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A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies: A novel Audiobook
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(2.06) - 334 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It is 1900 in a small, prosperous Massachusetts town. Charlotte Heath, a lively, independent redhead of humble beginnings, is married to the scion of the powerful Heath family. When, on her first outing after a long illness, she spies her husband, Hays, bending to kiss another woman in the village square, impulsive Charlotte heads her horses straight out of town. Unsure where to go but certain that she wants to leave both Hays and the stifling, if luxurious, life of the Heath household behind, Charlotte makes her way to Boston and checks in at “The Beechmont: A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies,” where she makes another startling discovery: the classy Beechmont is a rather unique institution, where handsome porters make discreet, late-night visits to its all-female clientele. Charlotte finds herself surrounded by a cast of characters that will delight the reader as she settles into life at this reverse brothel: Harry Alcorn, the hotel’s dashing and prescient proprietor; Miss Berenice Singleton, the bohemian painter who holds a kind of salon in her rooms; the scowling cook, Mrs. Petty, who once worked for the Heaths and is determined that Charlotte not stay on at the Beechmont; the charming and handsome “porter” Arthur, who both gives pleasure and makes trouble; and the venerable lady doctor Lily Heath, her husband’s aunt, whom Charlotte is amazed to find among the hotel’s regulars. In the midst of a dizzying sexual enlightenment, Charlotte must puzzle out why she really left Hays and why he seems to have left her first. Her task is to determine whether she can forgive him and to discover where, if anywhere, she truly belongs–an adventure that takes her farther afield than she could ever have imagined. Ellen Cooney has given us a remarkable portrait of a historical moment and an irresistible protagonist. Fresh, high-spirited, and wonderfully seductive in the telling, A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies carries the reader along on a woman’s unforgettable journey to self-enlightenment.
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"I liked this book a lot. Yes, it doesn't end as you might expect but it is well written enough I didn't mind. If you are looking for a romance or a sex farce this is the wrong book for you (and to that end the dust cover did the book no service). "
— Nyla (4 out of 5 stars)
A Private Hotel for Gentle Ladies Listener Reviews
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" It's hard to put my finger on what bothered me about this book. The story was intriguing, but the way it's written just somehow never quite works. I felt like there was a sort of schizophrenic tug-of-war between being a plot-driven page turner and being a more literary, character-driven meditation. "
— Sassy, 2/16/2014 -
" Not as good as I hoped it would be. "
— Jennifer, 2/16/2014 -
" Although the author went off topic often, for PAGES at a time, this book did what it was supposed to: entertain. "
— Mary, 2/15/2014 -
" One of those books that you have to push yourself to finish. I appreciate the delicate, deliberate writing style in that it reflects the pace and attitude of historic MA. It makes, however, for a very long-winded, uninteresting, and unbelievable story. Leave this one on the library shelf! "
— Terri, 2/6/2014 -
" Two stars because the writing was good - but I'd rather read mediocre writing about great characters than excellent writing about people who never spark my interest. I want a story to make me feel something, and I hoped this one would, but unfortunately no. Maybe I'll try it again someday. "
— Heather, 2/3/2014 -
" Made me think of Emma Bovary... "
— Francine, 1/28/2014 -
" This was not as good as I had hoped it would be- it seemed very vague through the whole story. "
— Julie, 1/20/2014 -
" Historical fiction, amusing and touching insights about an insular society in an unusual setting. Light reading. "
— Lane, 1/8/2014 -
" Very odd book. Great concept but "plot" went in too many different directions. No successful climax or conclusion to any of the aspects of the story. Perplexed. Oh well. Two stars as I managed to finish it. "
— Lisa, 12/14/2013 -
" A peculiar but very readable novel with a Boston setting. "
— CLM, 11/13/2013 -
" So, I got about halfway through this book and I decided that I just can't go on with it anymore. It's poorly written, the protagonist is boring and confused and whiny, and it just isn't worth it. I hoped that it would get better, but it hasn't, so I have to put it (throw it) away. "
— Angelica, 11/8/2013 -
" A little strange, but I loved the writing. Didn't know what to think of the ending. "
— Laura, 7/24/2013 -
" This book really let me down. When I read the summary, I was expecting something shocking and naughty, but what I was got was just, well, eh. Kinda disappointing. "
— pianogal, 4/29/2013 -
" I liked this book a lot. Yes, it doesn't end as you might expect but it is well written enough I didn't mind. If you are looking for a romance or a sex farce this is the wrong book for you (and to that end the dust cover did the book no service). "
— Nyla, 3/10/2013 -
" Reads like Edith Wharton with a cheeky sense of humor. "
— Jessica, 10/22/2012 -
" It ended too abruptly for me and I think she could have explored some aspects of the hotel a little more but overall I liked it. Good story of a womans journey. "
— Jessi, 8/3/2012 -
" good, quick read; interesting main character-Charlotte Heath "
— Megan, 7/25/2012 -
" Odd, interesting book. "
— Suzie, 6/26/2011 -
" The year 1900 in Boston finds a young woman leaving her husband to stay in a hotel for genteel women who like to "have a little on the side." Very enlightening! "
— Lee, 5/27/2011 -
" It ended too abruptly for me and I think she could have explored some aspects of the hotel a little more but overall I liked it. Good story of a womans journey. "
— Jessi, 3/27/2011 -
" Weird, choppy narration. I'm gonna keep reading until i get to the gigolos. If they don't perk things up, this book will go back to PBS. "
— Shelley, 3/25/2011 -
" Not as good as I hoped it would be. "
— Jennifer, 2/23/2011 -
" One of those books that you have to push yourself to finish. I appreciate the delicate, deliberate writing style in that it reflects the pace and attitude of historic MA. It makes, however, for a very long-winded, uninteresting, and unbelievable story. Leave this one on the library shelf! "
— Terri, 1/29/2011 -
" Although the author went off topic often, for PAGES at a time, this book did what it was supposed to: entertain. "
— Mary, 10/26/2010 -
" So, I got about halfway through this book and I decided that I just can't go on with it anymore. It's poorly written, the protagonist is boring and confused and whiny, and it just isn't worth it. I hoped that it would get better, but it hasn't, so I have to put it (throw it) away. "
— Angelica, 2/17/2010 -
" It's hard to put my finger on what bothered me about this book. The story was intriguing, but the way it's written just somehow never quite works. I felt like there was a sort of schizophrenic tug-of-war between being a plot-driven page turner and being a more literary, character-driven meditation. "
— Sassy, 1/31/2010 -
" I picked this up at random in the library, thinking it would be a so-bad-it's-good kind of thing, but I actually enjoyed it. There wasn't much of a plot arc however, so the end left me a bit flat. <br/> "
— reed, 8/23/2009 -
" Interesting idea, but didn't think author flushed out story enough. Not a strong enough emotional pull for main character and sub-plots are thin. "
— Sheryl, 7/23/2009 -
" Argh. Chapter One was so promising. But by page 115 I didn't care about anything that was happening or anyone it was happening to. I give up. Toss. "
— Karen, 4/25/2009 -
" I am bound and determined to finish this book, but can't say I am enjoying it. <br/> <br/>I am finally finished with this book. A book about self-discovery? I didn't think so. "
— Lynn, 2/14/2009 -
" I loved this book. How did women have a voice or a choice when men did not allow it? "
— Lisa, 1/28/2009 -
" A peculiar but very readable novel with a Boston setting. "
— CLM, 12/31/2008
About Ellen Cooney
Ellen Cooney is the author of seven novels. Her short stories have widely appeared in magazines and journals, including The New Yorker, The Literary Review, and Glimmer Train. She has received fiction fellowships from the NEA and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, and taught creative writing for twenty-five years in Boston and Cambridge, most recently as writer in residence at MIT. She now lives in midcoast Maine.
About Cassandra Campbell
Cassandra Campbell has won multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and the prestigious Odyssey Award for narration. She was been named a “Best Voice” by AudioFile magazine and in 2018 was inducted in Audible’s inaugural Narrator Hall of Fame.