Description

An instant New York Times bestseller, The Hotel Balzaar is the enchanting sequel to The Puppets of Spelhorst by acclaimed author Kate DiCamillo. Returning readers once again step into the captivating land of Norendy, a realm where stories flow within stories—and every moment holds the promise of magic.

At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta’s mother rises early each morning, dons her uniform, and begins her chores, urging young Marta to move quietly, unnoticed, “like a little mouse.” While her mother tends to the guest rooms, Marta explores the hotel, venturing down secret back staircases to the magnificent lobby. There she befriends the bellman, studies the striking painting of an angel’s wing above the fireplace, and watches as a cat darts after a mouse around the face of a grand old clock, all the while longing for the return of her beloved father—a soldier who has mysteriously disappeared.

Everything changes when a mysterious countess arrives at the hotel, accompanied by a parrot and a promise to share not just one, but seven remarkable stories that must each be told in their proper sequence. As Marta listens closely to each tale, she begins to suspect that perhaps the countess holds the key to the whereabouts of her missing father.

With delicate and evocative illustrations by Júlia Sardà, The Hotel Balzaar is the second in a collection of three interconnected novellas that are bound together by their shared setting and poetic atmosphere. DiCamillo artfully blends longing, courage, and imagination, illuminating moments of darkness and showing that hope and belief can bring new meaning to even the quietest corners of the heart.