Book: Hotel Arcadia
Author: Sunny Singh
Publisher: Quartet Books
Price: £15.00 (Hardback)
Review by Natalie Gormally
Hotel Arcadia is a luxury hotel under attack by terrorists. War photographer Sam, who has just finished her latest assignment, is looking forward to a hot bath and clean sheets. Instead, she finds herself in the middle of yet another conflict and another assignment.
At the end of the phone is hotel manager Abhi, who is desperate to keep everyone in their rooms and out of harm’s way. Despite these instructions, Sam fearlessly ventures out of her room to capture images of the mayhem and the dead. Having failed to convince her to stay put, Abhi reluctantly becomes part of the plot, providing assistance to Sam over the phone and following her every move on the CCTV from his confined office.
The story centres on these two strangers, bound together by the violent situation they find themselves in. In the midst of this tense and hostile setting, a bond is formed. They reflect on their lives in the company of the murdered with their own fate hanging in the balance. The result is an insightful character- led story, full of contrast and comparison, wit, anguish and helplessness.
As the country’s armed forces gather to respond, Abhi waits anxiously for news of his hotel guest lover Dieter, last seen in the bar – the main scene of the attack – while the non-maternal Sam finds an injured child, Billy, and must decide whether to tend to, or desert him.
Author Sunny Singh’s writing is powerful, vividly describing every feeling and emotion. The characters’ back stories provide context and empathy for their attitudes and decisions. Both Sam and Abhi are constrained by their background and haunted by their past.
Sam’s story reflects someone hardened by life, deliberately toying with death by putting herself at the centre of danger. Abhi has never wanted to be a hero, yet is forced to become one. As the chapters count down the hours, the anticipation builds to the story’s exciting climate.
The country the hotel is set in is unknown, but the book’s scenario is reminiscent of the 2008 Taj Mahal Hotel siege in Mumbai. Singh’s story shows the senseless nature of terrorism. That said, the attack itself becomes merely a backdrop to a very human story, and the quest for survival and redemption.
Hotel Arcadia is a powerful literary piece which is well-researched, engaging and emotional. This is edge of your seat stuff and is difficult to put down.