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  <title><![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]></description>
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        <name><![CDATA[Ursula Hegi]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <read_at>Sat Oct 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Sat Oct 10 17:44:11 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I am not usually a short story reader.  But, I loved &quot;Stones from the River&quot; so figured I would try this book.  It has  taken me soem time to read the stories as it is easy to pick up and put down. I did not do that out of boredom however. Hegi is a master story teller.  Even her short sho...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74115712">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74115712]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Ben]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <date_added>Tue Feb 17 22:07:41 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Feb 17 22:30:52 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[To be honest I didn't expect much as I'd never heard of the author, but these short stories were fantastic. Full of sincerity. You know a book is good when you bring it with you on a flight to have something to read and despite the languor that greets you at your destination, you continue to read un...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46714173">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>79630507</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Anne]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sun Sep 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 02 07:01:12 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 02 07:09:18 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I found it a little difficult to adjust to Hegi's style of writing at first and almost put the book down.  I'm glad I didn't because many of the short stories were outstanding. Although many of these short stories are anything but uplifting,  I find myself thinking about some of the characters long ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79630507">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79630507]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>76707970</id>
    <user>
    <id>2536337</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lisa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <date_added>Wed Nov 04 11:16:03 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 04 11:18:22 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I don't normally read books of short stories but this was loaned to me.  I really enjoyed it.  I rode along with me in the car and the stories were just the right length for riding to town and back.  An eloquent writer.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76707970]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76707970]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>4238069</id>
    <user>
    <id>82840</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Laura]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chicago, IL]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 07 19:53:49 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 12 10:20:54 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[As always, Hegi's writing is deceptively simple and graceful.  In her short stories in _Hotel of the Saints_, it feels like she is continually trying to put her finger on some deeper essence of her life, carefully and attentively digging just a little bit deeper below the surface of what could be br...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4238069">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4238069]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4238069]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>41098455</id>
    <user>
    <id>870157</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Wendroz]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Colorado Springs, CO]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/870157-wendroz]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <date_added>Sun Dec 28 11:58:33 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Dec 28 11:59:38 -0800 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[A book of short stories that I found very impressive. The End of all sadness and Lower crossing were my favorites.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41098455]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>58374536</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Amy]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jun 03 20:41:46 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jun 03 20:43:03 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[If you like short stories, check this one out!  Ursula Hegi is a master of the genre.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58374536]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58374536]]></link>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Aug 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 16 00:44:12 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 13 22:51:29 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Although they're not as good as her novel Stones From the River, these stories are lovely. She's able to speak from a male or female perspective and write about a wide range of subjects. What interests me about Hegi is that she can write about depressing subjects without manipulating the reader's em...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63689785">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63689785]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63689785]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>52305097</id>
    <user>
    <id>740188</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Stephanie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Fiji]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/740188-stephanie]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <id type="integer">827876</id>
  <isbn>0684843102</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780684843100</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178733638m/827876.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/827876.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>4.11</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>9</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <read_at>Fri Apr 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Apr 11 11:21:54 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Apr 11 11:22:59 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An interesting short collection of short stories covering many topics.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52305097]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52305097]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>70347397</id>
    <user>
    <id>1798442</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michaela]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">661547</id>
  <isbn>0743227166</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780743227162</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">19</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/661547.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
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  <read_at>Mon Sep 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 07 07:57:08 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 07 08:10:45 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Lovely and lyrical short stories, some more successful than others.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70347397]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70347397]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>40749770</id>
    <user>
    <id>378976</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jane]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Austin, TX]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">661547</id>
  <isbn>0743227166</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780743227162</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">19</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/661547.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <date_added>Tue Dec 23 07:24:14 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Dec 23 07:24:14 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Another excellent collection of short stories.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40749770]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40749770]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>48384750</id>
    <user>
    <id>324847</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sarah C.]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Orange, VA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/324847-sarah-c-honenberger]]></link>
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  <isbn>0743227166</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780743227162</isbn13>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/661547.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Mar 05 20:33:34 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Mar 05 20:33:47 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[She's a pro.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48384750]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48384750]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>35114707</id>
    <user>
    <id>391462</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Elizabeth]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/391462-elizabeth]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">661547</id>
  <isbn>0743227166</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780743227162</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">19</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/661547.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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          <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[short story lovers, individuals with Roman Catholic backgrounds, multilingual readers]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[an employee at Milwaukee Public Library, Central]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Oct 12 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Oct 12 10:53:15 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 12 11:46:05 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I haven't finished this yet, but the first four stories have been lovely in their excellent writing, variety of setting and characters and profound consideration of life's most sublime experiences.  <br/>Hegi incorporates sophisticated eclecticism in each story without pandering to the readers' nee...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35114707">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35114707]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35114707]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1047343</id>
    <user>
    <id>43650</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jennifer Joelle]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Canada]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/43650-jennifer-joelle]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1200452564p3/43650.jpg]]></image_url>
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  <id type="integer">661547</id>
  <isbn>0743227166</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780743227162</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">19</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/661547.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 05 10:11:45 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 12 07:26:19 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a collection of short stories that overall were vivid and wonderful.  I truly enjoy Ursula's writing style and she is able to have the reader connect to the character within a few sentences.  And while I bought this book close to 4 years ago - I'm glad I finally read it.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1047343]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1047343]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>27149924</id>
    <user>
    <id>659803</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Nancy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Clinton, SC]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/659803-nancy]]></link>
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  <isbn>0743227166</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780743227162</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">19</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/661547.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jul 13 16:30:56 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jul 13 16:31:38 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I read these short stories on a recent trip.  I was amazed at the variety of styles the writer used.  I especially liked the title story.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27149924]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27149924]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>9487738</id>
    <user>
    <id>173786</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Diana]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Asheville, NC]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/173786-diana]]></link>
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  <isbn13>9780743227162</isbn13>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/661547.Hotel_of_the_Saints</link>
  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Dec 11 17:01:40 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Nov 24 11:50:11 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 27 07:32:40 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There's not much to it, I love her books. There's always so much more than just words. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9487738]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9487738]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2796654</id>
    <user>
    <id>147754</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Nicole]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Tewksbury, MA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <date_added>Sat Jul 07 08:36:11 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 07 08:36:44 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[It was short stories, some of them good, some of them not that great but it was a quick read.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2796654]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2796654]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2413356</id>
    <user>
    <id>128341</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Chathy!]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Washington, DC]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176865809m/661547.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Tue Jun 26 13:21:17 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 22:47:22 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[What can I say I am drawn to complicated, depressed types.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2413356]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2413356]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>30309668</id>
    <user>
    <id>1269639</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jill]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Spokane, WA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1269639-jill-malone]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <date_added>Sat Aug 16 10:09:56 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 16 10:10:20 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Hegi excels at the short story.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30309668]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/30309668]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>7147189</id>
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    <id>339871</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sundry]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Acton, CA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Hotel of the Saints]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>167</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Anyone who revels in the slow, gentle pace and cumulative power of Ursula Hegi's writing (<em>Stones from the River</em>) will delight in the 11 stories in <em>Hotel of the Saints</em>. In the title piece, a young Jesuit brother helps his aunt redecorate her hotel in a kitschy, irreverent celebration of the saints (the toilet seat in St. Sebastien's room is replaced with an old wooden one that pinches the user). In &quot;Moonwalkers,&quot; a young man stands by his father's hospital bedside after his heart transplant, inwardly reviewing their troubled relationship while his father drifts into memorylike reverie of the 27-year-old woman whose donated heart beats inside him. &quot;Lower Crossing&quot; is about putting to sleep an elderly family  dog--a friend, essentially, whose life is in the narrator's hands. Some of these stories seem underdeveloped, but all have an emotional force that eddies out from their often minor premises. These are lovely short works from one of America's best novelists.  <em>--Regina Marler</em>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Oct 02 09:54:20 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 02 09:54:37 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I like this author a lot.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7147189]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7147189]]></link>
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