by Amor Towles
Reviewed by Linda:
An utterly charming and moving tale of a Russian count, one Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who is called before a Bolshevik tribunal in 1922 for having written an incendiary poem, and is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol, across the street from the Kremlin. In the gracious surroundings of this famous hotel, he passes decades of his life, watching his circumstances change from pampered guest to hard-working employee. His life remains rich with friends from all sorts of backgrounds, and his view of himself as a gentleman never wavers.
PS. Amy, Janet, Maggie, and Mia love this one too!