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The Paradise Guest House
A riveting and poignant novel of one woman’s journey to Bali in search of love, renewal, and a place to call home—perfect for readers of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love and Alex Garland’s The Beach.
It starts as a trip to paradise. Sent on assignment to Bali, Jamie, an American adventure guide, imagines spending weeks exploring the island’s lush jungles and pristine white sand beaches. Yet three days after her arrival, she is caught in Bali’s infamous nightclub bombings, which irreparably change her life and leave her with many unanswered questions.
One year later, haunted by memories, Jamie returns to Bali seeking a sense of closure. Most of all, she hopes to find Gabe, the man who saved her from the attacks. She hasn’t been able to forget his kindness—or the spark between them as he helped her heal. Checking into a cozy guest house for her stay, Jamie meets the kindly owner, who is coping with a painful past of his own, and a young boy who improbably becomes crucial to her search. Jamie has never shied away from a challenge, but a second chance with Gabe presents her with the biggest dilemma of all: whether she’s ready to open her heart.
Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more.
Praise for Ellen Sussman’s French Lessons
“[A] luscious novel of love and longing . . . The narrative feels as light as a glass of rosé at an outdoor café, but its insights carry the richness of a Burgundy.”—People (four stars)
“Sizzling escapist reading.”—Entertainment Weekly
It starts as a trip to paradise. Sent on assignment to Bali, Jamie, an American adventure guide, imagines spending weeks exploring the island’s lush jungles and pristine white sand beaches. Yet three days after her arrival, she is caught in Bali’s infamous nightclub bombings, which irreparably change her life and leave her with many unanswered questions.
One year later, haunted by memories, Jamie returns to Bali seeking a sense of closure. Most of all, she hopes to find Gabe, the man who saved her from the attacks. She hasn’t been able to forget his kindness—or the spark between them as he helped her heal. Checking into a cozy guest house for her stay, Jamie meets the kindly owner, who is coping with a painful past of his own, and a young boy who improbably becomes crucial to her search. Jamie has never shied away from a challenge, but a second chance with Gabe presents her with the biggest dilemma of all: whether she’s ready to open her heart.
Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more.
Praise for Ellen Sussman’s French Lessons
“[A] luscious novel of love and longing . . . The narrative feels as light as a glass of rosé at an outdoor café, but its insights carry the richness of a Burgundy.”—People (four stars)
“Sizzling escapist reading.”—Entertainment Weekly
260 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2013
67 people are currently reading
1851 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Sussman
18 books144 followersEllen Sussman is the New York Times bestselling author of four novels, A Wedding in Provence, The Paradise Guest House, French Lessons, and On a Night Like This. She is the editor of two critically acclaimed anthologies, Bad Girls: 26 Writers Misbehave and Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex. She teaches through Stanford Continuing Studies and in private classes. www.ellensussman.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
December 15, 2017
Nope. This one didn't work for me. I haven't read this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Even though the Good Reads rating is lower than I usually like when tackling an unknown author, I still picked this one up because it fit a task in a book challenge I'm currently working on. I generally trust the masses when it comes to ratings, but occasionally I ignore them...not often though.
I liked the MC and Bambang (and his dog too.) I also liked that this was set in Bali. My main complaint is that there was so much telling in this. There also wasn't emotional descriptions other than he was sad....he was lonely, etc.The dialogue was also stiff. So many times, I thought, "Do people say that?" And of course the characters were all beautiful, kind and generous. This just wasn't for me. So 2 stars.
I liked the MC and Bambang (and his dog too.) I also liked that this was set in Bali. My main complaint is that there was so much telling in this. There also wasn't emotional descriptions other than he was sad....he was lonely, etc.The dialogue was also stiff. So many times, I thought, "Do people say that?" And of course the characters were all beautiful, kind and generous. This just wasn't for me. So 2 stars.
February 6, 2017
http://mrs-margot.blogspot.pt/
A novel well in the genre of "Eat, Pray, Love" (one of my favorite books), which describes well the beauty of Bali the island, the sea, the rice paddies, the huts by the sea, scenarios that transport us soon to a serenity without equal, a passion that we can easily understand and a reflection on facing our fears, traumas and not escape from our feelings.
The characters are captivating, well built and the story flows very naturally, it's delightful to read, it's almost as if we were reading the book inside a boat floating in the water. It was a good surprise.
A novel well in the genre of "Eat, Pray, Love" (one of my favorite books), which describes well the beauty of Bali the island, the sea, the rice paddies, the huts by the sea, scenarios that transport us soon to a serenity without equal, a passion that we can easily understand and a reflection on facing our fears, traumas and not escape from our feelings.
The characters are captivating, well built and the story flows very naturally, it's delightful to read, it's almost as if we were reading the book inside a boat floating in the water. It was a good surprise.
January 20, 2013
Jamie returns to Bali, to the scene of a tragic event she was involved in, to make peace with her past and figure out her future. This is a story of love, loss, and the power of the human spirit.
With a complex story line and believable characters, this is a book that has a little something for everyone. There is romance, mystery, self-discovery and nostalgia to be discovered in these pages.
As a fictional story centered around a real tragic event, the author has done a fine job of giving the reader a cast of characters with strong emotional links to one another and a reason to keep turning the pages. Although the novel is fictional, it is written in such a way that there is no problem believing the events of the story. This book is at times very sad, often inspiring and overall very well written and entertaining.
My love for the main character in this book started early on. She is smart, witty and compassionate. As she struggles with her past and learns about herself through those she meets along her journey, you get a real sense that this is a character the author was passionate about.
By the time I finished reading, I felt like I too had gone on a journey to a place I had never been before. With rich descriptions, the author has made it easy to visualize the locations in her book. This made me feel closer to the main character.
For those who love a good book about life, reflection and personal growth, this is one you will want to pick up. If you are looking for a read that will make you cry, make you laugh and make you think about your life and how many blessings you have, this is it.
I would happily recommend this book. There is substance and depth to this story that not only keep you entertained, but also offer a chance to think about things we might not otherwise consider. I would imagine this being a great choice for a book club, as it offers so many possible discussion topics.
I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley.
With a complex story line and believable characters, this is a book that has a little something for everyone. There is romance, mystery, self-discovery and nostalgia to be discovered in these pages.
As a fictional story centered around a real tragic event, the author has done a fine job of giving the reader a cast of characters with strong emotional links to one another and a reason to keep turning the pages. Although the novel is fictional, it is written in such a way that there is no problem believing the events of the story. This book is at times very sad, often inspiring and overall very well written and entertaining.
My love for the main character in this book started early on. She is smart, witty and compassionate. As she struggles with her past and learns about herself through those she meets along her journey, you get a real sense that this is a character the author was passionate about.
By the time I finished reading, I felt like I too had gone on a journey to a place I had never been before. With rich descriptions, the author has made it easy to visualize the locations in her book. This made me feel closer to the main character.
For those who love a good book about life, reflection and personal growth, this is one you will want to pick up. If you are looking for a read that will make you cry, make you laugh and make you think about your life and how many blessings you have, this is it.
I would happily recommend this book. There is substance and depth to this story that not only keep you entertained, but also offer a chance to think about things we might not otherwise consider. I would imagine this being a great choice for a book club, as it offers so many possible discussion topics.
I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley.
July 7, 2013
I like to read novels about places I'm familiar with. So I was in Bali (again) and I picked this up book up. I wish I had paid more attention at the bookstore because it turned out to be more romance novel than something that captured the essence of Bali. To the majority audience of a novel, details about unfamiliar places may not particularly matter as long as they seem plausible. As a connoisseur of novels with familiar settings details are important to me. The most irksome detail in The Paradise Guest House was that Jamie, the protagonist Bali bombing survivor, was always paying (her sometime "gopher" Bambang, others) in happily received, low denomination US dollars. Well Bali is covered in money changers and they don't like small denomination bills...(well maybe they do, with those drastically deflated exchange rates they offer for them). Anyway, paying locals in singles and twenties doesn't happen in Bali. Like the rest of Indonesia, it's rupiah. On the plus side, the story moved along and turned into a quick read. It just wasn't what I expected. Nor was it much of a serious treatment of the tragic Bali bombing if it ever aspired to that...
March 22, 2013
I read and reviewed Ellen Sussman's last novel; French Lessons back in December 2011. What impressed me most about that novel was the author's ability to tell quite an intimate, fairly complicated story in such a sparse style.
This is the story of two quite isolated people; Jamie and Gabe. Flung together in the aftermath of the terrible terrorist attacks on the island of Bali, they only spent a couple of days together before going back to live their separate lives. One year later, Jamie is returning to Bali for a remembrance ceremony. Her scars are not only on the outside, she is suffering and haunted by feelings of guilt. Guilt that she was unable to save her boyfriend on that awful night, and guilt about leaving Gabe so suddenly, with no explanation.
When Jamie lands in Bali, she is welcomed into the home of another victim of that night and befriended by a young boy who helps her to see just what is important to her. When she finally finds Gabe again, it is time for both of them to face up to their past and think about their future.
Just like French Lessons, this novel is fairly short at just over 250 pages. Despite this, the story is vivid and well-paced. Ellen Sussman doesn't waste one word. There are no flowery descriptions or pages and pages of unnecessary dialogue. The story is told in sparse, yet descriptive language which transports the reader straight to the heart of the island of Bali. The culture, the people, the sights and sounds are brought to life expertly. Jamie and Gabe are complex characters, each have had their own sorrows in the past and both of them have chosen alternative lifestyles in order to cope with these. Ellen Sussman spent time in Bali whilst researching this novel and this is apparent throughout the story, she has captured the tastes and flavours of the island whilst also portraying the sadness and despair that remains amongst the people who live there. The terrorist bombings in what should be a place of peace and tranquility has left a mark on its people that will be hard to overcome.
I enjoyed The Paradise Guest House very much. I think that Ellen Sussman is a talented author who is able to capture a sense of place incredibly well.
This is the story of two quite isolated people; Jamie and Gabe. Flung together in the aftermath of the terrible terrorist attacks on the island of Bali, they only spent a couple of days together before going back to live their separate lives. One year later, Jamie is returning to Bali for a remembrance ceremony. Her scars are not only on the outside, she is suffering and haunted by feelings of guilt. Guilt that she was unable to save her boyfriend on that awful night, and guilt about leaving Gabe so suddenly, with no explanation.
When Jamie lands in Bali, she is welcomed into the home of another victim of that night and befriended by a young boy who helps her to see just what is important to her. When she finally finds Gabe again, it is time for both of them to face up to their past and think about their future.
Just like French Lessons, this novel is fairly short at just over 250 pages. Despite this, the story is vivid and well-paced. Ellen Sussman doesn't waste one word. There are no flowery descriptions or pages and pages of unnecessary dialogue. The story is told in sparse, yet descriptive language which transports the reader straight to the heart of the island of Bali. The culture, the people, the sights and sounds are brought to life expertly. Jamie and Gabe are complex characters, each have had their own sorrows in the past and both of them have chosen alternative lifestyles in order to cope with these. Ellen Sussman spent time in Bali whilst researching this novel and this is apparent throughout the story, she has captured the tastes and flavours of the island whilst also portraying the sadness and despair that remains amongst the people who live there. The terrorist bombings in what should be a place of peace and tranquility has left a mark on its people that will be hard to overcome.
I enjoyed The Paradise Guest House very much. I think that Ellen Sussman is a talented author who is able to capture a sense of place incredibly well.
April 2, 2013
When I started this book I mistakenly thought this might end up being something like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Boy was I wrong!
This isn't a novel of new beginnings, though by the end there are some. It is really more a novel of healing, and in The Paradise Guest House there are a lot of people that need to heal.
Jamie returns to Bali a year after she was injured in a terrorist attack. She lost her boyfriend in that attack, but she also gained a strange sort of intimacy with the man who saved her, Gabe.
Sussman's writing makes this topic, which isn't really a happy one, a pleasure to read.
She paints a vivid picture of Jamie returning to Bali, in search of the man that saved her as well as the day of the bombings and the aftermath.
You feel her fear and her strength
Gabe has healing to do, but not all of it has to do with the bombings. He lost his only son to meningitis four years prior and he still hasn't totally gotten over it, though no one can ever truly get over the lose of the child.
These two are really an unlikely pairing, but you come to see how they are perfect for each other.
For a novel that is rooted in sadness, it is a beautiful book and one I most definitely am glad that I read.
Boy was I wrong!
This isn't a novel of new beginnings, though by the end there are some. It is really more a novel of healing, and in The Paradise Guest House there are a lot of people that need to heal.
Jamie returns to Bali a year after she was injured in a terrorist attack. She lost her boyfriend in that attack, but she also gained a strange sort of intimacy with the man who saved her, Gabe.
Sussman's writing makes this topic, which isn't really a happy one, a pleasure to read.
She paints a vivid picture of Jamie returning to Bali, in search of the man that saved her as well as the day of the bombings and the aftermath.
You feel her fear and her strength
Gabe has healing to do, but not all of it has to do with the bombings. He lost his only son to meningitis four years prior and he still hasn't totally gotten over it, though no one can ever truly get over the lose of the child.
These two are really an unlikely pairing, but you come to see how they are perfect for each other.
For a novel that is rooted in sadness, it is a beautiful book and one I most definitely am glad that I read.
June 15, 2022
I bought this book from a bargin bin years ago and never actually picked it up.
It was a quick and easy read. I enjoy a book that (mostly) wraps everything in a neat bow to finish.
I actually didn't know about the Bali bombings in 2002 and was shocked to see how many Australian's died. I appreciate the book incorporating some history which led to me exploring it more.
It was a quick and easy read. I enjoy a book that (mostly) wraps everything in a neat bow to finish.
I actually didn't know about the Bali bombings in 2002 and was shocked to see how many Australian's died. I appreciate the book incorporating some history which led to me exploring it more.
January 6, 2020
Was emotional and wonderful to read.
July 26, 2023
Well-developed + interesting plot with very raw, real characters, my only qualm with this book is that it tied too neat of a bow on a story about trauma & recovery and how messy that can be.
October 11, 2013
Helen for www.bigbooklittlebook.com
Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Jamie is a likable, adventurous girl who works as a tour guide for people who want thrill seeker holidays. She had an opportunity to check out Bali for her company and is there when the tragic Bali bombs strike. Her world is turned upside down, literally and metaphorically and a year later she is back to try and get her head straight about everything that happened. We first meet Jamie making the plane journey back to Bali, a mixture of nerves, fears and memories. As she lands in Bali and makes her way to the paradise Guest House where she is to stay we get to experience the warmth, colour, smells and sounds of beautiful Bali. I was instantly transported to that place where you can walk out the door and forget about the grey skies of England. As Jamie starts trying to cope with being back in a place that has such mixed memories that idyllic setting is in contrast to the turmoil she is dealing with.
As we learn about Jamie’s back story apart from the bombings and also meet other characters who have had a difficult time in this supposed paradise the story takes on more depth. Nyoman who owns the Paradise Guest House turns out to have lost his wife in the bombings. Bambang is an orphaned boy she meets trying to make money on the streets to stay alive. They show Jamie different things about the island and its people that she didn’t have chance to experience before. Nyoman has faced his loss in a completely different way. Nyoman takes Jamie to some of the events to commemorate the bombings.
In the middle of the book Ellen takes us back to show what happened to Jamie that dreadful night as she deals with loss, tries to help others and meets Gabe who looks after her as she recovers from the injuries she sustains. They form a close bond, something a bit scary for both of them as they each have issues with loss and relationships as well as coping with the trauma of the bombings. But this relationship becomes pivotal to both of them and they try to leave the past behind them and move on. As you can tell from the blurb they don’t get it together at this time and Jamie comes back to Bali wanting to try and find Gabe and see if he will forgive for leaving and if they have anything left to rescue. I enjoyed the romantic element to the story but for me the most interesting part was learning about Bali, its customs and people and how they have coped with such a big tragedy.
Verdict:This story was fascinating, there are a great variety of characters and it is gripping subject matter, a good read.
Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Jamie is a likable, adventurous girl who works as a tour guide for people who want thrill seeker holidays. She had an opportunity to check out Bali for her company and is there when the tragic Bali bombs strike. Her world is turned upside down, literally and metaphorically and a year later she is back to try and get her head straight about everything that happened. We first meet Jamie making the plane journey back to Bali, a mixture of nerves, fears and memories. As she lands in Bali and makes her way to the paradise Guest House where she is to stay we get to experience the warmth, colour, smells and sounds of beautiful Bali. I was instantly transported to that place where you can walk out the door and forget about the grey skies of England. As Jamie starts trying to cope with being back in a place that has such mixed memories that idyllic setting is in contrast to the turmoil she is dealing with.
As we learn about Jamie’s back story apart from the bombings and also meet other characters who have had a difficult time in this supposed paradise the story takes on more depth. Nyoman who owns the Paradise Guest House turns out to have lost his wife in the bombings. Bambang is an orphaned boy she meets trying to make money on the streets to stay alive. They show Jamie different things about the island and its people that she didn’t have chance to experience before. Nyoman has faced his loss in a completely different way. Nyoman takes Jamie to some of the events to commemorate the bombings.
In the middle of the book Ellen takes us back to show what happened to Jamie that dreadful night as she deals with loss, tries to help others and meets Gabe who looks after her as she recovers from the injuries she sustains. They form a close bond, something a bit scary for both of them as they each have issues with loss and relationships as well as coping with the trauma of the bombings. But this relationship becomes pivotal to both of them and they try to leave the past behind them and move on. As you can tell from the blurb they don’t get it together at this time and Jamie comes back to Bali wanting to try and find Gabe and see if he will forgive for leaving and if they have anything left to rescue. I enjoyed the romantic element to the story but for me the most interesting part was learning about Bali, its customs and people and how they have coped with such a big tragedy.
Verdict:This story was fascinating, there are a great variety of characters and it is gripping subject matter, a good read.
March 25, 2013
As is usual, I received this book for nothing from a GoodReads giveaway. Despite that kindness my candid thoughts follow.
A year ago, our protagonist was witness to the Bali nightclub bombings. Now she's returning to the country to pay her respects and find the little piece of herself that she left behind.
This book really defies easy categorization (travelogue? romance? historical novel? escapism?) but at its heart it's an allegory of guilt, grief and loss. Our heroine not only lost her friend when the bombs ripped apart the building she was sitting in but also her piece of mind and sense of self. In "The Paradise Guest House" we find a woman who is struggling to put her life back together after she discovers that bombs tear apart more than buildings.
From a writing standpoint this book is smooth as silk. I'm always the first to pick at an author's writing but Sussman is no slouch at stringing words together. Her words form an uncannily vivid picture in the reader's mind and if you read the acknowledgements it's not hard to see why. She spent a month on site researching the country and talking to locals. I suspect it's no coincidence that some of the names of her characters also appear in the list of people to whom she is thankful. The author has very skillfully put a month of her life to paper.
Topically, Sussman does a grand job of taking us to a place and time that we don't tend to think about very much and letting us get a flavor for not only the country but the people in it from the locals who have been there all their lives to the imports who just decided there was no reason to leave. Geographically speaking, if this comes out as a movie it'll be one of those you go to just for the breathtaking panoramas.
In summary, our author has given us a great view not only into the far-off land of Bali but also into the souls of her complex and skillfully portrayed characters. Her descriptive powers are almost Dickensian in their breadth and depth. As for the question of a category for this book, it really is all of the above: some adventure, some romance, some far-off foreign climes but mostly it's about a woman who has lost something and has retraced her steps to find it again.
A year ago, our protagonist was witness to the Bali nightclub bombings. Now she's returning to the country to pay her respects and find the little piece of herself that she left behind.
This book really defies easy categorization (travelogue? romance? historical novel? escapism?) but at its heart it's an allegory of guilt, grief and loss. Our heroine not only lost her friend when the bombs ripped apart the building she was sitting in but also her piece of mind and sense of self. In "The Paradise Guest House" we find a woman who is struggling to put her life back together after she discovers that bombs tear apart more than buildings.
From a writing standpoint this book is smooth as silk. I'm always the first to pick at an author's writing but Sussman is no slouch at stringing words together. Her words form an uncannily vivid picture in the reader's mind and if you read the acknowledgements it's not hard to see why. She spent a month on site researching the country and talking to locals. I suspect it's no coincidence that some of the names of her characters also appear in the list of people to whom she is thankful. The author has very skillfully put a month of her life to paper.
Topically, Sussman does a grand job of taking us to a place and time that we don't tend to think about very much and letting us get a flavor for not only the country but the people in it from the locals who have been there all their lives to the imports who just decided there was no reason to leave. Geographically speaking, if this comes out as a movie it'll be one of those you go to just for the breathtaking panoramas.
In summary, our author has given us a great view not only into the far-off land of Bali but also into the souls of her complex and skillfully portrayed characters. Her descriptive powers are almost Dickensian in their breadth and depth. As for the question of a category for this book, it really is all of the above: some adventure, some romance, some far-off foreign climes but mostly it's about a woman who has lost something and has retraced her steps to find it again.
March 1, 2016
"The Paradise Guest House" by Ellen Sussman was an okay read.
I have been to Bali before and I was interested on Sussman's take on an American woman who survived the Bali nightclub bombings in 2002.
The story revolves around two people. Jamie, an American adventure guide, and Gabe, an American ex-pat who comes to live and teach in Bali after dealing with a loss.
Jamie goes back to Bali a year later at an anniversary recognizing the victims and survivors of the nightclub bombing. She stays at the Paradise Guest House and befriends the owner Nyoman who lost his wife in the bombings. Along the way Jamie meets a street kid named Bambang who she finds herself becoming reluctantly attached to. However, Jamie's main reason to be there is to find Gabe who saved her during the bombing.
I do think that Ms. Sussman can write. Her description of the people and food in Bali was written very well. I think all of the characters were very fleshed out. I really did love Nyoman's character and his explanation of Bali, the culture, and traditions.
However, I only rated this novel three stars because though the story should have been engaging, it was not.
I think it could have been that I knew the way the novel would end after we find out why Jaime has returned to Bali and I just wasn't in the mood to read about Jaime and Gabe. Jamie's back story took forever to be told and when we get to her and Gabe I found myself hurrying to get to the end.
Additionally, I found myself more interested in Nyoman and Bambang's stories not Jaime and Gabe's. Also I felt as if Jaime had more of an emotional connection with Nyoman and not Gabe.
Last, splitting up the novel into parts so that we get to read about Jamie, then Gabe, then back to Jaime took me out of the novel and I had a hard time switching mid-stream so to speak.
I would recommend to fans of Ellen Sussman.
I received this novel for free via the Amazon Vine Program.
I have been to Bali before and I was interested on Sussman's take on an American woman who survived the Bali nightclub bombings in 2002.
The story revolves around two people. Jamie, an American adventure guide, and Gabe, an American ex-pat who comes to live and teach in Bali after dealing with a loss.
Jamie goes back to Bali a year later at an anniversary recognizing the victims and survivors of the nightclub bombing. She stays at the Paradise Guest House and befriends the owner Nyoman who lost his wife in the bombings. Along the way Jamie meets a street kid named Bambang who she finds herself becoming reluctantly attached to. However, Jamie's main reason to be there is to find Gabe who saved her during the bombing.
I do think that Ms. Sussman can write. Her description of the people and food in Bali was written very well. I think all of the characters were very fleshed out. I really did love Nyoman's character and his explanation of Bali, the culture, and traditions.
However, I only rated this novel three stars because though the story should have been engaging, it was not.
I think it could have been that I knew the way the novel would end after we find out why Jaime has returned to Bali and I just wasn't in the mood to read about Jaime and Gabe. Jamie's back story took forever to be told and when we get to her and Gabe I found myself hurrying to get to the end.
Additionally, I found myself more interested in Nyoman and Bambang's stories not Jaime and Gabe's. Also I felt as if Jaime had more of an emotional connection with Nyoman and not Gabe.
Last, splitting up the novel into parts so that we get to read about Jamie, then Gabe, then back to Jaime took me out of the novel and I had a hard time switching mid-stream so to speak.
I would recommend to fans of Ellen Sussman.
I received this novel for free via the Amazon Vine Program.
March 27, 2013
Tour guide Jamie Hyde is in Bali with her boyfriend Miguel when two bombs explode in town. Both Jamie and Miguel are caught up in the horrific event and Jamie's life will never be the same again.
A year later and Jamie is returning to Bali. Her injuries have healed but she is still scarred, both physically and emotionally. After going against her mother's advice, Jamie returns to the country that changed her life forever. An event to commemorate a year passing since the attack has been organised and Jamie finds herself staying at the Paradise Guest House with a widower whose wife died during the bombings.
But this isn't the only reason Jamie is returning to Bali. Though she can't admit it to herself to begin with, Jamie is looking for a man, Gabe Winters.
At just over 250 pages, The Paradise Guest House is quite a quick read but it is packed with an emotional story of love, loss and survival. Told over three parts, we know Jamie initially arrived in Bali with her boyfriend Miguel but we aren't sure how Gabe is involved until the second part when the story shifts to the previous year, at the time of the bombings.
I loved the relationships that were formed within the book, from Jamie and Gabe to Jamie and her widowed host but my favourite friendship was between Jamie and Bambang, an anonymous boy who lives on the street. They don't get off to the best start but I found their bond touching and amusing. Bambang is a fantastic character; cheeky and caring yet guarded.
Jamie's story is both sad and inspiring and I thought she showed great strength and courage during the bombings and in returning a year later.
A year later and Jamie is returning to Bali. Her injuries have healed but she is still scarred, both physically and emotionally. After going against her mother's advice, Jamie returns to the country that changed her life forever. An event to commemorate a year passing since the attack has been organised and Jamie finds herself staying at the Paradise Guest House with a widower whose wife died during the bombings.
But this isn't the only reason Jamie is returning to Bali. Though she can't admit it to herself to begin with, Jamie is looking for a man, Gabe Winters.
At just over 250 pages, The Paradise Guest House is quite a quick read but it is packed with an emotional story of love, loss and survival. Told over three parts, we know Jamie initially arrived in Bali with her boyfriend Miguel but we aren't sure how Gabe is involved until the second part when the story shifts to the previous year, at the time of the bombings.
I loved the relationships that were formed within the book, from Jamie and Gabe to Jamie and her widowed host but my favourite friendship was between Jamie and Bambang, an anonymous boy who lives on the street. They don't get off to the best start but I found their bond touching and amusing. Bambang is a fantastic character; cheeky and caring yet guarded.
Jamie's story is both sad and inspiring and I thought she showed great strength and courage during the bombings and in returning a year later.
May 10, 2013
I thought this book would be a nice beach read with a romantic story set in the lush scenery of Bali. Well it was that but so much more. It was a story of tragedy, grief, healing and starting a new life that you never expected. It was haunting and lovely. It is set in Bali in 2002 during the terrorist bombing of two nightclubs. Jamie Hyde is both a victim and survivor of the attack.
Jamie returns a year later for an anniversary memorial in an attempt to find the man who ultimately saved her after the bombing. She also needs to make some kind of peace with it and find the stamina to move on in her life. The characters are vividly drawn, the action is incredibly realistic and Bali is brought to life.
The author covers subjects I had never thought of including the impact it has on the lives of people besides just the survivors and victims. What do people do for jobs when the tourists leave? The problems of dealing with a tragedy when the country doesn't have infrastructure is made painfully obvious. Bali simply did not have the resources to deal medically with all the victims and many of the foreigners were shipped out immediately to countries that could provide adequate care.
It is an absorbing book that really stirred my emotions. I highly recommend it.
Jamie returns a year later for an anniversary memorial in an attempt to find the man who ultimately saved her after the bombing. She also needs to make some kind of peace with it and find the stamina to move on in her life. The characters are vividly drawn, the action is incredibly realistic and Bali is brought to life.
The author covers subjects I had never thought of including the impact it has on the lives of people besides just the survivors and victims. What do people do for jobs when the tourists leave? The problems of dealing with a tragedy when the country doesn't have infrastructure is made painfully obvious. Bali simply did not have the resources to deal medically with all the victims and many of the foreigners were shipped out immediately to countries that could provide adequate care.
It is an absorbing book that really stirred my emotions. I highly recommend it.
May 14, 2014
Having just returned from Bali, I thought it might be interesting and give me new insights to read some fiction set in that country. The bombings that took place in 2005 had a major impact in Bali so the focus of this book on that historical event interested me
However, this book was somewhat a Harlequin Romancy in that the characters were one-dimensional and completely unbelievable; they never came alive for me. The Balinese characters were particularly unconvincing, especially Bambang, the thief with a heart of gold. She bonds to him, yet just leaves him there, committing petty crime to survive on the streets of Ubud.
In typical romance fashion boy meets girl, boy loses girl, girl returns and, somehow, you just know the universe will find a way for them to be together. Tiresomely predictable
However, this book was somewhat a Harlequin Romancy in that the characters were one-dimensional and completely unbelievable; they never came alive for me. The Balinese characters were particularly unconvincing, especially Bambang, the thief with a heart of gold. She bonds to him, yet just leaves him there, committing petty crime to survive on the streets of Ubud.
In typical romance fashion boy meets girl, boy loses girl, girl returns and, somehow, you just know the universe will find a way for them to be together. Tiresomely predictable
July 9, 2015
Touching without being schmaltzy, Paradise Guest House takes place during and after the nightclub bombings in Bali. Jamie, who witnessed the bombing and its aftermath, returns to Bali a year later for a memorial ceremony. While her injuries have healed, Jamie is still reeling from the trauma. During her return trip to Bali, she seeks out the man who got her out of the wreckage and took care of her in the days following the blast. The story is well-written and engaging. It is comparable to Eat, Pray, Love in that it follows a woman who comes to Bali in search of emotional healing, but it differs from Gilbert's book in that I didn't want to slap the protagonist for being such a whiner.
April 16, 2013
Jamie is one of the most courageous and inspiring characters who I have ever come across. Setting may drive Sussman's deeply affecting story, but Jamie is an unforgettable narrator. In the midst of reading The Paradise Guest House, two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Such a horrific act reminded me of the Bali nightclub bombings. Although Sussman's tale is fictional, the novel shows us that, even in the midst of tragedy and heartache, there is still life to live and love to share. This lush, atmospheric novel is perfect for fans of Elizabeth's Gilbert's bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love.
June 8, 2013
I can't do this book justice by my review! All I can say is WOW. I knew I wanted to read this book, I loved the synopsis and the cover!
But it was so much more than that. 2 lives, unknown to each other, interest forever. Jamie was in the attacks and Gabe heard them and helped some victims.
You will discover why it is called the Paradise Guest House. I love how it all came together, Gabe and Jamie's stories. Told from the 2 different points of view, past and present.
Lovely, just lovely. This is WHY I read!!!!!!!!!!!!
But it was so much more than that. 2 lives, unknown to each other, interest forever. Jamie was in the attacks and Gabe heard them and helped some victims.
You will discover why it is called the Paradise Guest House. I love how it all came together, Gabe and Jamie's stories. Told from the 2 different points of view, past and present.
Lovely, just lovely. This is WHY I read!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 3, 2013
I don't remember what the publisher's rep said in a book talk, exactly, to make me take this home a few months ago--something about adventure guide, romance, international, probably--but I took it with me on a trip after thinking "looks like an airplane read" with a quick glance at the cover. It's not a light/charming book at all; very wrenching in some places, in descriptions of the Bali bombings. And then it descended into cheesiness once in a while. But the setting seemed very well-realized, and that, really, is what I was reading it for.
March 27, 2013
Bali is a country that has long intrigued me, so when I saw The Paradise Guest House by bestselling author Ellen Sussman, I knew I wanted to learn more about it. The concept sounded really interesting so I snapped it up. Set in the recent past, a blend of elements makes this touching story very special. Romance, tragedy, and redemption, all set in paradise during and after some history-making headlines. Sound interesting? Read the rest of our review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=5652.
December 30, 2012
I loved this book. It's a story of a woman returning to Bali to finish healing emotionally. Her family and friends think she's crazy to return to the bomb site for a one year rememberence ceremony. She grows on her journey making new friends and and discovering old ones. Pick up this book and enjoy.
October 11, 2017
Not even a week ago, I reviewed a book in which I talked about how little I care for the romance trope where the death of a significant other causes the grieving partner to hop into bed with a dashing stranger. Here's the thing, though: apparently that is actually A-OK with me if you mix it up with a heaping helping of trauma and hurt/comfort, layer it on top of old grief over a late child and make it about two people giving each other an anchor.
The summary appealed to me when I picked this up out of curiosity at a used book sale, but I had no idea it would blow me so far away that I'd end up reading it two days in a row, because I went too fast the first time around and needed to immediately experience it again with full knowledge of the circumstances right from the start (it only got better the second time).
I could not love the two main characters more. There's Jamie, the free-spirit "big kid" whom I mistook for at least 5 years younger than her 31, disinterested in settling down and working as an adventure tour guide to fund a desire to see the world. And then there's Gabe, quiet divorcé with his life on pause outside of his days teaching local schoolchildren. I particularly enjoyed how their individual backgrounds appear through strategically placed memories to give you a sense of their family relationships and what brought them to Bali in the first place.
I also love that there's a 10-year age difference between them, because that sets off my "middle aged guy is charmed out of shell by bright young thing" fireworks, even though she is not actually bright or cheery during their initial time together, and this reaction is provoked in him merely by her presence. "She was clearly tough -- and yet there was something vulnerable about her too. He felt some odd combination of awe at her strength and some deep desire to protect her," is mentioned at one point, which is pretty much my ideal as far as romantic motivations go.
All of the side characters stand out to me too: Nyoman, the impossibly sweet host who lost his wife in the bombings; Jamie's boss Larson, best friend and father figure in one; Gabe's wonderful older sister Molly and how close they are; even Gabe's ex-wife, whose motivation for departure is something I normally cannot understand. I definitely dismissed Miguel as a mere obstacle, but I didn't dislike him; Jamie herself says that she wasn't even sure she loved him when he asked her to marry him. He comes across as a nice person who just wasn't meant to be The One, and I love the way her grief about his death is so wrapped up in guilt that she has trouble sorting out which emotion is stronger.
As for the setting: Even though I am sure it is way too hot / humid / bug-infested / technology-lacking for me to want to get closer to it than a book, Bali is described beautifully, from its natural appearance to its people and culture.
But the heart and soul of this book is the connection between Jamie and Gabe, which has my shipping radar going off nonstop with all the things I like about it. First of all, it starts with him saving her after she nearly passes out from blood loss while rescuing others from the aftermath of the bomb, and refusing to leave her side thereafter, especially once he realizes she's alone in the country. He literally could not do a better job of caretaking, from giving her a place to stay to changing the dressings on her head wound to making contacts for her to simply being there as someone to talk to, or at least listen to. This book even gives me the freakin' "person A wakes up screaming and person B comes to comfort them" trope that I thought only fanfiction was allowed to do. Glorious madness!
And I love that, hardly knowing anything about her, he opens up to her about his son. You get the sense that this is the first time he's really talked about the loss, with anyone, but story by story it gets drawn out during their middle-of-the-night conversations in a room almost too dark to see each other in.
Even the structure is worth a mention. The opening section is from Jamie's POV, one year after the central plot event. then when we revert to the extended flashback that is 2002 as seen through Gabe's eyes, and we finish out back in the present with Jamie (while still seeing plenty of her memories of 2002). Section 2 is a gift, though, because if there is one thing that's harder than anything else for me to find in fiction, it's a male POV that doesn't make me cringe in its general crassness at any point, and Gabe delivered in spades. If that's a product of women writing men, so be it and keep it coming; this is amazing.
There were a few bits that tap-danced on the boundaries of my restrictive prudishness (mostly the one where toplessness happens before they ever kiss? what?), but sometimes that's the price of admission for a soulmate trope outside of YA; if you give me free rein to assume they're Meant To Be, I'll allow it.
In sum: This book is so good that I'm struggling to remember what it's like to want to read new books, because right now all I want to do is keep paging back through this one like I've been doing for the past several nights.
The summary appealed to me when I picked this up out of curiosity at a used book sale, but I had no idea it would blow me so far away that I'd end up reading it two days in a row, because I went too fast the first time around and needed to immediately experience it again with full knowledge of the circumstances right from the start (it only got better the second time).
I could not love the two main characters more. There's Jamie, the free-spirit "big kid" whom I mistook for at least 5 years younger than her 31, disinterested in settling down and working as an adventure tour guide to fund a desire to see the world. And then there's Gabe, quiet divorcé with his life on pause outside of his days teaching local schoolchildren. I particularly enjoyed how their individual backgrounds appear through strategically placed memories to give you a sense of their family relationships and what brought them to Bali in the first place.
I also love that there's a 10-year age difference between them, because that sets off my "middle aged guy is charmed out of shell by bright young thing" fireworks, even though she is not actually bright or cheery during their initial time together, and this reaction is provoked in him merely by her presence. "She was clearly tough -- and yet there was something vulnerable about her too. He felt some odd combination of awe at her strength and some deep desire to protect her," is mentioned at one point, which is pretty much my ideal as far as romantic motivations go.
All of the side characters stand out to me too: Nyoman, the impossibly sweet host who lost his wife in the bombings; Jamie's boss Larson, best friend and father figure in one; Gabe's wonderful older sister Molly and how close they are; even Gabe's ex-wife, whose motivation for departure is something I normally cannot understand. I definitely dismissed Miguel as a mere obstacle, but I didn't dislike him; Jamie herself says that she wasn't even sure she loved him when he asked her to marry him. He comes across as a nice person who just wasn't meant to be The One, and I love the way her grief about his death is so wrapped up in guilt that she has trouble sorting out which emotion is stronger.
As for the setting: Even though I am sure it is way too hot / humid / bug-infested / technology-lacking for me to want to get closer to it than a book, Bali is described beautifully, from its natural appearance to its people and culture.
But the heart and soul of this book is the connection between Jamie and Gabe, which has my shipping radar going off nonstop with all the things I like about it. First of all, it starts with him saving her after she nearly passes out from blood loss while rescuing others from the aftermath of the bomb, and refusing to leave her side thereafter, especially once he realizes she's alone in the country. He literally could not do a better job of caretaking, from giving her a place to stay to changing the dressings on her head wound to making contacts for her to simply being there as someone to talk to, or at least listen to. This book even gives me the freakin' "person A wakes up screaming and person B comes to comfort them" trope that I thought only fanfiction was allowed to do. Glorious madness!
And I love that, hardly knowing anything about her, he opens up to her about his son. You get the sense that this is the first time he's really talked about the loss, with anyone, but story by story it gets drawn out during their middle-of-the-night conversations in a room almost too dark to see each other in.
Even the structure is worth a mention. The opening section is from Jamie's POV, one year after the central plot event. then when we revert to the extended flashback that is 2002 as seen through Gabe's eyes, and we finish out back in the present with Jamie (while still seeing plenty of her memories of 2002). Section 2 is a gift, though, because if there is one thing that's harder than anything else for me to find in fiction, it's a male POV that doesn't make me cringe in its general crassness at any point, and Gabe delivered in spades. If that's a product of women writing men, so be it and keep it coming; this is amazing.
There were a few bits that tap-danced on the boundaries of my restrictive prudishness (mostly the one where toplessness happens before they ever kiss? what?), but sometimes that's the price of admission for a soulmate trope outside of YA; if you give me free rein to assume they're Meant To Be, I'll allow it.
In sum: This book is so good that I'm struggling to remember what it's like to want to read new books, because right now all I want to do is keep paging back through this one like I've been doing for the past several nights.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2014
Slim but weighty novel plumbing life after tragic loss through the eyes of an American expat who retreated to Bali after his child died of meningitis and the woman he meets in the midst of the Bali terrorist attacks, in which her boyfriend is killed. Wrenching and moving tale of resilience.
October 26, 2014
Der erste Satz:
"Und sie?", fragte der Mann. "Was führt sie nach Bali?"
Meine Meinung:
Inhalt
Jamie besucht die Insel Bali erneut. Es soll eine Gedenkfeier für die Opfer des schrecklichen Terroranschlages geben, welcher vor genau einem Jahr passiert ist. Jamie ist seitdem sie ihren Freund bei dem Anschlag verloren hat, nie wieder auf der Insel gewesen. Es fällt ihr sehr schwer, doch sie gibt nicht auf.
Auf der Insel möchte sie auch gerne Gabe wieder sehen. Dieser stand ihr in der schweren Zeit vor einem Jahr nämlich stets zur Seite...
"Warum? Wie kannst du das sagen? Warum hast du mich gerettet und nicht irgendjemand anderen? Jemand anders ist gestorben, weil du zu meiner Stimme gerannt bist. Wenn du mich nicht dort herausgetragen und weggebracht hättest, hättest du noch zehn Leben retten können. Ich bin am Leben, und sie sind alle tot."
Zitat aus "Die vergessenen Träume" -Jamie-
Cover
Ich kann nichts anderes dazu sagen, als: Wow!!! Es ist wunderschön, was anderes fällt mir wirklich nicht ein. Es passt bedingt auch ziemlich gut zur Geschichte, denn Jamie wohnt in ihrer Zeit auf Bali in einem absoluten Paradies. Was die Thematik dieses Romans angeht, könnte dieses zum Träumen einladende Cover allerdings ein bisschen in die Irre führen.
"Als meine Frau starb, da habe ich die Orientierung in der Welt verloren. Aber dann habe ich meine Gemeinschaft angesehen und mir gefragt: Wie kann ich verloren sein, wenn alle wissen, wo ich bin? Die Trauer ist etwas sehr Schwieriges. Sie legt sich aufs Herz und macht das Gehen schwer. Jetzt fühle ich mich wieder leicht."
Zitat aus "Die vergessenen Träume" -Nyoman-
Gesamt
Ich wurde magisch von diesem Buch angezogen. Das Cover war wie ein unsichtbares Magnet für mich. Bei einem Blick auf den Klappentext war für mich sofort klar, dass ich diesen Roman unbedingt lesen muss. Doch ich habe nicht damit gerechnet, wie sehr er meine Emotionen zum Leben erwachen würde.
Aber von vorne: Der Einstieg fiel mir leider nicht besonders leicht. Er zog sich für mich ein bisschen zu sehr in die Länge. Ich konnte nicht so guten Bezug zu Jamie aufbauen, weil ich in dem ersten Abschnitt nicht allzu viel von ihr erfahren habe. Die Autorin warf mir zwar immer vereinzelte Brocken aus ihrer Vergangenheit vor die Füße, aber wie es im Inneren der Protagonistin ausschaut, ließ sehr lange auf sich warten.
In diesem ersten Abschnitt geht es ausschließlich um Jamie. Wie sie in Bali ankommt, wie sie einen Straßenjungen kennen lernt, und in was für einem Paradies sie ihre Zeit auf der Insel verbringen wird. Dieses Paradies, welches auf dem Cover schon sehr gut zu sehen ist, wird allerdings von einer dunklen Wolke überschattet, die die Vergangenheit von Jamie darstellt. Sie möchte mit den schrecklichen Ereignissen, die vor einem Jahr über sie eingebrochen sind, endlich abschließen und ist genau aus diesem Grund erneut zu der Insel gereist, die sie eigentlich meiden wollte. Sie möchte allerdings nicht nur mit ihrer Vergangenheit abschließen, sondern auch den Mann wiedertreffen, der sie vor genau einem Jahr gerettet hat: Gabe.
Mit diesem Charakter befasst sich schließlich der zweite Abschnitt und dieser hat es wirklich in sich. Er beschreibt bis ins kleinste Detail, was sich vor einem Jahr zugetragen hat und hat mir so die Tränen in die Augen getrieben. Es ist unfassbar, was Gabe und Jamie haben miterleben müssen. Hier bekam ich die Emotionen, die ich am Anfang vermisst habe, mit voller Wucht ins Gesicht geschmettert. Sie berührten mich zutiefst und machten mich fassungslos. Ich habe mich oft gefragt, wie in einer solchen Idylle so etwas furchtbares passieren konnte.
Mit Gabe wurde ich gleich warm. Er ist einfach toll. Selbstlos, mit Ecken und Kanten und absolut sympathisch. Ich konnte sehr gut verstehen, warum Jamie ihn unbedingt wieder finden wollte.
Egal ob im ersten, oder im dritten und letzten Abschnitt: Der Schreibstil, den Ellen Sussman an den Tag legt, kann sich absolut sehen lassen. Sie beschreibt die Umgebung, in der sich die Protas befinden so bildlich, dass ich während des Lesens absolute Lust darauf bekommen habe, mal nach Bali zu reisen und das, obwohl ich genau weiß, was sich dort vor ein paar Jahren zugetragen hat. Zudem gewährt die Autorin einen so tiefen Einblick in die damaligen Geschehnisse, dass ich mich oft gefragt habe, ob sie selbst, oder jemanden den sie kennt, diese Hölle hat durchmachen müssen.
Wer sich diesen Roman zur Hand nimmt, sollte sich Zeit nehmen und alles auf sich wirken lassen, denn er ist keinesfalls eine seichte Liebesgeschichte, wie sie in vielen Romanen abläuft, oder wie auch das bezaubernde Cover vermuten lässt, sondern geht in die Tiefe und kratzt sogar an der Substanz des Lesers. Er hat mich sehr nachdenklich gestimmt.
Einziges kleines Manko, was ich persönlich empfunden habe ist, dass mir der erste Abschnitt ein bisschen zu langweilig war, was allerdings von den beiden anderen Abschnitten wieder wett gemacht wurde. Auch der Bezug zu Jamie, den ich am Anfang nicht so recht aufbauen konnte, stellte sich aber im Verlauf der Geschichte bei mir ein.
Mir hat das Buch außerordentlich gut gefallen, wenn ich das bei dieser ernsten Thematik überhaupt sagen kann, und das Ende hat mich in Tränen aufgelöst zurück gelassen.
Fazit:
Positiv
Der Schreibstil ist toll. Zwar fand ich den ersten Teil jetzt nicht super spannend, oder emotional, allerdings macht die flüssige Schreibweise der Autorin das wieder wett.
Natürlich muss ich auch unbedingt noch mal das großartige Cover erwähnen: Ich liebe es!
Die Emotionen von Gale haben mich mit all ihrer Macht erwischt. Ihn mochte ich am liebsten und mit ihm habe ich mich auch sehr gut identifizieren können. Ich habe miterlebt, wie er Jamie gerettet hat, und wie es ihm nach ihrer Abreise ergangen sein muss. Am Liebsten hätte ich ihn ganz feste gedrückt und getröstet, denn es ist wirklich absolut erschreckend, was in der Zeit vor einem Jahr alles passiert ist.
Ellen Sussman gewährt dem Leser einen sehr tiefen Einblick in die Thematik der Terroranschläge. Ich frage mich auch heute noch, ob sie selbst dabei war, oder jemanden kennt, der diese schreckliche Sache miterleben musste.
Die wechselnden Perspektiven haben mir sehr gut gefallen. Der erste Teil gehört Jamie, der zweite Teil Gabe und im Dritten, nun, lasst euch überraschen. :)
Absoluter Pluspunkt: Das Ende hat mich sehr berührt und mich auch ein bisschen weinen lassen.
Negativ
Leider gibt es keine "richtigen Kapitel": Das Buch ist lediglich in drei Teile aufgeteilt, die in Etwa alle gleich lang sind. Mir persönlich gefallen kürzere Kapitel besser.
Der erste Teil, in dem es um Jamie und ihren Aufenthalt auf Bali geht, hat mich etwas gelangweilt. Es war für mich ein bisschen zu emotionslos. Außerdem konnte ich bei diesem Teil auch noch keinen Bezug zur Prota aufbauen.
© www.mybooksparadise.de
"Und sie?", fragte der Mann. "Was führt sie nach Bali?"
Meine Meinung:
Inhalt
Jamie besucht die Insel Bali erneut. Es soll eine Gedenkfeier für die Opfer des schrecklichen Terroranschlages geben, welcher vor genau einem Jahr passiert ist. Jamie ist seitdem sie ihren Freund bei dem Anschlag verloren hat, nie wieder auf der Insel gewesen. Es fällt ihr sehr schwer, doch sie gibt nicht auf.
Auf der Insel möchte sie auch gerne Gabe wieder sehen. Dieser stand ihr in der schweren Zeit vor einem Jahr nämlich stets zur Seite...
"Warum? Wie kannst du das sagen? Warum hast du mich gerettet und nicht irgendjemand anderen? Jemand anders ist gestorben, weil du zu meiner Stimme gerannt bist. Wenn du mich nicht dort herausgetragen und weggebracht hättest, hättest du noch zehn Leben retten können. Ich bin am Leben, und sie sind alle tot."
Zitat aus "Die vergessenen Träume" -Jamie-
Cover
Ich kann nichts anderes dazu sagen, als: Wow!!! Es ist wunderschön, was anderes fällt mir wirklich nicht ein. Es passt bedingt auch ziemlich gut zur Geschichte, denn Jamie wohnt in ihrer Zeit auf Bali in einem absoluten Paradies. Was die Thematik dieses Romans angeht, könnte dieses zum Träumen einladende Cover allerdings ein bisschen in die Irre führen.
"Als meine Frau starb, da habe ich die Orientierung in der Welt verloren. Aber dann habe ich meine Gemeinschaft angesehen und mir gefragt: Wie kann ich verloren sein, wenn alle wissen, wo ich bin? Die Trauer ist etwas sehr Schwieriges. Sie legt sich aufs Herz und macht das Gehen schwer. Jetzt fühle ich mich wieder leicht."
Zitat aus "Die vergessenen Träume" -Nyoman-
Gesamt
Ich wurde magisch von diesem Buch angezogen. Das Cover war wie ein unsichtbares Magnet für mich. Bei einem Blick auf den Klappentext war für mich sofort klar, dass ich diesen Roman unbedingt lesen muss. Doch ich habe nicht damit gerechnet, wie sehr er meine Emotionen zum Leben erwachen würde.
Aber von vorne: Der Einstieg fiel mir leider nicht besonders leicht. Er zog sich für mich ein bisschen zu sehr in die Länge. Ich konnte nicht so guten Bezug zu Jamie aufbauen, weil ich in dem ersten Abschnitt nicht allzu viel von ihr erfahren habe. Die Autorin warf mir zwar immer vereinzelte Brocken aus ihrer Vergangenheit vor die Füße, aber wie es im Inneren der Protagonistin ausschaut, ließ sehr lange auf sich warten.
In diesem ersten Abschnitt geht es ausschließlich um Jamie. Wie sie in Bali ankommt, wie sie einen Straßenjungen kennen lernt, und in was für einem Paradies sie ihre Zeit auf der Insel verbringen wird. Dieses Paradies, welches auf dem Cover schon sehr gut zu sehen ist, wird allerdings von einer dunklen Wolke überschattet, die die Vergangenheit von Jamie darstellt. Sie möchte mit den schrecklichen Ereignissen, die vor einem Jahr über sie eingebrochen sind, endlich abschließen und ist genau aus diesem Grund erneut zu der Insel gereist, die sie eigentlich meiden wollte. Sie möchte allerdings nicht nur mit ihrer Vergangenheit abschließen, sondern auch den Mann wiedertreffen, der sie vor genau einem Jahr gerettet hat: Gabe.
Mit diesem Charakter befasst sich schließlich der zweite Abschnitt und dieser hat es wirklich in sich. Er beschreibt bis ins kleinste Detail, was sich vor einem Jahr zugetragen hat und hat mir so die Tränen in die Augen getrieben. Es ist unfassbar, was Gabe und Jamie haben miterleben müssen. Hier bekam ich die Emotionen, die ich am Anfang vermisst habe, mit voller Wucht ins Gesicht geschmettert. Sie berührten mich zutiefst und machten mich fassungslos. Ich habe mich oft gefragt, wie in einer solchen Idylle so etwas furchtbares passieren konnte.
Mit Gabe wurde ich gleich warm. Er ist einfach toll. Selbstlos, mit Ecken und Kanten und absolut sympathisch. Ich konnte sehr gut verstehen, warum Jamie ihn unbedingt wieder finden wollte.
Egal ob im ersten, oder im dritten und letzten Abschnitt: Der Schreibstil, den Ellen Sussman an den Tag legt, kann sich absolut sehen lassen. Sie beschreibt die Umgebung, in der sich die Protas befinden so bildlich, dass ich während des Lesens absolute Lust darauf bekommen habe, mal nach Bali zu reisen und das, obwohl ich genau weiß, was sich dort vor ein paar Jahren zugetragen hat. Zudem gewährt die Autorin einen so tiefen Einblick in die damaligen Geschehnisse, dass ich mich oft gefragt habe, ob sie selbst, oder jemanden den sie kennt, diese Hölle hat durchmachen müssen.
Wer sich diesen Roman zur Hand nimmt, sollte sich Zeit nehmen und alles auf sich wirken lassen, denn er ist keinesfalls eine seichte Liebesgeschichte, wie sie in vielen Romanen abläuft, oder wie auch das bezaubernde Cover vermuten lässt, sondern geht in die Tiefe und kratzt sogar an der Substanz des Lesers. Er hat mich sehr nachdenklich gestimmt.
Einziges kleines Manko, was ich persönlich empfunden habe ist, dass mir der erste Abschnitt ein bisschen zu langweilig war, was allerdings von den beiden anderen Abschnitten wieder wett gemacht wurde. Auch der Bezug zu Jamie, den ich am Anfang nicht so recht aufbauen konnte, stellte sich aber im Verlauf der Geschichte bei mir ein.
Mir hat das Buch außerordentlich gut gefallen, wenn ich das bei dieser ernsten Thematik überhaupt sagen kann, und das Ende hat mich in Tränen aufgelöst zurück gelassen.
Fazit:
Positiv
Der Schreibstil ist toll. Zwar fand ich den ersten Teil jetzt nicht super spannend, oder emotional, allerdings macht die flüssige Schreibweise der Autorin das wieder wett.
Natürlich muss ich auch unbedingt noch mal das großartige Cover erwähnen: Ich liebe es!
Die Emotionen von Gale haben mich mit all ihrer Macht erwischt. Ihn mochte ich am liebsten und mit ihm habe ich mich auch sehr gut identifizieren können. Ich habe miterlebt, wie er Jamie gerettet hat, und wie es ihm nach ihrer Abreise ergangen sein muss. Am Liebsten hätte ich ihn ganz feste gedrückt und getröstet, denn es ist wirklich absolut erschreckend, was in der Zeit vor einem Jahr alles passiert ist.
Ellen Sussman gewährt dem Leser einen sehr tiefen Einblick in die Thematik der Terroranschläge. Ich frage mich auch heute noch, ob sie selbst dabei war, oder jemanden kennt, der diese schreckliche Sache miterleben musste.
Die wechselnden Perspektiven haben mir sehr gut gefallen. Der erste Teil gehört Jamie, der zweite Teil Gabe und im Dritten, nun, lasst euch überraschen. :)
Absoluter Pluspunkt: Das Ende hat mich sehr berührt und mich auch ein bisschen weinen lassen.
Negativ
Leider gibt es keine "richtigen Kapitel": Das Buch ist lediglich in drei Teile aufgeteilt, die in Etwa alle gleich lang sind. Mir persönlich gefallen kürzere Kapitel besser.
Der erste Teil, in dem es um Jamie und ihren Aufenthalt auf Bali geht, hat mich etwas gelangweilt. Es war für mich ein bisschen zu emotionslos. Außerdem konnte ich bei diesem Teil auch noch keinen Bezug zur Prota aufbauen.
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January 14, 2022
I am listening to a gamelan orchestra with metal clanging and bell like tones because that part of the setting is real to me. I studied that music in college and it bridged a path to the setting in Bali where the story is set.
Jamie is an adventure guide. She is returning to Bali after a year for a ceremony of the people who died in the bombings of two night clubs. We learn about her broken family and her childhood when she developed a love for hiking. Then, we are abrupty in Bali, the year before, a handsome adventure guide, named Miguel is fiercely in love with her and proposed marriage. He wanted to have children but she says no, she had never had a long term relationship and what she felf for him was lust, no love that meant marriage and children. Miguel runs from her crying and there is bombing of two nightclubs, confusion, screaming people, flames of burning and collapsing buildings.
An ex-pat, Gabe sees her in all the noisy and blinding confusion and he saves her life. There is much more about him, how his four year son died and his inability to share his grief. He quits his journalist job, his falls apart and he goes to Bali, ending up as an elementary school teacher.
This story is richly textured like the gamelon music, notes of beauty, grief, unlikely friendships and the terrible memories of people dying everywhere in the bombings. There are many layers to this story and the setting works perfectly.
Jamie is an adventure guide. She is returning to Bali after a year for a ceremony of the people who died in the bombings of two night clubs. We learn about her broken family and her childhood when she developed a love for hiking. Then, we are abrupty in Bali, the year before, a handsome adventure guide, named Miguel is fiercely in love with her and proposed marriage. He wanted to have children but she says no, she had never had a long term relationship and what she felf for him was lust, no love that meant marriage and children. Miguel runs from her crying and there is bombing of two nightclubs, confusion, screaming people, flames of burning and collapsing buildings.
An ex-pat, Gabe sees her in all the noisy and blinding confusion and he saves her life. There is much more about him, how his four year son died and his inability to share his grief. He quits his journalist job, his falls apart and he goes to Bali, ending up as an elementary school teacher.
This story is richly textured like the gamelon music, notes of beauty, grief, unlikely friendships and the terrible memories of people dying everywhere in the bombings. There are many layers to this story and the setting works perfectly.
June 9, 2024
This story begins a year after the terrorist bombings in Bali on October 12, 2002. Jamie, an adventure guide, has returned to the island for a memorial service for the victims of the bombings and is also looking to reconnect with Gabe, an American who permanently lives on the island and who took care of her after the bombings. Jamie was injured in the bombings and lost her boyfriend Miguel, who had just asked her to marry him. When she turned him down, he went into Paddy's Pub for a drink and the bomb went off. Gabe had been in a bar nearby and went into and out of the clubs rescuing as many people as he could.
The story begins in 2003, at Jamie's return to Bali, and then goes back in time to the night of the bombings in 2002. Jamie, Gabe (who had already suffered the loss of his 4-year-old son Ethan), and the Western tourists and Bali residents are all traumatized by the bombings. The island's tourism industry falls into a shambles immediately, as most Westerners immediately leave the island, and new tourists avoid the paradise. Hospitals were overwhelmed and the facilities didn't have saline solution or morphine for the hundreds of burn victims. It was truly a horrific experience for the islanders.
This is ultimately a story about healing and love. I truly enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the bombings, which I only vaguely remember from 2002.
The story begins in 2003, at Jamie's return to Bali, and then goes back in time to the night of the bombings in 2002. Jamie, Gabe (who had already suffered the loss of his 4-year-old son Ethan), and the Western tourists and Bali residents are all traumatized by the bombings. The island's tourism industry falls into a shambles immediately, as most Westerners immediately leave the island, and new tourists avoid the paradise. Hospitals were overwhelmed and the facilities didn't have saline solution or morphine for the hundreds of burn victims. It was truly a horrific experience for the islanders.
This is ultimately a story about healing and love. I truly enjoyed this book and learned a lot about the bombings, which I only vaguely remember from 2002.
September 21, 2017
I have never been to Bali, and most likely I will not visit; but after reading Ellen Sussman's book, I feel as if I know the island well. I have only witnessed terrorists attacks on television, but this book made the effects of being a part of something so horrific seem very real to me. I have known loss from other events so I could relate to Jaime's reactions to her loss in the bombing and Gabe's grief with the death of his 4 year old son. I have had this book stacked in my book shelves for a few years and after reading several very heavy books for book club assignments, I chose this one simply because it looked like a fast read. It was that and more. I liked the characters, the scenery, and the story. It was a pleasant surprise. I am not sure of its genre. It might be classified as a romance or a travelogue or even historical fiction. It isn't the type of book I usually read, but I liked it.
September 6, 2018
A Story of Healing and Renewal
My first thought on finishing Ellen Sussman’s “The Paradise Guest House” was “This is elegant, economical prose”. Bali’s culture, its cities and its countryside came alive for me, as did its people. A plot built around the horrendous 2002 nightclub bombings and the physical and emotional scars of two people who lived through it, is emotional, poignant and sometimes gut wrenching but never syrupy or maudlin. I’m a nitpicking reader with no patience for verbosity and this is writing that is spare, with no wasted words and no throwaway dialogue. Every word is necessary to tell the story and to bring the reader along to enjoy the trip. Five shining stars!
My first thought on finishing Ellen Sussman’s “The Paradise Guest House” was “This is elegant, economical prose”. Bali’s culture, its cities and its countryside came alive for me, as did its people. A plot built around the horrendous 2002 nightclub bombings and the physical and emotional scars of two people who lived through it, is emotional, poignant and sometimes gut wrenching but never syrupy or maudlin. I’m a nitpicking reader with no patience for verbosity and this is writing that is spare, with no wasted words and no throwaway dialogue. Every word is necessary to tell the story and to bring the reader along to enjoy the trip. Five shining stars!
July 26, 2025
This was supposed to be just a fun activity between me and my friend where we'd annotate the book back and forth, but it made me reflect on how people deal with loss and grief. It also made me learn a lot about the terrorist attack in Bali in 2002.
Some people who rated this book said that the writing felt stiff due to how the characters reacted, but I didn't think so. It felt such a comfort read because I was able to connect with how the characters reacted and felt.
Although, I wasn't a big fan of the romance trope between Gabe and Jamie because of how sudden it was. I loved the chemistry and development between the child Bambang and Jamie though (if only she had adopted him and his dog Tuktuk!!)
Overall, great read!:)
Some people who rated this book said that the writing felt stiff due to how the characters reacted, but I didn't think so. It felt such a comfort read because I was able to connect with how the characters reacted and felt.
Although, I wasn't a big fan of the romance trope between Gabe and Jamie because of how sudden it was. I loved the chemistry and development between the child Bambang and Jamie though (if only she had adopted him and his dog Tuktuk!!)
Overall, great read!:)
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