In the winter of 1914, two infants were abandoned at an orphanage in Montreal. It soon turned out that they were incredibly talented: Pierrot became a virtuoso pianist; Rose's enchanting dance and comedic sketches brightened even the darkest surroundings. Wandering through the city and performing in affluent homes with shows that clowns would envy, the two blessed teenagers fell in love with each other and dreamed of creating the most unusual and captivating circus show the world had ever seen. To survive during the Great Depression, Rose and Pierrot, who had been separated and sent into servitude, became involved with Montreal's criminal underworld, mired in vice, drug addiction, and theft. But one night, after many years of searching for each other and enduring hardships, when the snow was falling thickly, they met again—and did everything possible to realize their childhood dreams. Soon, Rose, Pierrot, their troupe of clowns, and ballet dancers conquered New York, firmly establishing themselves on stage as they did on the streets of the city. Since then, neither the theater nor the criminal world has been the same... Contemporary Canadian writer Heather O'Neill combines tragedy and fairy tale in her novel, creating an unusual world where despair and love coexist, captivating with the magic of her narrative. Filled with complex characters, "The Hotel of Lonely Hearts" abounds with unexpected twists and turns, features colorful descriptions, and boasts an incomparable tonal style that is both restrained and concise, shockingly intimate and philosophically wise.
