The Hotel Alleluia

by Lucinda Roy

Book Overview

Joan Plum and Ursuline Shebar, the unlikely thirtysomething heroines of Lucinda Roy's The Hotel Alleluia, share little more than one parent. Reasonably happy in her West African convent, aspiring nun... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060932074
• ISBN13: 9780060932077
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Just Wonderful

The Hotel Alleluia is about Ursuline who's trying to decided rather or not to become a nun, since she was raised by nuns. Joan and Ursuline are half sister's only Joan is white and Ursuline is black. Ursuline is living in Africa, and out of no where her sister comes to take her back to the UnitedStates with her, She goes back with her, even though she hates to leave the sisters, and her favorite student Mohammed, who dreams of going to the United States and meeting the Laker's Shaq. Gordon is black and an old lover of Joan, but he finds hisself falling for Ursuline when he meets her in Africa. While back in United states here about a terribly attack on her old convent and the school she taught back, and rushes back to find old friends especially Mohammed. I felt this book had everything, romance, religion, and different cultures. I don't think anyone will be mad that they read this book, i know i wasen't.

A World Apart and Close Between

This story of two sisters finding each other worlds apart really struck home for me, as I recently found a sister after 23 years. Lucinda Roy's words have a way of drawing you in, bringing you close, and not letting go. I could not put this book down. I had read her other novel, Lady Moses, which was also good, but The Hotel Alleluia is even better.I simply loved all of the characters, even the "bad" ones. You feel as if you are right there admist all the terror and war, seeing your home and all you know torn apart before your very eyes. Yet it's not depressing, but uplifting. Read this book! You will not be disappointed.

Intricately Simple

Hotel Alleluia is a work of art. The vividness of Roy's descriptive style is atsounding. The novel's setting is painted with clarity. I was able to put myself in Freetown and feel the fear of the masses. Roy has a wonderful flair for the English language. The language used is incredibly telling without being too wordy. Ms. Roy, if you're out there, please tell me what made you choose Sierra Leone. As a citizen of that country, I am honored that you chose us for your setting. Though most of what you used of the atmosphere in Sierra Leone bordered on depressing, the situation is real and therefore, beautiful in print. Thank you for a work extremely well done.