Tuesday, December 30, 2008

book recommendation: The Shadow of the Wind

Getting on a plane? Keep a list of must-read books?

Over the holidays, a friend casually suggested that I read a book by the Spanish author Zafon. 7 hours later, I had finished what is the most wonderful book I have read this decade.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon's
, The Shadow of the Wind, is simply amazing. The book, written in 2001, takes place in post-war Barcelona - the narrator, Daniel Sempere, is the teenage son of a bookseller. After finding a book by the little-known auther, Carax, the boy discovers that, despite the brilliance of Carax's work, all his books are being destroyed one by one.

As Daniel seeks to uncover why, he stumbles into a spider's web of forgotten murders, doomed love, and secret pasts.

The book is a gift and one to savor. Let me know if you enjoyed it and if you can suggest one that proved equally moving to you.