A dazzling, evocative novel about the intertwining lives of the denizens of a Latin American hotel in the midst of political turmoil . . . a fierce and gorgeous story about politics, gender, and passion.
In an unnamed Central American capital, at a luxurious hotel, the lives of six men and women converge over the course of one week. There is a Japanese-Mexican-American matadora in town for a bull-fighting competition; an ex-guerilla now working as a waitress in the hotel coffee shop; a Korean manufacturer with an underage mistress ensconced in the honeymoon suite; an international adoption lawyer of German descent; a colonel who committed atrocities during his country’s long civil war; and a Cuban poet who has come with his American wife to adopt a local infant. With each day, their lives become further entangled resulting in the unexpected—the clash of histories and the pull of revenge and desire.
Cristina García’s magnificent orchestration of politics, the intimacies of daily life, and the frailty of human nature unfolds in a powerful, ambitious, often comic, and unforgettable tale.
Reviews
“The novel has the energy of an obsessive tango. Or, indeed, a bullfight.”
— The New York Times Book Review
“With beauty, elegance, and finesse, Cristina García weaves together a complex tale in writing as stunning as the flourish of a matador’s cape. A brave work told brilliantly. I toss you carnations, Cristina. ¡Brava!”
— Sandra Cisneros
“García’s subject matter is epic: civil war, assasination attempts, historical amnesia, godly messages dispatched from a canary, xenophobia, communication with the dead, redemption of art, you name it… García is at the height of her imaginative powers, and The Lady Matador’s Hotel is a tour de force, at once hopeful and hopeless.”
— Helena Maria Viramontes, MS. Magazine
“García has created a half-magical world in which blood runs close to the surface and flesh is transitory, opening the door to the big questions of existence: Who am I, and what is my purpose in life? The answers she offers—such as they are—come with a sly wit and strong visual style that explodes with color and life.”
— Miami Herald