Hotel Malta is an enjoyable dramatic novel about
Eva and Ernest Blum, whose lives were disrupted by World War II, and their
grandson Amotz whose family is in crisis. Powerful but suppressed emotions push
Ernest to ask his grandson a favor related to the past: On the eve of his migration
to Israel in the 1950s, in Naples, and already married to Eva, Ernest had three
days of wild passion with a young woman named Nora, who was also on her way to Israel.
Now, toward the end of his life, he wants to meet her again. Amotz is intrigued
and determined to find her. His search for Nora and his meeting with her
granddaughter Gonnie drive the plot toward its unexpected climax. Meanwhile,
Ernest’s life changes and so do the lives of other characters, both close and
far.
Between the lines, the book raises a
variety of questions: What is unfulfilled love and what effect does it have?
What do three days of bliss signify, compared to an entire lifetime? What will
happen to the younger generation of Israelis, with their ethical, economic and
personal difficulties? And—perhaps most heart-wrenching of all—is it possible
to die happy?
With rare descriptive ability and a
discriminating eye, Shemesh weaves a complex and compelling plot. Her heroes
have real psychological depth and she leads them through tangled events while
keeping track of their rich and fractious inner worlds, full of open and hidden
passions.
REVIEWS
The chapters of the book hop skillfully from character to character … This
is a book that aims to explain to the older generation the possibilities for
the life of the young here-and-now generation … Yearning for the past is a
fundamental human experience, both when it is justified and when it is not. As
long as nothing changes in that yearning, books like Hotel Malta will
continue to speak to readers about it.
Yoav Rosen, Haaretz
What a lovely book! It
draws you in, its characters are multi-dimensional, it tells of a very real
experience, and it is written in fine Hebrew. It combines subtle humor and
gloom, moments of joy and harsh disappointments, and it is surprisingly similar
to life.
Yossi Beilin, Israel Hayom
An intricate tale, told in
language that gives genuine pleasure. We are captivated by the surprising
events … A dizzying emotional journey is laid out before us … Because of its
multiple layers, Hotel Malta is our bestseller of the week.
Ynet
A good novel, as is well
known, is not only ideas, contents and messages of significance, but also the
way they are expressed … In this book, a wealth of language has been used … It
is a profound work, rich, multi-layered, replete with recurring motifs, symbols,
metaphors, ambiguities, allusions and ciphers, about the bodily scars and the
mental wounds inflicted by the Holocaust, both on its victims and on their
offspring. I was powerfully drawn into it, and it left its marks on me. I
wholeheartedly recommend this affecting and unforgettable book.
Orna Lieberman, E-mago
