Book Pick of the Week: A Small Hotel

In the spirit of Mardi Gras and the heady romance of New Orleans, I want to recommend a passionate book,

 A Small Hotel 

by Robert Olen Butler. 

“A sleek, erotic, and suspenseful drama . . . Robert Olen Butler executes a plot twist of profound proportions in this gorgeously controlled, unnerving, and beautifully revealing tale of the consequences of emotional withholding.” —Donna Seaman, Booklist (Starred Review) 

Set primarily in one of my favorite cities to visit, New Orleans, A Small Hotel follows the lives of Michael and Kelly, a couple on the brink of divorce. On the day they are due in court to finalize their separation, Kelly drives from her home in Pensacola to New Orleans. She checks into room 303 at the Olivier House in the city’s French Quarter—the hotel where she and Michael met during Mardi Gras and then fell in love. Bob Butler masterfully weaves scenes of the present with memories from the viewpoints of both Michael and Kelly—scenes that span two decades, taking us back to critical moments in the couple’s relationship and revealing a passionate love amidst miscommunication and insecurity. 

Do you have a favorite memory of New Orleans?