I am so happy to be reading things that I enjoy again. This was a wonderful book. It takes place in New York City in the summer of 1974. Several different characters and stories are tied together throughout the book which gives the reader all of the different perspectives. Each of the characters have a different voice, a different life and are truly believable.
The book centers around an event of a man walking on a tight rope between the World Trade Center towers. In the book hundreds of people stop to watch this unlikely event and are captivated both by the fear that the walker may fall and the wonder and hope of someone doing something unimaginable. Throughout the story the different characters come back to this as a touching place, another common spot in their diverse lives. In the author’s note Colum McCann writes that the tightrope walker was Philippe Petit and he truly did this on August 7, 1974. He admits to taking some liberties with the event but I was interested that this actually took place.
The characters in the book are an Irish “priest” pursuing his calling, the prostitutes that he works with, the woman that he loves, a married couple of artists whose lives intersect with him, and eventually two women who have lost their sons in Vietnam. The author artfully tied and connected these different people together in a believable way. What I liked most was the last chapter of the book that takes place in 2006 and gives some closure to a few of the different characters. In a book that does deal with a lot of grief and hard living, hope and goodness also shines through.
04/05/2010 at 11:05 pm Permalink
There is a documentary about the tight rope event at the world trade center. It is called Man on Wire, we enjoyed it. Maybe you’ll have some time to watch it over the next few months!!!
I have not been reading lately, Nothing sounds worthy of my freetime now that the weather is a bit nicer we’re doing much less sitting down.
I certainly check back here for new ideas though.