Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins

by Katarina Bivald Narrated by Phoebe Strole

Overview

The next novel from Katarina Bivald, author of the #1 Indie Next pick and New York Times bestseller, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

After an accident kills Henny, the manager of the Pine Away Motel and Cabins, she watches as the three people who mean the most to her are reunited at her funeral. All three are unhappy, and Henny is devastated to know that she'll have to leave them when they need her the most. But...what if she doesn't have to leave after all?

With the funeral over and the last casserole dish packed up and carted home, Henny realizes she has one last opportunity to help her friends discover the happiness they once knew. To help them move forward, Henny must look back, unpacking the memories from their last year of high school all those years before. Only then can Henny stop history from repeating itself and heal her best friends once and for all.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"In a story about the lives a single person can touch, the highlight is fittingly Bivald’s memorable characterizations, as she makes each person and their needs distinct and complex.This is a winning novel about the lasting impact of love." — Publishers Weekly

"Remarkable…unquestionably a page turner and full of wisdom. A brave, unusual book, which powerfully portrays friendship and love." — Felicity Hayes-McCoy, author of The Library at the Edge of the World

"Katarina Bivald talks about her characters like you talk about your best friends. She gives her story absolutely everything she has. You'll care when you read because she really, really cared when she wrote." — Fredrik Backman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove

"Hopeful, heartening, and humane, this is the novel I needed to read right now." — J. Ryan Stradal, author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest

"A celebration of life in which friendship, community, and a room for the night are gentle antidotes to prejudice. " — Kirkus Reviews

"A novel of irresistible characters who make you believe in the power of hard-won wisdom and second chances, Welcome to the Pine Away Motel and Cabins is a delight!" — Linda Francis Lee, author of The Glass Kitchen

"Bivald's charming, heartwarming, and thought-provoking novel will linger long after the last page is turned." — Booklist

"Bivald weaves a charming tale that also examines serious issues and is populated with quirky yet eminently believable characters." — Library Journal

"The novel perfectly captures the joys and trials of small-town living...a story full of both hope and heart." — Shelf Awareness

Kirkus Reviews

2019-09-30
After her death, a friendly ghost watches over best friends at the no-frills Oregon motel where she used to work.

Henny Broek has just reunited with Michael, her high school sweetheart, when a truck driver accidentally runs her over. She leaves behind her co-worker, MacKenzie; her stoic father; and the patrons of the Pine Creek Motel. Soon news of her death summons the motel's absentee owner, Camila, a trans woman who left town before her transition. With her soul in limbo, Henny waits silently for her friends to enjoy their reunion and be happy. But first, they'll have to address the small-town politics that drove their group apart. In high school, when MacKenzie came out as gay, her friends rallied to stop an anti-gay ballot measure from passing. From there, the group split in two. MacKenzie stayed at the motel, encouraged by the community support. But Camila left to reinvent herself in LA, and Michael moved away to pursue a career as a geologist in rockier locations, breaking Henny's heart. Just when they've all begun to heal from their grief over Henny's death, a Christian organization stages a protest to shut down the motel over morality concerns. As the motel fills with misplaced townspeople divided by the controversy, it becomes a sanctuary for some and a scapegoat for others. The protest looks bigger online than it does in person, adding a touch of realism. As hatred threatens her otherwise idyllic town, Henny watches from beyond, hoping to see evidence of love after life.

A celebration of life in which friendship, community, and a room for the night are gentle antidotes to prejudice.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172369766
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos