Bel Canto

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett   352 pages

Since I don’t generally want to be swayed by the opinions of others, I often read books without even skimming the book jacket for a clue as to the storyline. Using such logic, I chose this novel and was pleasantly surprised; on the surface, the storyline is uninspiring, but it unfolds into circumstances that need to be experienced. I highly recommend this novel.

In an unnamed South American country, a world-renowned soprano sings at a birthday party in honor of a visiting Japanese industrial titan. Alas, in the opening sequence, a ragtag band of terrorists enters the vice-presidential mansion through the air conditioning ducts. Their quarry is the president, who has unfortunately stayed home to watch a favorite soap opera. And thus, from the beginning, things go awry.
Among the hostages are Russian, Italian, and French diplomatic types. A Swiss Red Cross negotiator comes and goes, wrangling over terms and demands. Days stretch into weeks, the weeks into months. Joined by no common language except music, the 58 international hostages and their captors forge unexpected bonds. Time stands still, priorities rearrange themselves. Ultimately, of course, something has to give.

Posted By:   Regina C.   

Saffire

Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer   336 pages

The protagonist of Sigmund Brouwer’s new novel, Saffire, is James Holt. He was a member of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and rode with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Rider. He is stranger neither to fear or death.

Currently, in the year 1909, he is quietly living his life in the Dakota Badlands, trying his hand at ranching, raising his eight-year-old daughter, Winona.  His wife had died several years earlier. That’s an interesting story that I wish had been delved further into as a flashback.

The ranch isn’t doing well; in fact, Holt is so far behind in his mortgage payments that he is in danger of foreclosure. His old friend, TR, hires him to do some investigating down in South America at the building site of the Panama Canal, and he jumps at the opportunity. All he has to do is show up to get paid. And that is exactly what Hold plans to do. He travels six weeks to get there, and all he wants is his check, to catch the next streamer home, save his ranch and live the rest of his life watching Winona grow up.

But if the money was that easy to get, Brouwer wouldn’t have been able to write such a fascinating new novel. Holt arrives at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. He strolls a bit, watching the construction. Brouwer does an excellent job in making the reader hear the noise, feel the heat, and see the controlled chaos that was part of such a mammoth undertaking in joining the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Holt’s first order of business is to meet with Colonel George Goethals. On Sundays, Col. Goethals opens his office to anyone who would like to submit a complaint. And on this particular Sunday morning, the room is jammed with people, waiting their turn. Holt becomes fascinated by a young girl, Saffire (because a p and an h are silly letters to form an f sound). All Saffire wants is for someone to investigate her mother’s disappearance.

Soon, Holt is neck-deep in sabotage, political corruption, racism, conspiracies and collusions. He seems to always be in trouble of some kind.

Saffire got off to a slow start for me, which is why I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. However, by page 51, I was completely engrossed.

I received Saffire from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.