First published 1982
Mrs. Palfrey moves into the Claremont Hotel following her husband's death. The elderly widow must navigate her changed circumstances among the hotel's other long-term residents. She struggles to establish new routines and relationships in this unfamiliar environment. The other guests have their own peculiarities and social dynamics that Mrs. Palfrey must learn to understand. She faces the challenge of rebuilding her identity as a single woman after years of marriage. The hotel becomes both refuge and prison as she grapples with loneliness and the need for human connection. Her efforts to create a meaningful existence reveal the particular vulnerabilities of aging and loss. The story explores how Mrs. Palfrey confronts the gap between her expectations of this new chapter and its reality.
Genres: 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, rebuilding-life
Setting: Claremont Hotel
Period: 20th-century
205 pages · Paperback · Doubleday