by Amor Towles
First published 2016
In 1922, Russian aristocrat Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to indefinite house arrest in the opulent Metropol Hotel. Though stripped of his wealth and freedom, the erudite gentleman embarks on an extraordinary inner journey, forging deep connections with hotel staff and guests. As the decades of Bolshevik rule play out beyond the hotel's walls, Rostov navigates his confined yet remarkably full life with dignity, humor, and the discovery of what it means to be truly purposeful.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Moscow, The Kremlin, The Metropol Hotel, Russia
Period: 1922
496 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books