A captivating book about the clients and staff in a classy hotel in the neutral Portuguese Riviera during World War II, including Allied and Axis agents, displaced ex-royals and stateless Jews. Historical figures are intermixed with fictional ones. It is poignant and funny, particularly regarding a young Jewish boy who spends the war years in the hotel, hoping his parents will arrive, being ‘fostered’ by the other characters. The hotel still exists.
(Ros Cook - bwl 118 Spring 2025 ) |
