The Florida Motel

by Jay Gilbert

Helgi feels trapped. And like any good prisoner, he thinks about escape. Every day. While dutifully working for his parents in the Florida Motel, he desperately craves a normal life. But there is nothing normal about the motel biz. It's more akin to a state of insanity!Attending college at the local university is his path to normalcy, where scantily clad coeds, a raucous Halloween Ball and the hidden "Stacks" of the old stone library provide much-needed distractions, if not peace of mind, from crazy events and characters at the motel.When he meets a girl--the girl--on campus, Helgi bumbles his way through his first real love. Threatened by a frat boy with GQ looks and money, he seeks sage advice from a surprising source.From prostitutes to creepy professors, Helgi faces threats to him, his family, and his relationship with the love of his life. Will he get the girl and find normalcy or remain a prisoner of the Florida Motel?

228 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2020

Reviews

[Sandy Stephenson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was sooo excited when I heard about a book set on campus in the 70's when I was at the University of Florida but oh what a disappointment. It is a silly little middle school love story set in Gainesville about two "townies". No one called them that! local students ae called ACRs for Alachua County Residents. Error after error if you lived here made me so angry. The Homecoming parade has NEVER been the same day of the football game and I have been here since 1970. The book is full of stereotypes because the author was probably too lazy to try to developing any character. He describes the sorority girls as smart as a box of rocks and frat boys as rich brats. Married students are described as dressing drab, sad, and with pregnant wives. Really? I was a in a sorority and many of my sisters were very successful in their careers. I was also a married student getting my Master's and my husband his JD and we weren't unhappy and frumpy! The best character in the book was Hester, an African American maid and he even stereotyped her. Don't waste your time with this book!

[Mary Anne Westphal · Rating 5 out of 5]

IF Gators

What a heartwarming story. Fun to read because I am very familiar with Gainesville. It was very factual about activities at UF in the 70s. Good humanitarian lessons .