainted with the owner, Leila, and they become very good friends. Until one day the hotel becomes her. Irene will know many people there who will support her and also those who will deceive her. Through her eyes, we get to see all the sadness, loneliness, and beauty of the place.

This is the second book I read by the author Joyce Maynard, and I absolutely love her poetic writing style. She is very talented at creating vivid images and captivating stories. The Bird Hotel is a fantastic story. I always love it when, as a reader, I get to follow a character through his life journey. The author’s writing will make you feel all the different emotions of the character. Sometimes I felt very sorry for her, and at times I felt the main character acted too naively (signing a document without reading it).

I think the biggest drawback of this novel for me was the many characters that kept coming and going. Some of them were significant and had an impact on the story and the life of the main protagonist, and others were just forgettable. It will be hard for some readers to remember or keep track of all the characters. However, I feel the positives in this story outweigh any negatives. The beautiful description, the writing style, and the subjects tackled made this novel such a fascinating read.

After finishing this book, I'm still experiencing feelings of melancholy, and I can't explain why. I have the feeling that my mind is still engulfed in the atmosphere of the narrative. This book touches on a wide variety of topics, which is rather impressive. A few examples are the loss of a loved one, betrayal, love, grief, and sorrow. The narrative came to a satisfying conclusion, which was extremely nice. I feel that everything has come together quite well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Irene loses her mother at a young age in a tragic incident. When, as a young adult, she suffers another tragedy, she takes off for Central America with no plan. This is how she ends up at the hotel La Llarona. There, Irene slowly pieces her life back together while meeting many interesting people along the way.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The setting was gorgeous. Maynard did a fantastic job describing the lush plant life, the birds, and the overall surroundings of the village where La Llarona is located. I want nothing more than to sit out on the patio in the morning, staring out across the lake at the volcano while sipping my coffee.

However, while I was initially invested in Irene’s story, that wore off quickly. The story had several plot points that felt too convenient. It seemed like it was meant to be a touch of magical realism, but it came off as things happening perfectly for the story's sake. There were also a few moments that should have been big reveals, but instead, Maynard told us that Irene was about to find out that information, which I thought was an odd choice. Between these issues and the book's length, I lost interest in Irene’s story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great story, with wonderful complex characters, great setting and an interesting diverse theme.
It is full of almost every emotions you can think of, and even though it is not a thriller it somehow feels like one, on a slow pace.
Even though the author doesn't give us a specific setting for the country it takes place In, in my mind I know where it is and for me that is very engaging.
A lot happens to the main character growing up before she moves to the Bird Hotel. She is constantly moving around with her single mom, then a tragedy happens and she goes to live with her grandma, where she is told never to talk of her mother, because of what happened.
She does end up marrying a wonderful guy, they have a child, and when all is going so well, another tragedy hits and she is not able to keep it together anymore, with thoughts of harming herself but, with a change of heart, she finds herself on a hippie bus going to Mexico and from there ends up going to the Bird Hotel or also known as La Llorona, that someone had mentioned to her.
This town has a beautiful setting, wonderful indigenous people and a few wacky foreigners. All have interesting stories. And this is the place that the main character is able to finally feel like she is at home.
I loved this book.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for a copy of this book.

Joyce Maynard is one of my favorite authors, and I have been reading her material for many years. The Bird Hotel came as a surprise, as I knew that she was writing a sequel to Count the Ways, but this novel was never mentioned. I found it to be one of her best, actually, and very different from the others. Ms. Maynard has been traveling to Guatemala for quite some time and owns a property there, on a lake at the base of a volcano.
Irene, the main character of this book, has had a very difficult life and finally flees San Francisco without a real. plan. She ends up in a Central American country, in a hotel called La Llarona, which is on a lake at the base of a volcano. I appreciated the inside information about an area like this that Ms. Maynard brought to the story, the cultural information, and the variety of characters that she introduces into the story. She is such skilled and gifted storyteller with an astute understanding of personalities and relationships, that, as usual, it was a pleasure to read this novel. I am very thankful to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for giving me the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been trying to decide how I feel about this book. I think I feel indifferent.

The beginning had me and I was hooked, then it kind of lost me with all the characters and their stories. I wanted to get invested in this book but I just couldn't attach.

I honestly love her writing, I could picture the island and volcano so vividly. It just kept shifting too much for me and too slowly. I loved her book Let Me Count The Ways, so I was expecting to get attached like I did with that one.

To me, this was like a lazy day, sit outside in the sun and take your time kind of read. It's cold here in New England right now so it just didn't' give me the feel I was looking for.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I love it when a book grabs my interest from the first sentence of the first chapter. That doesn’t happen too often but it did with this charming, multilayered story. I love the characters and I fell in love with the location. I could live there and be part of this caring, compassionate community. Filled with trials and tribulations, especially for the main character, it is a book that will draw you in. I think it would be a perfect beach read.

Enjoy!

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.