Synopses & Reviews
From top-selling author Maureen Johnson comes a fresh, funny novel about a girl, her hotel, and an unforgettable summer.
Scarlett is the third of four children in the Martin family. The Martins live in and manage a shabby hotel in NYC that dates back to the 1920s. When Scarlett turns 15, she is put in charge of one of the hotel's 27 rooms- the Empire Suite. Into this room moves Mrs. Amberson, a failed 1970s starlet who has returned to New York to write her memoirs. Soon, Scarlett is taking dictation, running around town with Mrs. Amberson, and getting caught up in her Auntie Mame-meets-Bianca Jagger adventures.
Synopsis
Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City. Her nineteen-year-old brother, Spencer, is an out of work actor facing a family deadline to get his career in order. Eighteen-year-old Lola has the delicate looks of a model, the practical nature of a nurse, and a wealthy society boyfriend. Eleven-year-old Marlene is the family terror with a tragic past. When the Martins turn fifteen, they are each expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett’s fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest named Mrs. Amberson. Scarlett doesn’t quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn. With Mrs. Amberson calling the shots, Spencer’s career to save, Lola’s love life to navigate around, and Marlene’s prying eyes everywhere, things won’t be easy. Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deception. The show, as they say, must always go on . . . . Scarlett, Are you still asleep? I can hear you in there, snoring away. I need the following: White plum tea (whole leaf, loose, organic)Yerba maté lotionDance tightsLaptop computer (I’ll leave it to you to pick one out)A book on how to write a bookA spicy tuna roll (brown rice)A list of all plays currently on BroadwayMatches $4000 should be enough. I’ve shoved the money under your door (see it?). I need these things by noon. I’m meditating now. I want my change, but feel free to take cabs if the purchases are too heavy. Get the sushi last, obviously. And wake up! We have work to do! - Mrs. A
Synopsis
Scarlett Martin's eccentric family runs a New York City hotel that dates from the 1920s. After Scarlett turns 15, she is given charge of the Empire Suite, occupied by an aging starlet who is writing her memoir. Soon, Scarlett becomes caught up in the woman's adventures.
About the Author
Maureen Johnson is the author of SUITE SCARLETT, SCARLETT FEVER, THE KEY TO THE GOLDEN FIREBIRD, 13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES, THE BERMUDEZ TRIANGLE, DEVILISH, and GIRL AT SEA. She lives in New York City.