First published 2021
An unnamed American couple arrives in a frozen European city to adopt a child. The wife battles cancer and grows weaker from their difficult journey. Her husband fears the orphanage will reject them because of her illness. They check into the Borgarfjaroasysla Grand Imperial Hotel, a vast and nearly empty establishment. The lobby hosts strange guests: an elderly chanteuse, a corrupt businessman, and a faith healer. The bar never closes. As the couple tries to complete the adoption, nothing operates as expected in this bewildering city. Their quest for a baby becomes increasingly complicated. The husband and wife begin questioning not only their surroundings but their relationship and their understanding of themselves. Reality shifts around them in ways they cannot explain or control.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Europe
Period: 21st-century
300 pages · Paperback · Catapult
Content warnings: terminal-illness