"Mrs Palfrey first came to the Claremont Hotel on a Sunday afternoon in January." So begins Elizabeth Taylor's enchanting novel Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont. Mrs Palfrey joins a small band of elderly residents living at the Claremont, who are, for the most part, alone in the world and trying to avoid the nursing home. Their days are struggles against boredom with only the daily posting of the menu in the lobby to look forward to. Mrs Palfrey bravely accepts her circumstances, believing life to be all but over for her, when she meets Ludo, a charming young writer and suddenly has things to look forward to again.
This is a wonderful story filled with eccentric characters, witty dialogue and a few surprising plot twists. I love the kind of story for lack of a better word I think of as "bittersweet". The kind of novel that makes me laugh as well as cry. They seem the most like life to me. And though Mrs Palfrey at the Claremount didn't move me to tears, it certainly had sad moments as well as funny ones. Overall, a great read! And I'm looking forward to reading more by Elizabeth Taylor.
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