What do you think?
Rate this book
The Thousand Lights Hotel
The Thousand Lights Hotel is the gorgeous new novel from Emylia Hall, author of Richard & Judy Summer Pick The Book Of Summers. Set in idyllic Italy, it's the perfect holiday read, for fans of Louise Douglas and Hannah Richell.
When Kit loses her mother in tragic circumstances, she feels drawn to finally connect with the father she has never met. That search brings her to the Thousand Lights Hotel, the perfect holiday escape perched upon a cliff on the island of Elba. Within this idyllic setting a devastating truth is brought to light: shaking the foundations upon which the hotel is built, and shattering the lives of the people within it.
A heartbreaking story of loss, betrayal, and redemption, told with all the warmth and beauty of an Italian summer.
When Kit loses her mother in tragic circumstances, she feels drawn to finally connect with the father she has never met. That search brings her to the Thousand Lights Hotel, the perfect holiday escape perched upon a cliff on the island of Elba. Within this idyllic setting a devastating truth is brought to light: shaking the foundations upon which the hotel is built, and shattering the lives of the people within it.
A heartbreaking story of loss, betrayal, and redemption, told with all the warmth and beauty of an Italian summer.
304 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
91 people are currently reading
831 people want to read
About the author
Emylia Hall
22 books250 followersEmylia Hall lives with her husband and son in Bristol, where she writes from a hut in the garden and dreams of the sea. THE SHELL HOUSE DETECTIVES is her first crime novel and is inspired by her love of Cornwall’s wild landscape. Emylia has published four previous novels, including Richard and Judy Book Club pick THE BOOK OF SUMMERS and THE THOUSAND LIGHTS HOTEL. Her work has been translated into ten languages and broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music. She is the founder of Mothership Writers and is a writing coach at The Novelry.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
July 20, 2023
3.75*
"Standing side by side, as formal as chess pieces, uncertain of their next move"
I love a feel good, sweet get away read! And this was exactly that. We follow the main character Kit on a journey to find her long lost father and ultimatly find herself.
Kit who is posing as a journalist looking into the small towns yearly festival finds more than answers in this lovely little book.
This is my first reading of this authors work and i see she she has something new on the horizon coming out soon!....
We are introduced to a number of characters along the way and each is as delightful as the next. The story is relaxing to read. It had its traumas, romance and feel good factor. The scene the author sets of this beautiful island off the coast of tuscany, really has you feeling the sun on your face and the stars in your eyes. Great escapism.
My only gripe was the last few chapters seemed a bit rushed to tie it all up. I would have enjoyed a bit more info on the characters. Just a little. Due to the slowish bit by bit descovery of the story it would have been great to have had a little more added to the ending. It did have a great twist within tho that i did not see coming.
Overall a decent read and exactly what i was looking for to relax with. The cover drew me in and the story transported me to a beautiful Italian island!
"Standing side by side, as formal as chess pieces, uncertain of their next move"
I love a feel good, sweet get away read! And this was exactly that. We follow the main character Kit on a journey to find her long lost father and ultimatly find herself.
Kit who is posing as a journalist looking into the small towns yearly festival finds more than answers in this lovely little book.
This is my first reading of this authors work and i see she she has something new on the horizon coming out soon!....
We are introduced to a number of characters along the way and each is as delightful as the next. The story is relaxing to read. It had its traumas, romance and feel good factor. The scene the author sets of this beautiful island off the coast of tuscany, really has you feeling the sun on your face and the stars in your eyes. Great escapism.
My only gripe was the last few chapters seemed a bit rushed to tie it all up. I would have enjoyed a bit more info on the characters. Just a little. Due to the slowish bit by bit descovery of the story it would have been great to have had a little more added to the ending. It did have a great twist within tho that i did not see coming.
Overall a decent read and exactly what i was looking for to relax with. The cover drew me in and the story transported me to a beautiful Italian island!
May 28, 2018
Selvom det er lidt en feelgood- roman er der alligevel lidt dybde og sorg i den også og den var heller ikke helt så forudsigelig, som den genre ellers ofte kan være. Det er en roman som både handler om svigt, sorg, tilgivelse, håb og kærlighed og den kan bestemt anbefales til læsere som normalt er glade for denne genre.
June 12, 2017
When Kit’s mother dies, she decides to search for the father she has never known.
I cannot begin to say how amazing I found this book. Emylia Hall has the ability to transport me to another place, both physically, in Elba, and emotionally, so that whilst reading The Thousand Lights Hotel I frequently had to pause to allow myself to process the depth of feeling created. I think it is her elegant style in using such a range of sentence structure that has the ability to stop the reader in their tracks, heart breaking and tears streaming, as emotion after emotion washes over them. Who would have thought a semi-colon could reduce a middle aged woman like me to an emotional wreck! The way direct speech is fractured and fragmented makes it naturalistic and affecting and Emylia Hall knows exactly when less is more. She can convey more emotion in one monosyllabic word than many writers can convey in pages.
The Thousand Lights Hotel is a gorgeously crafted book. The plot is urbane, graceful and believable, but also surprising with tantalising hints of mystery. Elba as the main setting is inspired. A place of exile, all the characters seem to be looking for, or hiding, a part of themselves and as these aspects are gradually revealed the reader is completely entranced. The use of the senses transported me completely to every setting so realistically and the smattering of literary and cultural references, including Italian, enhanced the total credibility of every single word.
The characters themselves are outstanding creations. Although physically present for only a few pages, Rosa is at the very heart of the narrative. Of all the ‘thousand lights’ she burns most brightly in a sense. I found I didn’t much like her, but that I understood her completely and desperately needed to know how the lives of those touched by her were affected. This is such clever story telling. I saw Valentino as a kind of King Lear with Kit almost Cordelia and I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say the strength of emotion in Emylia Hall’s The Thousand Lights Hotel equals Shakespeare’s writing.
It’s hard to articulate how much I adored The Thousand Lights Hotel. I thought it was exceptional.
https://lindasbookbag.com/2017/06/12/...
I cannot begin to say how amazing I found this book. Emylia Hall has the ability to transport me to another place, both physically, in Elba, and emotionally, so that whilst reading The Thousand Lights Hotel I frequently had to pause to allow myself to process the depth of feeling created. I think it is her elegant style in using such a range of sentence structure that has the ability to stop the reader in their tracks, heart breaking and tears streaming, as emotion after emotion washes over them. Who would have thought a semi-colon could reduce a middle aged woman like me to an emotional wreck! The way direct speech is fractured and fragmented makes it naturalistic and affecting and Emylia Hall knows exactly when less is more. She can convey more emotion in one monosyllabic word than many writers can convey in pages.
The Thousand Lights Hotel is a gorgeously crafted book. The plot is urbane, graceful and believable, but also surprising with tantalising hints of mystery. Elba as the main setting is inspired. A place of exile, all the characters seem to be looking for, or hiding, a part of themselves and as these aspects are gradually revealed the reader is completely entranced. The use of the senses transported me completely to every setting so realistically and the smattering of literary and cultural references, including Italian, enhanced the total credibility of every single word.
The characters themselves are outstanding creations. Although physically present for only a few pages, Rosa is at the very heart of the narrative. Of all the ‘thousand lights’ she burns most brightly in a sense. I found I didn’t much like her, but that I understood her completely and desperately needed to know how the lives of those touched by her were affected. This is such clever story telling. I saw Valentino as a kind of King Lear with Kit almost Cordelia and I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say the strength of emotion in Emylia Hall’s The Thousand Lights Hotel equals Shakespeare’s writing.
It’s hard to articulate how much I adored The Thousand Lights Hotel. I thought it was exceptional.
https://lindasbookbag.com/2017/06/12/...
July 20, 2017
Novel of loss and family set on ELBA, Italy
This review first appeared on our blog, where the author talks about being inspired by Elba: http://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-...
Every year on July 14 the Legend of Innamorata is celebrated in Capoliveril, lights, drums and festivities line the processional route. The festival is said to date back to the 1500s and tells of the ill-fated love between Lorenzo and Maria…
Wonderful to see publication of this novel to coincide with the annual Innamorate festival that takes place every year on Elba.
Kit has grown up with her mother in England (now living in Bristol), having never known her Italian father. She has learned to bite her tongue about her Italian heritage, and soon it is too late to find out more when her mother passes away, leaving Kit, in her late 20s, with only a name to go on. But it is an unusual name, and without difficulty she tracks her biological farther to a beautiful hotel – The Thousand Lights Hotel – on Elba.
The author is very good at going through the what-ifs of making contact, even HOW to make contact. Would it be a brave thing to do? Or foolish? The uncertainties of descending on her father out of the blue could have colossal consequences for both her and any family he might have. Her mother had one very scant version of events, her father would undoubtedly have another. How do you go on to handle such a situation, do you let sleeping dogs lie or do you stir up the hornet’s nest?
Kit chooses to go to Elba and as an experienced travel writer can appear at her father’s hotel with a convincing cover, giving her ample to time to assess the situation before potentially diving in. She is picked up on her way to the hotel by the handsome Oliviero, who happens to be the chef at the hotel (there is some delicious-sounding food served up at the hotel). Her father, Valentino, and Oliviero seem particularly close and her suspicions about their family ties grow. To find out how she handles the situation and what the consequences are for her, you will need to buy the book….
The story, as it unfolds is one of tentative discovery and how major loss and difficult histories can converge to form new and perhaps unexpected outcomes. It is poignant, it feels real. The gentle exploration of familial ties is all set against the beautifully perched Thousand Lights Hotel, which overlooks the lustrous Mediterranean. Elba is beautifully rendered, you will want to visit after reading this novel.
This review first appeared on our blog, where the author talks about being inspired by Elba: http://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-...
Every year on July 14 the Legend of Innamorata is celebrated in Capoliveril, lights, drums and festivities line the processional route. The festival is said to date back to the 1500s and tells of the ill-fated love between Lorenzo and Maria…
Wonderful to see publication of this novel to coincide with the annual Innamorate festival that takes place every year on Elba.
Kit has grown up with her mother in England (now living in Bristol), having never known her Italian father. She has learned to bite her tongue about her Italian heritage, and soon it is too late to find out more when her mother passes away, leaving Kit, in her late 20s, with only a name to go on. But it is an unusual name, and without difficulty she tracks her biological farther to a beautiful hotel – The Thousand Lights Hotel – on Elba.
The author is very good at going through the what-ifs of making contact, even HOW to make contact. Would it be a brave thing to do? Or foolish? The uncertainties of descending on her father out of the blue could have colossal consequences for both her and any family he might have. Her mother had one very scant version of events, her father would undoubtedly have another. How do you go on to handle such a situation, do you let sleeping dogs lie or do you stir up the hornet’s nest?
Kit chooses to go to Elba and as an experienced travel writer can appear at her father’s hotel with a convincing cover, giving her ample to time to assess the situation before potentially diving in. She is picked up on her way to the hotel by the handsome Oliviero, who happens to be the chef at the hotel (there is some delicious-sounding food served up at the hotel). Her father, Valentino, and Oliviero seem particularly close and her suspicions about their family ties grow. To find out how she handles the situation and what the consequences are for her, you will need to buy the book….
The story, as it unfolds is one of tentative discovery and how major loss and difficult histories can converge to form new and perhaps unexpected outcomes. It is poignant, it feels real. The gentle exploration of familial ties is all set against the beautifully perched Thousand Lights Hotel, which overlooks the lustrous Mediterranean. Elba is beautifully rendered, you will want to visit after reading this novel.
February 8, 2018
This wasn't a bad book for me...I just really didn't enjoy it. There were too many descriptions of...EVERYTHING . I constantly found myself skipping huge paragraphs just so that I could progress through the storyline. I mean, if you don't mind that then you'd love this book but I just got fed up so quickly. The story didn't grip me that much at all either...it kind of reminded me of a soap opera eventually (and I'm not a fan of them )
November 12, 2017
Το βιβλίο είναι βαθιά συναισθηματικό. Όχι μελό, ούτε μελοδραματικό. Είναι συναισθηματικό στην ουσία του, στον πυρήνα του, σε «χτυπάει» εκεί ακριβώς όπου πρέπει ώστε ν’ αγγίξει τις πιο ευαίσθητες χορδές σου. Νιώθεις, κατά κάποιον τρόπο, ν’ ακολουθείς τα βήματα της ηρωίδας και μαζί μ’ αυτά, τους χτύπους της καρδιάς της, την ανάγκη της να κλάψει, να ξεσπάσει, ν’ αγαπήσει, και αυτό είναι πολύ όμορφο.
Η γραφή της Hall είναι πολύ όμορφη, σχεδόν βελούδινη θα έλεγα. Διαβάζεται πολύ εύκολα κι ευχάριστα, αφού η αφηγηματική ροή της τρέχει αβίαστα, έχοντας μεν τις εξάρσεις της, αλλά όχι σε τέτοιο βαθμό που να σε ταράζει και να σε πετάει εκτός feeling της εκάστοτε δεδομένης στιγμής.
Έχει ωραίες αλληγορίες και όμορφους συμβολισμούς, χωρίς, ωστόσο, να καταφεύγει σε μαγικό ρεαλισμό που είναι δύσκολο να τον κατανοήσει κανείς, πόσο μάλλον να τον «χωνέψει» διαβάζοντάς τον μέσα σε μια ιστορία σύγχρονης γραφής. Παρ’ όλα ταύτα, η Hall, έχει καταφέρει να πάρει την γοητεία και τη μαγεία αυτού, και να τα ενσωματώσει ως στοιχεία στα φώτα του ξενοδοχείου της που λειτουργούν ως ψυχές.
Πολύ όμορφη και γλαφυρή –όχι, όμως, κουραστική- η απεικόνιση της Ιταλίας και του πολιτιστικού υπόβαθρου αυτής. Η συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να ζωντανέψει μέρη, τοποθεσίες, ήθη, έθιμα, αισθητική, και όλα αυτά με έναν τρόπο ανεπιτήδευτο και άκρως ρεαλιστικό που δεν γίνεται να μην εκτιμήσεις και που σε ταξιδεύει.
Πολύ ωραία σκιαγράφηση χαρακτήρων. Σωστά δομημένα ψυχογραφήματα, και παρά το γεγονός πως η Rosa, ως άτομο, εμφανίζεται σε πολύ λίγες σελίδες, η παρουσία της είναι διάχυτη σε όλο το βιβλίο. Και μπορεί να μην είναι ο χαρακτήρας που θα συμπαθήσεις, μάλλον το αντίθετο, καταλαβαίνεις απόλυτα γιατί υπήρξε τόσο σημαντική στη ζωή και στην πορεία κάποιων, μα και πόσο καταλυτικό ρόλο έπαιξε για να φτάσουν εκείνοι στο σήμερα.
Σε όλο το βιβλίο υπάρχει διάχυτο ένα μυστήριο που σε γοητεύει και σε καθηλώνει, και που σε κάνει να θέλεις να διαβάσεις παρακάτω για ν’ ανακαλύψεις την αλήθεια. Και το μυστήριο αυτό, η συγγραφέας, το χειρίζεται με ιδανικό τρόπο, παίζοντας με το μυαλό, τη συνείδηση και τις αισθήσεις του αναγνώστη της.
(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)
Η γραφή της Hall είναι πολύ όμορφη, σχεδόν βελούδινη θα έλεγα. Διαβάζεται πολύ εύκολα κι ευχάριστα, αφού η αφηγηματική ροή της τρέχει αβίαστα, έχοντας μεν τις εξάρσεις της, αλλά όχι σε τέτοιο βαθμό που να σε ταράζει και να σε πετάει εκτός feeling της εκάστοτε δεδομένης στιγμής.
Έχει ωραίες αλληγορίες και όμορφους συμβολισμούς, χωρίς, ωστόσο, να καταφεύγει σε μαγικό ρεαλισμό που είναι δύσκολο να τον κατανοήσει κανείς, πόσο μάλλον να τον «χωνέψει» διαβάζοντάς τον μέσα σε μια ιστορία σύγχρονης γραφής. Παρ’ όλα ταύτα, η Hall, έχει καταφέρει να πάρει την γοητεία και τη μαγεία αυτού, και να τα ενσωματώσει ως στοιχεία στα φώτα του ξενοδοχείου της που λειτουργούν ως ψυχές.
Πολύ όμορφη και γλαφυρή –όχι, όμως, κουραστική- η απεικόνιση της Ιταλίας και του πολιτιστικού υπόβαθρου αυτής. Η συγγραφέας καταφέρνει να ζωντανέψει μέρη, τοποθεσίες, ήθη, έθιμα, αισθητική, και όλα αυτά με έναν τρόπο ανεπιτήδευτο και άκρως ρεαλιστικό που δεν γίνεται να μην εκτιμήσεις και που σε ταξιδεύει.
Πολύ ωραία σκιαγράφηση χαρακτήρων. Σωστά δομημένα ψυχογραφήματα, και παρά το γεγονός πως η Rosa, ως άτομο, εμφανίζεται σε πολύ λίγες σελίδες, η παρουσία της είναι διάχυτη σε όλο το βιβλίο. Και μπορεί να μην είναι ο χαρακτήρας που θα συμπαθήσεις, μάλλον το αντίθετο, καταλαβαίνεις απόλυτα γιατί υπήρξε τόσο σημαντική στη ζωή και στην πορεία κάποιων, μα και πόσο καταλυτικό ρόλο έπαιξε για να φτάσουν εκείνοι στο σήμερα.
Σε όλο το βιβλίο υπάρχει διάχυτο ένα μυστήριο που σε γοητεύει και σε καθηλώνει, και που σε κάνει να θέλεις να διαβάσεις παρακάτω για ν’ ανακαλύψεις την αλήθεια. Και το μυστήριο αυτό, η συγγραφέας, το χειρίζεται με ιδανικό τρόπο, παίζοντας με το μυαλό, τη συνείδηση και τις αισθήσεις του αναγνώστη της.
(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)
February 28, 2020
Det er en rigtig god og spændende historie om den unge kvinde Kit, der er vokset op med sin mor som eneste forælder. Kits mor Rosa er karismatisk, smuk og helt sin egen. Moren har stærke meninger, og Kit er bange for at såre/skuffe hende, så Kit har en del hemmeligheder for hende, især om mænd. Rosa hader mænd og har hele livet advaret Kit imod dem. Jeg misunder virkelig ikke Kit hendes opvækst. Jeg synes, at moren er meget fordomsfuld og ret egoistisk. Jeg føler, at Kit vokser op i skyggen af sin mor. Kit er en meget mere følsom og empatisk person end den frembrusende Rosa. Jeg er vild med Kit!
Kit får endelig navnet på sin far, som moren har løjet død hele Kits barndom. Efter noget research tager Kit til den pittoreske ø Elba, hvor hun bor på det paradiske Hotel Tusind Lys under dække af at være på arbejde. Kit er rejse-journalist og skriver artikler om diverse ting rundt om i verden. På øen Elba foregår der en romantisk festival, der hylder kærligheden. Jeg elsker sagnet, der har inspireret til festivalen. Jeg får virkelig lyst til at tage ud at rejse, når jeg læser de detaljerede beskrivelser af det skønne hotel og de smukke omgivelser.
Jeg vil ikke røbe for meget, men jeg troede, at det var en af de lidt klichéagtige bøger, som man kan regne ud på forhånd, men der tog jeg fejl. Der kommer et seriøst twist i historien mod slutningen, som fik mig til at måbe. Samtidigt blev jeg endnu større fan af Kit - hun virkede måske lidt "svag" i starten, men hun viser sig at være meget stærk, da alle hemmelighederne bliver afsløret.
Det er den perfekte bog at putte i kufferten til ferien. Romantik, drama og spænding under solen.
Kit får endelig navnet på sin far, som moren har løjet død hele Kits barndom. Efter noget research tager Kit til den pittoreske ø Elba, hvor hun bor på det paradiske Hotel Tusind Lys under dække af at være på arbejde. Kit er rejse-journalist og skriver artikler om diverse ting rundt om i verden. På øen Elba foregår der en romantisk festival, der hylder kærligheden. Jeg elsker sagnet, der har inspireret til festivalen. Jeg får virkelig lyst til at tage ud at rejse, når jeg læser de detaljerede beskrivelser af det skønne hotel og de smukke omgivelser.
Jeg vil ikke røbe for meget, men jeg troede, at det var en af de lidt klichéagtige bøger, som man kan regne ud på forhånd, men der tog jeg fejl. Der kommer et seriøst twist i historien mod slutningen, som fik mig til at måbe. Samtidigt blev jeg endnu større fan af Kit - hun virkede måske lidt "svag" i starten, men hun viser sig at være meget stærk, da alle hemmelighederne bliver afsløret.
Det er den perfekte bog at putte i kufferten til ferien. Romantik, drama og spænding under solen.
May 12, 2019
Fungerar endast för den som läser med Elbablå blick i samband med en vistelse på ön. Otaliga gånger tappade jag tråden p.g.a. alla kursiva tryffeloljedrypande, timjandoftande, burratadallrande beskrivningar från la cucina eller naturen.
Utspelar sig till stora delar på ett slags sagohotell, men där karaktärerna i sann romanceanda bär på tragiska hemligheter. Det finns ingen hejd på alla olyckor som drabbat dem. Och denna skinnjackebeklädda italiano mc-hunk som dyker upp precis när hjältinnan är i nöd. Orkar inte.
En sak som roade mig en smula var coversångaren "Neil Younger".
Utspelar sig till stora delar på ett slags sagohotell, men där karaktärerna i sann romanceanda bär på tragiska hemligheter. Det finns ingen hejd på alla olyckor som drabbat dem. Och denna skinnjackebeklädda italiano mc-hunk som dyker upp precis när hjältinnan är i nöd. Orkar inte.
En sak som roade mig en smula var coversångaren "Neil Younger".
July 21, 2017
I absolutely adored this beautiful 'summer read'. The Thousands Lights Hotel is a magical and breath-taking read about loss, identity, family and love. I found myself completely immersed in this fabulous Italian world and I never wanted to leave.
The novel revolves around a young woman, Kit Costa, who has recently lost her mother to cancer. Her mother's death makes Kit question her life, where she is and where she is headed, and as a result she decides to made contact with the father she has never met. What ensues is a story of love, friendship, longing and a journey of self discovery.
Kit's story is a most readable one. I found myself immersed in this strange world with her, learning about the local customs and its people. Although a travel writer, she has never been to Elba, and she soon finds herself feeling at home. This rubbed off on me, I also felt like I knew Elba, I could taste the wonderful Italian dishes and visualise the twinkling lights of the hotel. I too was lulled into the romance of the area and the story of Romeo and Juliet that the island thrived upon.
The Thousand Lights Hotel is a story of grief, but also one of hope. The author writes so beautifully and candidly about the grieving process. The emotions captured upon the page consumed me and invaded my thoughts. I felt so desperately sad for this young woman, in the fact that she now felt so alone in the world, the bond between her and her mother, Rosa was such a special one. This brings me onto Rosa. Although we only learn about her in the past tense, she has such a powerful voice within this novel. We learn about her through Kit and through Valentino, Kit's father. We learn about the decisions she made in life and of her relationship with her daughter.
This book is also about the role that fathers play. Valentino and Kit have never met, that is until she turns up at the hotel. I couldn't wait to read their encounters and how they would react to each other. Initially I thought that I wold despise Valenino, but I grew to love this man. A man I feel who was misunderstood, fiercely protective and incredibly lonely.
The writing is poetic, and simply beautiful, The author certainly knows that less is more, with each word carefully considered to evoke an entire set of emotions. The passages describing the Elba nightlife and the hotel are incredibly descriptive, and the dialogue between characters is incredibly direct upon the page. I adored this book, from the beautifully stunning cover with the sparking lights and sea views, right through to the final chapter.
This Thousand Lights Hotel is pure delight from beginning to end. Be transported to Elba, have faith in love and believe in yourself. It's such a magical read.
With thanks to Headline Review for a paperback copy of the book for review purposes.
The novel revolves around a young woman, Kit Costa, who has recently lost her mother to cancer. Her mother's death makes Kit question her life, where she is and where she is headed, and as a result she decides to made contact with the father she has never met. What ensues is a story of love, friendship, longing and a journey of self discovery.
Kit's story is a most readable one. I found myself immersed in this strange world with her, learning about the local customs and its people. Although a travel writer, she has never been to Elba, and she soon finds herself feeling at home. This rubbed off on me, I also felt like I knew Elba, I could taste the wonderful Italian dishes and visualise the twinkling lights of the hotel. I too was lulled into the romance of the area and the story of Romeo and Juliet that the island thrived upon.
The Thousand Lights Hotel is a story of grief, but also one of hope. The author writes so beautifully and candidly about the grieving process. The emotions captured upon the page consumed me and invaded my thoughts. I felt so desperately sad for this young woman, in the fact that she now felt so alone in the world, the bond between her and her mother, Rosa was such a special one. This brings me onto Rosa. Although we only learn about her in the past tense, she has such a powerful voice within this novel. We learn about her through Kit and through Valentino, Kit's father. We learn about the decisions she made in life and of her relationship with her daughter.
This book is also about the role that fathers play. Valentino and Kit have never met, that is until she turns up at the hotel. I couldn't wait to read their encounters and how they would react to each other. Initially I thought that I wold despise Valenino, but I grew to love this man. A man I feel who was misunderstood, fiercely protective and incredibly lonely.
The writing is poetic, and simply beautiful, The author certainly knows that less is more, with each word carefully considered to evoke an entire set of emotions. The passages describing the Elba nightlife and the hotel are incredibly descriptive, and the dialogue between characters is incredibly direct upon the page. I adored this book, from the beautifully stunning cover with the sparking lights and sea views, right through to the final chapter.
This Thousand Lights Hotel is pure delight from beginning to end. Be transported to Elba, have faith in love and believe in yourself. It's such a magical read.
With thanks to Headline Review for a paperback copy of the book for review purposes.
July 27, 2017
Visit the locations in the novelTravel to Elba with the Literary Travel Agency
A stunning summer read that has everything you want from a gripping beach read – it’s partly set on a beach, so you have to! Oh it’s a love story and the discovery of a lie, a new life, a new past- so many secrets on such a tiny island! Elba might be known for Napoleon but it has a lot more history and dark secrets than you could ever imagine! Emylia Hall evokes an island of magic and dark shadows…
Emylia Hall evokes settings with style and this is no different. I was right there on Elba, on a location so associated with history and intrigue, imprisonment and exile so where better for a story like this to unfold? I don’t know if this was the author’s intention but it more than adds to the intrigue and flavour to the book. It’s what we expect to see coupled with the secrets we definately don’t.
The character of Kit is well drawn and I loved arriving on the island with her and meeting Valentinos and his son Oliviero from the hotel. Getting to know them at the same time as Kit was a nice idea and the story just evolves, the twists and surprises rocking the small island community.
The island of Elba is not somewhere I’ve read many books about – unless Napoleon has been in them – so this was a lovely way to explore the island via its geography, history, culture and more. There was so much to captivate me here and that location is really outstanding for the role in plays in the story and not just the background.
And please can someone build the Thousand Lights Hotel? I would be there in a heartbeat. Even the cover of the book looks gorgeous so if the real place is anything like it, I may never leave. Emylia Hall, you have pulled me in to your world once again and created a captivating read.
September 24, 2017
An evocative story with beautiful descriptions and flawed, interesting characters. Refreshing. Loved it!
May 11, 2024
The tangled webs we weave …
Kit has been led to believe her father is dead and yet finding the courage to ask her mum Rosa one more time about him as her mum lies terminally ill, she finds out he didn’t. Leaving the hospital with the letters, she is able to trace him and using her job as a travel writer as a screen, travels to Elba to see if she can piece things together.
Valentino has been on Elba for nearly 30 years, in the beginning renovating a building that becomes the popular Hotel Mille Luci. His reason for being is looking after his guests. Knowing before they do what they want and then doing his utmost in providing it. His son, 30 yo Oliviero creates amazing dishes in the kitchen using local produce. He’s popular with guests but always keeps his distance.
There is so much to enjoy about this story. The setting is magnificent. The food, customs and guests of Hotel Mille Luci all combine to make you feel as if you’re pace of life has slowed down, having escaped from the daily routine. Fabulous characters and the intrigue and mystery … trying to figure out what Valentino and Oliviero are hiding and not acknowledging but powerful enough to have shaped their lives. And then there’s Kit with the legacy from her mum who didn’t believe in love and reinforced the message that they didn’t need a man in their lives. A lonely character who is trying to find roots and who needs to belong, to know the truth. Who needs that connection to ‘other.’
There are a couple of twists in the story too! The first one I didn’t see coming and to be honest, I only realised the truth of the second because of Oliviero’s dilemma. It wouldn’t have crossed my mind otherwise!
Emylia Hall’s writing is powerful – not the words themselves but how she uses those words. They give a reader everything they need to build that image, to become that person, to experience whatever it is alongside the characters. Effortlessly it seems I become involved with the story from the beginning until I am the story. That’s powerful. That’s what I call magic 🙂
Kit has been led to believe her father is dead and yet finding the courage to ask her mum Rosa one more time about him as her mum lies terminally ill, she finds out he didn’t. Leaving the hospital with the letters, she is able to trace him and using her job as a travel writer as a screen, travels to Elba to see if she can piece things together.
Valentino has been on Elba for nearly 30 years, in the beginning renovating a building that becomes the popular Hotel Mille Luci. His reason for being is looking after his guests. Knowing before they do what they want and then doing his utmost in providing it. His son, 30 yo Oliviero creates amazing dishes in the kitchen using local produce. He’s popular with guests but always keeps his distance.
There is so much to enjoy about this story. The setting is magnificent. The food, customs and guests of Hotel Mille Luci all combine to make you feel as if you’re pace of life has slowed down, having escaped from the daily routine. Fabulous characters and the intrigue and mystery … trying to figure out what Valentino and Oliviero are hiding and not acknowledging but powerful enough to have shaped their lives. And then there’s Kit with the legacy from her mum who didn’t believe in love and reinforced the message that they didn’t need a man in their lives. A lonely character who is trying to find roots and who needs to belong, to know the truth. Who needs that connection to ‘other.’
There are a couple of twists in the story too! The first one I didn’t see coming and to be honest, I only realised the truth of the second because of Oliviero’s dilemma. It wouldn’t have crossed my mind otherwise!
Emylia Hall’s writing is powerful – not the words themselves but how she uses those words. They give a reader everything they need to build that image, to become that person, to experience whatever it is alongside the characters. Effortlessly it seems I become involved with the story from the beginning until I am the story. That’s powerful. That’s what I call magic 🙂
July 13, 2017
I must admit that the first thing that attracted me to this book was the stunning cover. Up close you can see the lights that are part of the title, the lights that hotel owner, Valentino Colosimo, has strung up around his hotel on the Italian island of Elba and which he lights night after night. And who wouldn't want to dive into that beautiful blue, twinkling sea?
The next thing that drew me in was the setting. I'm a sucker for anything Italian and islands, so it was perfect for me. And the final thing, but probably the most important, was the story. We have a young woman, Kit Costa, who has lost her mother and is searching for her father.
When Emylia Hall's first book, The Book of Summers, was published I was eager to read it but found it very hard to get into and I think it was because I didn't then have the patience to read her very descriptive style of writing. Now, I can appreciate the sheer beauty of her prose and how measured and thoughtful her words are.
Here's just one short passage that had me marvelling at the depth of her descriptions.
"The day was brazenly beautiful. The breeze in the palm trees sounded like the rustling of dresses. The bougainvillea beamed."
Isn't that just so evocative? The book isn't just about the gorgeous imagery but about this sad story of a young woman whose mother, her one constant, has died. Kit is grieving and for the first time she wants to find out about the father she never knew. So she goes to Elba and meets hotel owner, Valentino and Oliviero, the hotel's chef (who provides us with some wonderful food to drool over). Both of these men are wonderful characters. And we also meet, in a smaller way, some of the hotel guests, all different and all so interesting.
The Thousand Lights Hotel is such a beautiful, glorious read. It's emotional, moving and written with such feeling. It was a true pleasure to read and it ignited all my senses.
I want to go and stay in the Thousand Lights Hotel!
The next thing that drew me in was the setting. I'm a sucker for anything Italian and islands, so it was perfect for me. And the final thing, but probably the most important, was the story. We have a young woman, Kit Costa, who has lost her mother and is searching for her father.
When Emylia Hall's first book, The Book of Summers, was published I was eager to read it but found it very hard to get into and I think it was because I didn't then have the patience to read her very descriptive style of writing. Now, I can appreciate the sheer beauty of her prose and how measured and thoughtful her words are.
Here's just one short passage that had me marvelling at the depth of her descriptions.
"The day was brazenly beautiful. The breeze in the palm trees sounded like the rustling of dresses. The bougainvillea beamed."
Isn't that just so evocative? The book isn't just about the gorgeous imagery but about this sad story of a young woman whose mother, her one constant, has died. Kit is grieving and for the first time she wants to find out about the father she never knew. So she goes to Elba and meets hotel owner, Valentino and Oliviero, the hotel's chef (who provides us with some wonderful food to drool over). Both of these men are wonderful characters. And we also meet, in a smaller way, some of the hotel guests, all different and all so interesting.
The Thousand Lights Hotel is such a beautiful, glorious read. It's emotional, moving and written with such feeling. It was a true pleasure to read and it ignited all my senses.
I want to go and stay in the Thousand Lights Hotel!
July 19, 2017
received as a good reads giveaway...
3* isn't a bad review. To me a solid 3* says I enjoyed thoroughly but there was nothing I felt needed to be shouted from the rooftops.
For me this read really familiar. This is both a comfort and disappointment. It means it felt homely and easy to read but it also read as though I have read it before or something similar anyway.
This was a very easy read with a gentle but inviting storyline. I found it slow to start but was absorbed entirely 50 pages in. If you want a feelgood book this summer then this is the book for you.
3* isn't a bad review. To me a solid 3* says I enjoyed thoroughly but there was nothing I felt needed to be shouted from the rooftops.
For me this read really familiar. This is both a comfort and disappointment. It means it felt homely and easy to read but it also read as though I have read it before or something similar anyway.
This was a very easy read with a gentle but inviting storyline. I found it slow to start but was absorbed entirely 50 pages in. If you want a feelgood book this summer then this is the book for you.
October 15, 2017
The magic of a place like Isola d'Elba and the characters given to Kit, Valentino and Olivieri, created a story that makes you enjoy, relax and dream.
Kit left England temporarily with heavy bagage and planned to unload it in Italy. Her reason to go was to be found hotel Mille Luci.
Kit had planned things as much as she could and made up her mind about the main people in her life. Going to Mille Luci however, opened a world more than she could have thought or maybe hoped for. A world she probably wasn't even ready for, when she left England.
But to get on with her life, it is a trip she has to make.
Kit left England temporarily with heavy bagage and planned to unload it in Italy. Her reason to go was to be found hotel Mille Luci.
Kit had planned things as much as she could and made up her mind about the main people in her life. Going to Mille Luci however, opened a world more than she could have thought or maybe hoped for. A world she probably wasn't even ready for, when she left England.
But to get on with her life, it is a trip she has to make.
July 22, 2025
Den fangede mig hurtigt og kunne rigtig godt li den, dog var der lidt for mange vilde plot twists. Super sommerferie bog der foregår i Italien. Tror jeg læste den på en uge ca.
Synes sproget i den er virkelig smukt og beskrivende.
Synes sproget i den er virkelig smukt og beskrivende.
January 6, 2019
A delightful read. You may think it’s a bit predictable, but there are still surprises stored in this tale.
All the food mentioned in the story made me really hungry. 😄
All the food mentioned in the story made me really hungry. 😄
October 18, 2023
4.5 ⭐
A beautiful read, totally transported both physically and emotionally with this book.
Beautifully written.
A Truly magical read with a truly wonderful cover. Loved it 💕
A beautiful read, totally transported both physically and emotionally with this book.
Beautifully written.
A Truly magical read with a truly wonderful cover. Loved it 💕
July 4, 2019
En fin, spennende og til tider overraskende bok. Lttlest og god sommerlektyre 😊
February 18, 2022
I really enjoyed this story, and I liked how the author adds some Italian words or Italian expressions here and there! Would recommend if you like a plot twist and a little trip to a beautiful island.
January 3, 2018
For me this was a slow read. The story line is predictable, although the author tries to insert unexpected developments. I found most of these unconvincing. Several of the actions of the main characters where quite unrealistic in my opinion. If you love Toscany and Italian food, you'll enjoy the descriptions of the environment and the dishes.
May 24, 2017
I received an electronic copy of this book for free from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This was a delightful but quick read. I really enjoyed the foreign setting. It was a captivating book that held my attention from beginning to end. I am eager to read the author's previous books.
May 3, 2023
Started off really well. Got silly with the "twist" of Bianca and Rosa. Poor.
July 11, 2017
The Thousand Lights Hotel was my first holiday read (at Butlins, nowhere near as exotic as Italy!) and this was certainly the perfect holiday escapism. However escapism is not to be confused with a light-hearted easy read as it opens with Kit losing her mother to a long battle with cancer and discovering that her father isn’t actually dead as she’d been led to believe for the past 30 years.
Understandably Kit is devastated by the loss of her mother however her world has also been turned upside down, finding out about the existence of her father and his name – this is a secret that Rosa has kept for 30 years so Kit has very little to go on. Fortunately, her father has an unusual name so tracks him to the Mille Luci – the Thousand Lights Hotel on the island of Elba off the Italian coast. Kit, consumed by her grief and in need of answers, heads off to the island under the guise of investigating a local legend in her role as a travel writer.
What ensues is Kit getting to know her father without him knowing who she is. The book starts off gently in pace, articulating how Kit is trying to gather her thoughts and emotions as well as how she is going to tackle the subject with her Father, Valentino. Then there is also Oliviero whose head she has turned but refers to Valentino as Papa – Kit is obviously reluctant to get to know Oliviero as she doesn’t want to give off signals when she cannot explain the truth!
As well as Kit, we also learn a lot about Valentino, he is a man with a past that haunts him and when he finds out who Kit is, it all comes flooding back. I adored Valentino, he is a true gent who’s aim in life is to provide the perfect holiday for his guests that lasts with them long after leaving the Mille Luci. His relationship with Oliviero is heart-warming and amusing!
The Thousand Lights Hotel is a wonderful read, Hall’s writing is exquisite; each sentence is carefully thought out and adds to the story, it takes the reader to Elba as the descriptions of the island are stunning – Elba and the Mille Luci sound like fabulous holiday destinations! The flow of the writing is seamless and the differing perspectives bringing together the story are brilliant. The emotions in this book are in bucket loads and Hall’s writing really brings to life the highs and lows that the characters are experiencing – sometimes through not writing too much narrative, letting the reader truly feel what the characters are feeling.
I highly recommend The Thousand Lights Hotel – it is the perfect holiday read, just don’t be too disappointed that you are not experiencing the Elba summer for yourself!
Understandably Kit is devastated by the loss of her mother however her world has also been turned upside down, finding out about the existence of her father and his name – this is a secret that Rosa has kept for 30 years so Kit has very little to go on. Fortunately, her father has an unusual name so tracks him to the Mille Luci – the Thousand Lights Hotel on the island of Elba off the Italian coast. Kit, consumed by her grief and in need of answers, heads off to the island under the guise of investigating a local legend in her role as a travel writer.
What ensues is Kit getting to know her father without him knowing who she is. The book starts off gently in pace, articulating how Kit is trying to gather her thoughts and emotions as well as how she is going to tackle the subject with her Father, Valentino. Then there is also Oliviero whose head she has turned but refers to Valentino as Papa – Kit is obviously reluctant to get to know Oliviero as she doesn’t want to give off signals when she cannot explain the truth!
As well as Kit, we also learn a lot about Valentino, he is a man with a past that haunts him and when he finds out who Kit is, it all comes flooding back. I adored Valentino, he is a true gent who’s aim in life is to provide the perfect holiday for his guests that lasts with them long after leaving the Mille Luci. His relationship with Oliviero is heart-warming and amusing!
The Thousand Lights Hotel is a wonderful read, Hall’s writing is exquisite; each sentence is carefully thought out and adds to the story, it takes the reader to Elba as the descriptions of the island are stunning – Elba and the Mille Luci sound like fabulous holiday destinations! The flow of the writing is seamless and the differing perspectives bringing together the story are brilliant. The emotions in this book are in bucket loads and Hall’s writing really brings to life the highs and lows that the characters are experiencing – sometimes through not writing too much narrative, letting the reader truly feel what the characters are feeling.
I highly recommend The Thousand Lights Hotel – it is the perfect holiday read, just don’t be too disappointed that you are not experiencing the Elba summer for yourself!
September 29, 2022
Kit finds out that she has an Italian father who she has never met, her mother saying that he had passed away. As she got older she started asking more questions about what happened but her mother was very tight lipped about the whole situation. Kit’s mom becomes ill and Kit tries one more time to find out more before her mom passes away. Before the inevitable Kit is given some information about her father – his name. Kit is now in her late 20’s and decides to try and find him. Her search takes her to the island of Elba and finds he runs a hotel called The Thousand Lights Hotel. As she is a travel writer she feels she can move around the hotel researching her dad without his knowing who she is. She really needs to find out how her mom and dad met and the reasons why she was brought up in England with a single parent and not in a family unit. Once at the hotel she is mesmerised by the island and the hotel in equal measures. Oliviero, the chef, at the hotel becomes interested in Kit and she suspects after a few days that Oliviero and her father, Valentino, are related and although she begins to have feelings for Oliviero he could be her half brother. She does not confront anyone about this and confusion ensues. This story is full of life and confusion. It turns out that Valentino and Oliviero are not related but this takes time is come to light. Valentino was married to Rosa but Kit was told that she passed away many years ago and he had never remarried. I loved the characters of this book. Valentino was aloof, worked hard and I felt there was a secret somewhere which eventually came out further along in the story. Not that I would have guessed what it was – great story line. Eventually the story of the characters come together in a lovely way. Happy to have read this book on holiday sitting in the sunshine pretending I could have been in Elba. Lovely book
November 23, 2019
1. This is the kind of book I would never read because I can see it turning into a chick-flick. I kept reading it though because I usually try to commit to a book till the end. Bookworms would understand this. I picked it up from the library without properly reading the title (I thought it said 'A Thousand lights' not 'a thousand lights hotel'). I kinda groaned at myself for picking up the book because of its cover art. Atleast should've read the title properly lol.
2. The book made me feel hungry with its beautiful descriptions of italian cuisine.
3. It also made me google and ogle at the pictures of Elba.
4. It was a predictable book. Up until the last twist. And even the tragedy in the last twist was not as tragic as I thought it would be. If someone important had died (don't wanna do spoilers but if one of the two important characters had died) it would have made it a very tragic ending and it would have been a book to remember for beautiful descriptions and haunting realities of grief and real life.
But
It is a holiday kind of a book. It is a book Europeans would read when they can't go on a holiday but want to escape to an Island in Italy. It is meant to be an easy, lovely read rather than a depressing one. So it will definitely be a chick flick one day.
It was very annoying because of the typical handsome, white italian chef cliche. It was annoying because of one token person of colour who hardly had a character.
So yes - I never read books like this because it is hard to relate as it is written and targeting a specific kind of a group and I feel detached; not submersed in the book.
If the book is put into the perspective of the market it was targeting and if the biases and cliches were put aside, it is actually a nice book with complicated emotions and beautiful descriptive writing.
2. The book made me feel hungry with its beautiful descriptions of italian cuisine.
3. It also made me google and ogle at the pictures of Elba.
4. It was a predictable book. Up until the last twist. And even the tragedy in the last twist was not as tragic as I thought it would be. If someone important had died (don't wanna do spoilers but if one of the two important characters had died) it would have made it a very tragic ending and it would have been a book to remember for beautiful descriptions and haunting realities of grief and real life.
But
It is a holiday kind of a book. It is a book Europeans would read when they can't go on a holiday but want to escape to an Island in Italy. It is meant to be an easy, lovely read rather than a depressing one. So it will definitely be a chick flick one day.
It was very annoying because of the typical handsome, white italian chef cliche. It was annoying because of one token person of colour who hardly had a character.
So yes - I never read books like this because it is hard to relate as it is written and targeting a specific kind of a group and I feel detached; not submersed in the book.
If the book is put into the perspective of the market it was targeting and if the biases and cliches were put aside, it is actually a nice book with complicated emotions and beautiful descriptive writing.
July 31, 2017
Kit and her mother have been everything to each other - Kit's mother, Rosa, left her native Italy before Kit was born and has never wanted to return - she told her that she was the result of an affair and her father was dead - and that she hated him. When Rosa is dying from cancer however Kit decides to have one last try and her mother tells her his name and admits that he is not dead.
Devoted to her mother she is convinced that her father must be a bad man but determines to find him and this leads her to the Thousand Lights hotel on the island of Elba and not telling him who she is she gradually gets to know him - but how can she reconcile this man with the one her mother spoke of has there been some sort of mistake! As the secrets unfold both Kit and her father realise that there is a lot more to the story than they first thought
A lovely story with twists to keep you guessing and great descriptions of the island of Elba - perfect summer beach read that I couldn't put down
Devoted to her mother she is convinced that her father must be a bad man but determines to find him and this leads her to the Thousand Lights hotel on the island of Elba and not telling him who she is she gradually gets to know him - but how can she reconcile this man with the one her mother spoke of has there been some sort of mistake! As the secrets unfold both Kit and her father realise that there is a lot more to the story than they first thought
A lovely story with twists to keep you guessing and great descriptions of the island of Elba - perfect summer beach read that I couldn't put down
August 12, 2017
‘The Thousand Lights Hotel’ by Emylia Hall is a truly lovely book about relationships. The story follows Kit, a girl who thought her father was dead, only to learn from her dying mother that he is still very much alive and living in Tuscany. Lost in her grief, Kit decides to set off to the Island of Elba off the coast of Tuscany, to a hotel that is lit with thousands of lights, in order to find the truth.
I can guarantee if you read this novel you'll be swept away to this beautiful Italian island and want to sit on the terrace and be looked after by the owner Valentino and fed delicious meals by the chef Oliviero. Ah, Bellissima!
Emylia is a wonderful storyteller. Her prose is enchanting and beautifully written. It is a perfect summer read
If you have never read anything my Emylia Hall, I suggest you read this one and if you love Cornwall ‘The Sea Between Us’ is also a magical read.
I can guarantee if you read this novel you'll be swept away to this beautiful Italian island and want to sit on the terrace and be looked after by the owner Valentino and fed delicious meals by the chef Oliviero. Ah, Bellissima!
Emylia is a wonderful storyteller. Her prose is enchanting and beautifully written. It is a perfect summer read
If you have never read anything my Emylia Hall, I suggest you read this one and if you love Cornwall ‘The Sea Between Us’ is also a magical read.
May 24, 2017
From the moment I read Emylia Hall's debut The Book of Summers I've been enchanted by her melodic way of storytelling, her words and stories entrancing me from the very first page. One of her biggest strengths has always been her incredible sense of place, and in The Thousand Lights Hotel the zesty yet sweet scent of the Italian lemons practically leapt of the pages throughout the novel as I journeyed alongside main character's Kit on her discovery of family and self. With some truly unexpected turns of events and a really interesting mix of core and side characters, this is yet another gorgeous read that will transport the reader to a place that feels exciting and wondrous through the pure magic of Emylia's words.
January 30, 2018
Kit has been brought up by a single mother, but following her mother's deathbed revelation, Kit takes off to an island near Tuscany to search for the father she has never known. In an idyllic hotel setting, with delightful and well drawn characters, gradually mystery, drama and romance develop, and though there is no neat ending tying everything up, we go on a highly satisfying journey with our heroine. Great literature it isn't, but it isn't cheap trash either - in fact a perfect holiday read, or even a good read when we are not on holiday but wish we were.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews