ARC Review: Historical Magical Realism

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: June 3, 2025

Summary from NetGalley:

ARC provided by Penguin Group via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

The Listeners is an immersive historical novel set during a very difficult time period in US history. The historical aspects and the setting of the story are very well done. I certainly felt transported to the beginnings of WWII and to the hills of West Virginia.

The story is an intriguing one as well. I never really thought about what might have happened to all of the diplomats living in the US when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I found that part of the story fascinating and I thought it was well done. The fact that the US treated these diplomats so well, kind of boggles the mind, especially when you learn about what was happening to their counterparts in the Axis countries.

The story is mostly told through two adult characters and one child’s perspective. Both June and Tucker are well developed characters and had interesting childhoods. They both grew up in the coal mining area of West Virginia and it certainly influenced who they became as adults. June is intimately connected to the hotel and to the family who owns it. I found her to be a strong woman who was doing a man’s job at a time that discouraged women from working outside the home. But everyone at the hotel respected her. Tucker was also an interesting character with a difficult past. He is also at a crossroads in his life trying to decide between obligation and happiness. As much as I liked the two of them, I did struggle with their romance. It just never felt whole or fully fleshed out to me. But that might be because I never felt fully connected to either of them.

Hannelore, the young child whose voice also narrates part of the story, was easily my favorite character. She is neurodiverse and the daughter of one of the german diplomats. Her understanding of what was going on around her and her connection to the sweetwater was interesting. We didn’t get as many chapters from her as I would have liked but enjoyed the ones we did.

The hotel, the Avalon, and the sweetwater that ran through it, was almost a character unto itself. The water and its relationship to June and to the hotel was the magical realism part of the story. The overall feeling of the hotel and water gave the story a mysterious and haunting feeling. But the magical realism felt a little underdeveloped as well. I just wanted a bit more about June’s connection to the water and the hotel.

The writing is of course beautiful and very lyrical. I totally felt transported to the hotel and felt like I knew all of the characters while I was reading it. It is definitely a character driven story rather than plot, as not much happens. But the rather sedate pace matched the story nicely so I didn’t mind it that much.

This is a beautifully written story that takes a look at a difficult time in the US. I enjoyed it, but never felt fully invested in the story or the characters. If you are a fan of the author, than certainly give this one a try. If you like historical fiction than this is one you want to give a chance.