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The Basque Hotel
This novel is the first volume in Laxalt's highly acclaimed Basque-family trilogy. It tells the story of Pete, the son of a Basque immigrant, and his coming of age in Depression-era Carson City. Pete’s immigrant parents run the Basque Hotel, bed and meals, whiskey and wine in Prohibition time for sheepherders and town characters. Pete is indifferent to his heritage except for disquiet about his parents’ ignorance of such American traditions as Christmas trees. Pete, too prone to dreams, undergoes his rites of passage—cruelty and kindness, disillusionment, love and terror, pathos and hilarious adventure, and finally, a cautious understanding of his world.
136 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1989
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About the author
Robert Laxalt
46 books10 followersLaxalt was a Basque-American writer whose work was especially well received in the ranching areas of Nevada and adjacent states, and led to creation of several "Basque Festivals" in those areas. Laxalt also served as a consultant to the Library of Congress on Basque culture, and helped start the Basque Studies program at the University of Nevada.
Laxalt founded the University of Nevada Press, which published almost all of his books written after 1964. Laxalt was chosen along with Walter Van Tilburg Clark to be the first writer inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.
Laxalt founded the University of Nevada Press, which published almost all of his books written after 1964. Laxalt was chosen along with Walter Van Tilburg Clark to be the first writer inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 20, 2021
(English below) Con este libro te enamoras del pequeño Pete, de su familia y su Carson City. Pete es un niño descendiente de vascos que regentan un pequeño hotel en Carson City, Nevada. Desde la mirada del niño, iremos conociendo cómo es su día a día a través de las estaciones del año. Una historia muy bien contada que hace que conozcas cómo vivían estos inmigrantes y sus descendientes, cómo se adaptaban a su nuevo país y cómo mantenían sus propias costumbres.
El pastoreo de ovejas, las montañas, la enfermedad y la Gran Depresión son ejes fundamentales en la novela.
Tal vez, he echado algo de menos que hubiera más referencias vascas pero de todas formas he disfrutado mucho de su lectura. Muy recomendable y se lee en un suspiro.
(English)
With this book you'll fall in love with little Pete, his family and his Carson City. Pete is a boy of Basque descent whose family runs a small hotel in Carson City, Nevada. From the perspective of this child, we'll get to know what their day to day is like through the seasons of the year. Very beautifully written, it makes you want to know more and more about how these immigrants and their descendants lived, how they adapted to their new country and how they kept their own culture.
Sheep herding, mountains, illness and the Great Depression are key themes in the novel.
I've may missed more Basque references but anyway I really enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended, you'll read it in a breeze.
El pastoreo de ovejas, las montañas, la enfermedad y la Gran Depresión son ejes fundamentales en la novela.
Tal vez, he echado algo de menos que hubiera más referencias vascas pero de todas formas he disfrutado mucho de su lectura. Muy recomendable y se lee en un suspiro.
(English)
With this book you'll fall in love with little Pete, his family and his Carson City. Pete is a boy of Basque descent whose family runs a small hotel in Carson City, Nevada. From the perspective of this child, we'll get to know what their day to day is like through the seasons of the year. Very beautifully written, it makes you want to know more and more about how these immigrants and their descendants lived, how they adapted to their new country and how they kept their own culture.
Sheep herding, mountains, illness and the Great Depression are key themes in the novel.
I've may missed more Basque references but anyway I really enjoyed reading it. Highly recommended, you'll read it in a breeze.
February 11, 2026
WHY I READ THIS BOOK: It meet my reading challenge criteria being set in Nevada which comes after Idaho which is where my previous book was set
REVIEW: I cannot say this was a bad book. It just was a bit blah to me. The story is told by Pete, a young boy growing up in Carson City, NV. To connect with the story you have to connect with Pete. I did not connect with Pete. I found him a bit of a shit.
This author is supposed Basque and the title suggests that the Basque community will be central to the story. While it is, in a way. It is mentioned that the characters and the community are Basque, it felt like something commented on, in passing. I don't feel I really learned anything about the community. Other than there was one in the West. Even the previous book set in Idaho mentioned in passing the Basques.
The thing that stuck out for me the most is a scene during the depression. The local grocery has always been an understanding person. At the start of the depression that does not change and he is willing to extend credit for quite a long time. Then he gets some outside help and everyone in the community gets a post card telling them to pay up or get cut off. What struck me was not just the trying to get blood from a stone but the cruel way people were notified via mail and open mail (post card). To publicly shame them. Brutal.
REVIEW: I cannot say this was a bad book. It just was a bit blah to me. The story is told by Pete, a young boy growing up in Carson City, NV. To connect with the story you have to connect with Pete. I did not connect with Pete. I found him a bit of a shit.
This author is supposed Basque and the title suggests that the Basque community will be central to the story. While it is, in a way. It is mentioned that the characters and the community are Basque, it felt like something commented on, in passing. I don't feel I really learned anything about the community. Other than there was one in the West. Even the previous book set in Idaho mentioned in passing the Basques.
The thing that stuck out for me the most is a scene during the depression. The local grocery has always been an understanding person. At the start of the depression that does not change and he is willing to extend credit for quite a long time. Then he gets some outside help and everyone in the community gets a post card telling them to pay up or get cut off. What struck me was not just the trying to get blood from a stone but the cruel way people were notified via mail and open mail (post card). To publicly shame them. Brutal.
August 4, 2024
Pete is a young boy of a Basque immigrant family living in Carson City, Nevada, during the Depression. Growing up, he experiences adversity and adventures. Pete is reminiscent of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in early Nevada days. The novel is told from Pete’s innocent childhood perspective. The novel provides a good insight of the Basque lives in Nevada.
February 16, 2017
Beautiful writing.
November 4, 2008
Strengths were the setting - vivid but spare, not overly described - and also the boy's point of view: a believable child's perspective.
August 21, 2012
Loved his rich descriptions, they played like a movie to me. I may be biased since I am from Reno, NV.
February 16, 2016
What a great book. I love reading books from local authors.
April 16, 2018
A coming of age that has many experiences in the development of wisdom.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews