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Hotel of the Saints
The bestselling author of Stones from the River and The Vision of Emma Blau renews her reputation as an extraordinary writer of short stories in this major collection that balances her reader on the magical border of laughter and sorrow.
In Hotel of the Saints, Hegi enters the perspectives of lovers and loners, eccentrics and artists, children and parents; a musician tries to protect her daughter from loving a blind man; a seminary student yearns for the certainty of faith that belonged to him as a boy; a woman transcends her embarrassment for her first love, who has tripled in size.
Ursula Hegi's bicultural background enriches these eleven luminous stories that are set in Europe, Mexico, and the United States. Her characters take risks in searching out the unique places where faith thrives for each of them -- a rundown hotel, the currents of Cabo San Lucas, the embrace of an ex-convict. And once again, she surrounds them with her elegant language and exquisite images.
Hotel of the saints --
The end of all sadness --
A woman's perfume --
Stolen chocolates --
Doves --
Freitod --
Moonwalkers --
A town like ours --
The juggler --
For their own survival --
Lower crossing
In Hotel of the Saints, Hegi enters the perspectives of lovers and loners, eccentrics and artists, children and parents; a musician tries to protect her daughter from loving a blind man; a seminary student yearns for the certainty of faith that belonged to him as a boy; a woman transcends her embarrassment for her first love, who has tripled in size.
Ursula Hegi's bicultural background enriches these eleven luminous stories that are set in Europe, Mexico, and the United States. Her characters take risks in searching out the unique places where faith thrives for each of them -- a rundown hotel, the currents of Cabo San Lucas, the embrace of an ex-convict. And once again, she surrounds them with her elegant language and exquisite images.
Hotel of the saints --
The end of all sadness --
A woman's perfume --
Stolen chocolates --
Doves --
Freitod --
Moonwalkers --
A town like ours --
The juggler --
For their own survival --
Lower crossing
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Ursula Hegi
29 books1,167 followersUrsula Hegi is a German-born American writer. She is currently an instructor in the MFA program at Stony Brook Southampton.
She was born Ursula Koch in 1946 in Düsseldorf, Germany, a city that was heavily bombed during World War II. Her perception growing up was that the war was avoided as a topic of discussion despite its evidence everywhere, and The Holocaust was a particularly taboo topic. This had a strong effect on her later writing and her feelings about her German identity.
She left West Germany in 1964, at the age of 18. She moved to the United States in 1965, where she married (becoming Ursula Hegi) in 1967 and became a naturalized citizen the same year. In 1979, she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with both a bachelor's and master's degree. She was divorced in 1984. The same year, she was hired at Eastern Washington University, in Cheney, Washington, near Spokane, Washington, where she became an Associate Professor and taught creative writing and contemporary literature.
Hegi's first books were set in the United States. She set her third, Floating in My Mother's Palm, in the fictional German town of "Burgdorf," using her writing to explore her conflicted feelings about her German heritage. She used the setting for three more books, including her best selling novel Stones from the River, which was chosen for Oprah's Book Club in 1997. Hegi appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 8, and her publisher reprinted 1.5 million hardcover copies and 500,000 paperbacks. She subsequently moved from Spokane to New York City.
Hegi's many awards include an NEA Fellowship and five PEN Syndicated Fiction Awards. She won a book award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) in 1991 for Floating in My Mother's Palm. She has also had two New York Times Notable Book mentions. She has written many book reviews for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.
She was born Ursula Koch in 1946 in Düsseldorf, Germany, a city that was heavily bombed during World War II. Her perception growing up was that the war was avoided as a topic of discussion despite its evidence everywhere, and The Holocaust was a particularly taboo topic. This had a strong effect on her later writing and her feelings about her German identity.
She left West Germany in 1964, at the age of 18. She moved to the United States in 1965, where she married (becoming Ursula Hegi) in 1967 and became a naturalized citizen the same year. In 1979, she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with both a bachelor's and master's degree. She was divorced in 1984. The same year, she was hired at Eastern Washington University, in Cheney, Washington, near Spokane, Washington, where she became an Associate Professor and taught creative writing and contemporary literature.
Hegi's first books were set in the United States. She set her third, Floating in My Mother's Palm, in the fictional German town of "Burgdorf," using her writing to explore her conflicted feelings about her German heritage. She used the setting for three more books, including her best selling novel Stones from the River, which was chosen for Oprah's Book Club in 1997. Hegi appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 8, and her publisher reprinted 1.5 million hardcover copies and 500,000 paperbacks. She subsequently moved from Spokane to New York City.
Hegi's many awards include an NEA Fellowship and five PEN Syndicated Fiction Awards. She won a book award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) in 1991 for Floating in My Mother's Palm. She has also had two New York Times Notable Book mentions. She has written many book reviews for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
April 5, 2021
The short biography in the back of this book says that Ursula Hegi lives in New York. But when I first started reading her, she was living in Spokane, Washington. These stories are all set in Spokane or Oregon with two set in Cabo San Lucas. That last location might seem strange to those of you who live elsewhere, but Cabo is a favorite vacation spot for west coasters as much as the Bahamas are for east coasters. (I don't know the equivalent for those who live in other parts of the world.)
Most of the stories are fewer than 20 pages, a few fewer than 10 pages. Only the final story is of any length and that at 40 pages. It's hard to write about such stories without spoilers, and I pretty much try to avoid spoilers in my reviews. Instead, I'll tell you that one of the stories reminded me of a woman I knew years ago. She drank pretty much every day. She had been known to be so drunk as to fall off the bar stool. When her husband died she stopped drinking - just like that, one day a drinker the next day she was not. She said she didn't need to any more.
These stories are all about life. Some of the people were familiar as the woman in that story was to me. Others were people I know fill this world but who I have not encountered. For the most part, the stories were sadder than I'd want as a steady diet. I was glad I read one or two and then read a novel or a story by another author. While there is not a truly bum story in the collection, neither is there one I can rave about. I admit to have been hoping for more from this author.
Most of the stories are fewer than 20 pages, a few fewer than 10 pages. Only the final story is of any length and that at 40 pages. It's hard to write about such stories without spoilers, and I pretty much try to avoid spoilers in my reviews. Instead, I'll tell you that one of the stories reminded me of a woman I knew years ago. She drank pretty much every day. She had been known to be so drunk as to fall off the bar stool. When her husband died she stopped drinking - just like that, one day a drinker the next day she was not. She said she didn't need to any more.
These stories are all about life. Some of the people were familiar as the woman in that story was to me. Others were people I know fill this world but who I have not encountered. For the most part, the stories were sadder than I'd want as a steady diet. I was glad I read one or two and then read a novel or a story by another author. While there is not a truly bum story in the collection, neither is there one I can rave about. I admit to have been hoping for more from this author.
September 28, 2021
DNF - I read the first three short stories.
I enjoyed the first one, which is where the title of the book comes from, but I did not particularly like the others. Honestly, I enjoyed the first story because the setting was close to where I live and I knew the street naand places that were mentioned. Maybe it was because of the way that it was written. It made me laugh.
Short stories are really not my favorite subjects.
I enjoyed the first one, which is where the title of the book comes from, but I did not particularly like the others. Honestly, I enjoyed the first story because the setting was close to where I live and I knew the street naand places that were mentioned. Maybe it was because of the way that it was written. It made me laugh.
Short stories are really not my favorite subjects.
August 8, 2007
As always, Hegi's writing is deceptively simple and graceful. In her short stories in _Hotel of the Saints_, it feels like she is continually trying to put her finger on some deeper essence of her life, carefully and attentively digging just a little bit deeper below the surface of what could be brushed aside as ordinary lives. The beauty of Hegi's writing comes in the fact that nothing particularly exceptional or wild happens to her characters but the changes that occur within her characters are exceptional and profound, like the plates of the earth slowly shifting. These stories are not her best work, but they are an easy and very enjoyable read.
October 11, 2009
I am not usually a short story reader. But, I loved "Stones from the River" so figured I would try this book. It has taken me soem time to read the stories as it is easy to pick up and put down. I did not do that out of boredom however. Hegi is a master story teller. Even her short short stories are full of meaty characters and great stories. I especially loved the title story "Hotel of the Saints." You will chuckle and find marvel in this collection. Be prepared to have a tissue when you read the story of Basil the dog. You will not regret this book and the stories will stay with you long after you are done.
July 21, 2012
I'm not always in the mood to read short stories but when I am, I love when I come across a collection as well- written and memorable as the stories written by Ursula Hegi in Hotel of the Saints. Ms. Hegi's stories each took place in different geographic locations.. Italy, Mexico, the United States and each story was an insightful look at human relationships... relationships between parents and children, between lovers and even a very special relationship between siblings and their pet dog for life that they just can't let go. If you love to read powerful stories that make you ponder your own relationships, this is a book you will enjoy.. I sure did!
November 21, 2016
Beautifully written short stories that explore the human experience in many stages of life. Two of the stories resonated with me so much that I didn't finish them because it was so close to my own experiences.
April 14, 2013
Beautiful writing and plots which appear to be simple but are not. Readers will find both loved and unloved parts of themselves mirrored in Hegi's characters. There are so many lines that I wish I myself had written.
Read
November 4, 2021The only book of hers I read was Stones from the River. This collection of stories was very different than what I expected. Each story was different but i read them consequently. I enjoy her writing. I will look for her other books to compare with these.
June 14, 2011
A very short book of short stories--I think you really need more than 3-4 pages for a short story. If you like Stones from the River, consider this a tiny snack of Hegi's writing. (copied review) The bestselling author of Stones from the River and The Vision of Emma Blau renews her reputation as an extraordinary writer of short stories in this major collection that balances her reader on the magical border of laughter and sorrow.
In Hotel of the Saints, Hegi enters the perspectives of lovers and loners, eccentrics and artists, children and parents: a musician tries to protect her daughter from loving a blind man; a seminary student yearns for the certainty of faith that belonged to him as a boy; a woman transcends her embarrassment for her first love, who has tripled in size.
In Hotel of the Saints, Hegi enters the perspectives of lovers and loners, eccentrics and artists, children and parents: a musician tries to protect her daughter from loving a blind man; a seminary student yearns for the certainty of faith that belonged to him as a boy; a woman transcends her embarrassment for her first love, who has tripled in size.
August 6, 2013
A complex collection of intriguing stories. Collections of short stories are notorious for being uneven, sucking you in with the best stories early on and then scattering thinner offerings across most of the other pages.
Having read Stones from the River and The Vision of Emma Blau, I knew Hegi is an astounding writer, grounded in interwoven stories that span decades and continents, linking them lightly from book to book. So I was dubious about her ability to compact a story into twenty pages. But, as in her longer tales, each character is carved into vivid detail with their actions and interactions, moving through their various challenges to some sense of completion within the short time frame. Each story grabbed and held me, bringing me to a sense of satisfying completion and wonderment of human possibilities.
Having read Stones from the River and The Vision of Emma Blau, I knew Hegi is an astounding writer, grounded in interwoven stories that span decades and continents, linking them lightly from book to book. So I was dubious about her ability to compact a story into twenty pages. But, as in her longer tales, each character is carved into vivid detail with their actions and interactions, moving through their various challenges to some sense of completion within the short time frame. Each story grabbed and held me, bringing me to a sense of satisfying completion and wonderment of human possibilities.
May 11, 2014
This novel by Ursula Hegi is a very beautifully-written collection of short stories. It has taken me more than a month to finish, and for a good reason: some of its stories are a bit too realistic that they either make you want to savour the moment...or avoid it entirely.
My favourite stories are the first ("Hotel of the Saints") and the last ("Lower Crossing"). The stories have characters with full, lush personalities that one cannot help but identify them with either themselves or someone they know (or had known) in real life. The settings are mostly concentrated near the coast or river, such as Los Cabos in Mexico or Portland, OR.
My favourite stories are the first ("Hotel of the Saints") and the last ("Lower Crossing"). The stories have characters with full, lush personalities that one cannot help but identify them with either themselves or someone they know (or had known) in real life. The settings are mostly concentrated near the coast or river, such as Los Cabos in Mexico or Portland, OR.
September 29, 2015
I hadn't heard of this author, but the note on the dust jacket intrigued me:
"The bestselling author of 'Stones from the River' and 'The Vision of Emma Blau' renews her reputation as an extraordinary writer of short stories in this major collection that balances her reader on the magical border of laughter and sorrow."
This description was apt. This is a beautiful book. The writing is intelligent and perceptive, and the stories are masterfully crafted. The book was a joy to read, and I look forward to reading her other work.
"The bestselling author of 'Stones from the River' and 'The Vision of Emma Blau' renews her reputation as an extraordinary writer of short stories in this major collection that balances her reader on the magical border of laughter and sorrow."
This description was apt. This is a beautiful book. The writing is intelligent and perceptive, and the stories are masterfully crafted. The book was a joy to read, and I look forward to reading her other work.
March 21, 2016
Many of these are not so much short stories as literary sketches. It's amazing how the author can sketch a scene in just a few phrases or sentences, a few pencil strokes...
Although the scenes are short, they are full of insight - scenes that felt simple on first reading are actually not... and I benefited from re-reading each one a little later.
My favourite was the first story: 'Hotel of the Saints' because of its colour, its wry humour and its humanity. The last story had me in tears...
Although the scenes are short, they are full of insight - scenes that felt simple on first reading are actually not... and I benefited from re-reading each one a little later.
My favourite was the first story: 'Hotel of the Saints' because of its colour, its wry humour and its humanity. The last story had me in tears...
July 10, 2017
These stories were okay. The best is about colors replacing the drab existence of an oppressed newly widowed woman who jazzes up her hotel.
October 14, 2021
I enjoyed these stories very much. The stories are all very different but all feature characters who you keep in mind for a while. Two memorable ones for me were "Stolen Chocolates" and "Lower Crossing." In the former a woman dreams of her once handsome high school crush, who is now obese, and dreams of enjoying pastries and cakes with him, items she has denied herself in order to stay thin. In "Lower Crossing" we meet an 84 year old women friend who says, out of the blue, "I am a great masturbator," and later. "But no one talks about it," Gloria said. "About the different levels of skill involved. You have to practice before you become a great masturbator."
November 17, 2023
Short stories. I like the way the author writes. Some of the content was not of interest to me, and some was disturbing. Some I maybe just didn't understand. I liked Hotel of the Saints, about Aunt Jocelyn's change after Uncle Lenny's death and her idea for the hotel. The End of All Sadness was frightening, chilling, possibly true, in the way that fiction can tell the truth without worrying about facts. Same with A Woman's Perfume, regarding a girl's coming of age. The author provides insight into people's minds that I find unsettling.
Did Not Finish
October 3, 2026I read Stones from the River when it was published, and I remember liking it s great deal. But the short story collection is just too strange and sad. The eponymous first story is OK, but it’s followed by one about a woman rationalizing the domestic violence she endures as a small price for finally being loved. The third story has a disturbing undercurrent of menace as a young girl on vacation is befriended by a couple who may or may not be grooming her. And that’s where I decided not to continue reading.
October 21, 2021
This is one of my favorite books I believe. It's a compilation of short stories and each one is different and beautiful. It has comical, entertaining stories, stories about grief and stories about love and love lost. This book is so tremendously written that each story is like a soul song singing out from within your mind. I recommend it to anyone who has emotions or likes spectacularly written stories.
February 4, 2022
Some of the stories in this collection were incandescent, like the title one that kicks off the collection and a beautiful story about a German woman choosing freitod, free-death, in Baja. Others were perfectly fine, but nothing to write home about. I couldn't read the last one, about preparing to put a beloved dog down, and there were a few others that were just this side of banal. Her writing is gorgeous but only a few really gave me chills and feels.
March 28, 2025
"Because that is the nature of being a parent, Sabine has discovered. You love your children far more than you ever loved your parents, and - in that love, and in the recognition that your own children cannot fathom the depth of your love - you come to understand the tragic, unrequired love of your own parents."
December 28, 2020
Literary and poetic, the variety of protagonists keeps each story distinct. While I prefer longer, novel or nonfiction narratives, these are great examples of modern day short stories that you can really embrace and mull over.
February 16, 2022
This author is a very talented writer. This is similar to all the other books of short stories I've read, though. I love some and disliked others. The mixed feelings about the stories make it hard to rate.
The writing is very compelling, but the topics are rather sad.
The writing is very compelling, but the topics are rather sad.
November 18, 2022
I read this book of short stories after discovering a novel by this author in a Little Free Library. A German American author, her stories were interesting, some more compelling than others, but I didn't end up finishing the collection before returning the book to the library.
July 23, 2017
An excellent study in characterization. Each character was unique and came alive on the page.
December 21, 2018
I enjoyed this quick little book, I got really bored with the last story. If it weren’t in it or wasn’t last I may have liked it more.
January 14, 2019
Beautiful book of short stories from one of my favorite authors.
August 17, 2020
I enjoyed the short stories
November 28, 2020
Pulled this out of a box of books that a friend's mom was passing along. Glad I did. Hegi introduces the reader to some complex characters in these short stories. which are at times quite poignant. The author clearly has connections to the Pacific Northwest - a place I'd like to explore more. Her descriptions of the weather and flora can only come from intimate experience.
December 23, 2020
Refreshing collection of eleven short stories--nice change of pace--especially liked the several Pacific Northwest entries.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews