Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel

By James Markert

Book Overview

A story of the power of memory, Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel explores the mysteries of the mind, the truth behind lore, and the miracle of inspiration.

After thirteen months at war, Vittorio Gandy is haunted by memories, and his former life is unrecognizable. Once a gifted painter, now he can't bear the vivid, bleeding colors on a canvas. His young son doesn't remember him, and his wife, Valerie, is scared of him. But the most disconcerting change is in Vitto's father, Robert Gandy, who has fallen from being a larger-than-life sculptor to a man whose heart has been broken by the death of his muse--Vitto's mother--and whose mind has been taken by Alzheimer's.

When Robert steals away in the night, Valerie, Vitto, and his new acquaintance and fellow veteran John go to the only place Robert might remember--the now-abandoned Tuscany Hotel, where it was once rumored that creatives of all kinds could find inspiration. When they find him there, Robert's mind is sound and his memories are intact.

Before long, word gets out that drinking from the fountain at the hotel can restore the memories of those suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. The rooms once again fill up with guests--not artists this time, but people seeking control over their memories and lives. Vitto desperately wants to clear his own mind, but as he learns more about his late mother's life and her tragic death, he begins to wonder whether drinking the water comes at a price.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785219099
• ISBN13: 9780785219095
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Let your imagination soar!

I picked this up at a used book sale because the cover caught my attention. A quick read, I thought. Not too deep, I thought. How wrong. From its opening lines it proved to be so well written, so encompassing that no human emotion is left out. A veteran (Vitto) returns home to find his larger than life father is slipping away confused and frail. Vitto's war experience leaves him unable to connect to his wife or son. When the father slips away one night and returns to the hotel he built the family finds him there but changed. Now for the warning: this book is not for the reader that cannot suspend reality. All of the characters are grounded in the full range of human emotions but with a touch of the divine that allows us to question our place in the universe. Without giving away any spoilers all I can say is take a chance with this one. It won't disappoint.