Book Log 2020 #44: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Mandel's novels center around people who are, one way or another, lost. In this case, we have a brother and sister who drift northwards and find work at a luxury hotel in British Columbia. Their lives take dramatic and opposite turns after an incident at the hotel, where the sister meets and becomes the partner of a billionaire, while the brother goes off into a less secure direction.

Or does he? As the events of the book unfold we see their fortunes change often (in some cases literally), and in one case tragically. For all the ups and downs, though, I never feel like either sibling is ever actually "found." They just temporarily inhabit states of being more or less lost.

I know that sounds bleak, but this is a really well-crafted and engaging book, depicting just how tenuous our hold on our present life can be. I think the book also says something about resilience, just maybe not the typical lesson that good things come to those who can weather adversity.