I feel like I need to give this three different reviews. I thought this was going to be a five star book for the first half. In the second half, I was hoping it wouldn’t take some turns, but it did wind up taking those turns, so I figured that I’d just give it four stars. The weaknesses in the second half of the story didn’t detract too much from the first half enough to ding it too much. But then the author’s postscript really ruined it for me. I can maybe see going on a rant about “gatekeeping” and the story she wanted to tell if she’d written a book about an indigenous Mexican woman living in her community (a la American Dirt). But her book was about a white American ex-Pat woman who moved down to Mexico and the interactions that followed. Who exactly is gatekeeping that? What appropriation is involved? I’m surprised she commented about her editors not being sure about releasing the book, yet they were ok with her writing that post-script? It never occurred to me to gate-keep this book but I’ll tell you that, even as a white woman, I found the language and tone of that post-script itself to be offensive. How about taking out the gate-keeping crap and editing the post-script to say that since the story was about a white woman living in Mexico and she’s a white woman living part-time in Guatemala, she felt that this story was within her lived experiences and was also a story she wanted to tell. It’s not like she chose something outside of her wheelhouse in the first place, so cut out the defensive rant. It’s not doing this book any favors unless its sole audience is other angry white boomers.

This is another book where place plays a central role in the story--a volcano in Central America--and a woman who finds herself the owner of a hotel there. Lots of characters woven into this, some of whom seem to be extraneous at first, but the author pulls them all together by the end. Not a lot happens, but it's a very vivid book. The last quarter of the book I didn't want to put it down.

I loved the first 90% of this book. The vignettes about each of the characters in the town were so evocative, thoughtful and meditative. However, the narrator’s voice wasn’t super strong and, to be honest, she didn’t really feel like a full fledged character to me. Which made me not really care about what happened to her - so the ending didn’t really hit the landing for me. I kind of wish she kind of faded into the background of the ending, rather than the focal point being on her. The ending, to me, felt quite contrived and sappy, in an otherwise understated book. Otherwise this was an enjoyable read, and recommended for those who want an expat perspective in Central/South America.

Beautiful book! however the author's note at the end irked me

Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read September 16th,2023

This is a beautiful story about life and love, set in a village through beautiful, simple prose which capture a tangible sense of love and hope.

THE BIRD HOTEL is a magical rare gem that is unforgettable. The characters linger long after the book is closed. Maynard is a master of tales, and her talent is fully displayed in this delightful story.

The book started out very slowly, and I was struggling to hang in for the story. Once the main character gets to La Llorona and starts to fall in love with the people and place, though, the story becomes much more engaging. It was worth the wait to read the tale of an interesting place and how a woman who has never known home manages to find one.