"A story of fathers and sons, memories lost and found, and artists and their muses, Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel explores the mysteries of the mind, the truth behind lore, and the miracle of inspiration."
Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel (which I received free from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review) is the second book I've read by James Markert. (See my review of What Blooms From Dust HERE.)
In1945, 24-year-old Vitto Gandy returns home from WWII to his wife and young son (who doesn't remember him) and father (who's developed dementia). Vitto is struggling with leaving behind the realities of war (what we now call PTSD).
Vitto's father, Robert, and his mother, Magdalena, had built and run The Tuscany Hotel. This creative couple spent all their life together at the hotel, a place where artists and musicians and famous and powerful people filled the guest rooms. Each room had a different colored door and beautiful frescoes on the wall and/or ceiling. The hotel had closed down after Magdalena's death several years before Vitto went off to war.
When Robert disappears one day, they find him back at the hotel, which he's decided to reopen to help those with dementia! After struggling with the symptoms of Alzheimer's the past couple of years, Robert is suddenly back to his former self after drinking from the hotel fountain (that reportedly brings back memories) and wants to help others.
This story is interwoven with tales of Greek mythology - Magdalena spent hours telling Vitto these stories when he was growing up and he retells them to his son as they view the various paintings and sculptures throughout the hotel.
As Vitto struggles with his own memories, he helps rebuild the hotel, but also uncovers memories about his mother and her tragic death and life as a young girl. He also works to keep his marriage together and get to know his young son again.
This is an interesting read and has a really nice ending, although I got lost in some of the Greek mythology tales and still am not positive of the meaning some of them were meant to convey.
Have you read anything by James Markert? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Always appreciate book recommendations. I've not read, but it does some interesting, I'll check with the library.
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