Boarding houses, or residence hotels, like this novel’s Biedermeier, were commonplace in the 60s. For those women who didn’t immediately move into a husband’s home after college and wanted to try their luck in New York City, these hotels were havens that feel not unlike a sorority house. In Women’s Hotel, we meet the women of the Biedermeier with all their quirks. It’s an all-white, all-female microcosm of sorts. There’s Katherine, a managerial sort who is helpful to a fault; she’s not to be confused with Kitty, who is always looking for help; Dolly is a lesbian bartender; and Ruth…well, perhaps we should be worried about her.
On the one hand, I like that this is all about the characters. I loved learning about them all, but while something doesn’t need to be plot-driven to be good, I thought the plot could have been stronger, if only to provide clearer direction for the kooky characters to shine. It comes off as episodic, and I wish it really leaned further into the kooky antics of these women because there’s potential for serious humor here.
3 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: Harvey Wallbanger
Peaches to Apples 