The Enders Hotel: A Memoir (River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize)
Adult/High School—This memoir is a classic coming-of-age story in which the author casts himself as an antihero in the tradition of Holden Caulfield. Schrand's stories of life at the family-owned Enders Hotel in Soda Springs, ID, resonate with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of youth and yet are balanced with the sober vision of hindsight. This is ironic because alcoholism and drug use, and their consequences, pervade the narrative. The author evokes a unique sense of place with what is essentially a series of vignettes from his childhood. He introduces readers to a ragtag and at times sorry cast of characters searching for purpose and dignity. This common narrative thread ties strongly to his search for "manhood" and his missing father. Schrand's specificity and eye for detail transport readers to the desolate environs of the Enders Hotel. This book will appeal to anyone who has ever felt out of place or out of step with the world, especially teen males.—Jennifer Waters, Red Deer Public Library, Alberta, CanadaCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.