Set against the backdrop of World War II, 'A Small Hotel' is a poignant tale of Kennet Fiskare, a young man whose life intertwines with the rhythms of a hotel on New York's Thousand Islands. Amidst the idyllic tourist season of 1941, Kennet falls head over heels for Astrid Virtanen, a captivating Swedish-Brazilian guest. Their budding romance, however, is severed by familial duties and the tidal wave of war. Enlisted in the military, Kennet forges through the European theater, his heartache muted by the brutality and brotherhood of the battleground. In the throes of war's chaos, from the snowy trenches of the Battle of the Bulge to the grim shadows of Mauthausen, Kennet discovers the paradoxes of human nature amid the impermanent yet intense bonds of soldierly fellowship. As Kennet confronts the unfathomable realities of conflict, he is transformed, shaping his perspectives on life and opening the door to a convoluted peacetime reunion with Astrid. Suanne Laqueur masterfully crafts a narrative that explores the delicate fibers of family, love, and the indomitable spirit of endurance in the human soul.