In an unnamed South American country, a world-renowned soprano sings at a birthday party in honor of a visiting Japanese industrial titan. His hosts hope that Mr. Hosokawa can be persuaded to build a factory in their Third World backwater. Alas, in the opening sequence, just as the accompanist kisses the soprano, a ragtag band of 18 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 not only Hosokawa and Roxane Coss, the American soprano, but an assortment of Russian, Italian, and French diplomatic types. Reuben Iglesias, the diminutive and gracious vice president, quickly gets sideways of the kidnappers, who have no interest in him whatsoever. Meanwhile, a Swiss Red Cross negotiator named Joachim Messner is roped into service while vacationing. He comes and goes, wrangling over terms and demands, and the days stretch into weeks, the weeks into months.

With the omniscience of magic realism, Ann Patchett flits in and out of the hearts and psyches of hostage and terrorist alike, and in doing so reveals a profound, shared humanity. Her voice is suitably lyrical, melodic, full of warmth and compassion. Hearing opera sung live for the first time, a young priest reflects:

Never had he thought, never once, that such a woman existed, one who stood so close to God that God's own voice poured from her. How far she must have gone inside herself to call up that voice. It was as if the voice came from the center part of the earth and by the sheer effort and diligence of her will she had pulled it up through the dirt and rock and through the floorboards of the house, up into her feet, where it pulled through her, reaching, lifting, warmed by her, and then out of the white lily of her throat and straight to God in heaven.

Opera, Terrorism, Love, International Intrigue: WOW

This is a beautifully written novel about a houseful of dinner guests who are taken hostage by terrorists. The dinner is at the home of a South American vice president, and the attendees are successful international business people (including a famous and beautiful opera star). The only people in the book who are not wealthy and privileged are the terrorists, who Patchett also has a knack for making you care about.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and did not put it down until it was through. It was captivating and interesting from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Excellent prose that simply lifts off the page

In an unnamed South American country, about twenty terrorists invade a party to capture a President that isn't there. What was a carefully planned seven minute capture turns into an endless hostage situation. Soon enough, the terrorists go beyond their original rigidity and the hostages go beyond their original fear and open up to what will become their family for weeks. Hostages have more freedom and talk with one another. Soon the captured opera singer starts singing. Relationships even develop. By the end, almost everyone seems so comfortable in the house and doesn't want to leave. The characters that don't are obvious and speak their own truths.

The story is so well told from many different perspectives that the twists and turns are both unexpected and so fitting. Characters are well developed and very real. Ann Patchett has crafted a novel that truly speaks to our time--what, at the end of the day, being a human really means.

At times a little slow, at times a page-turner, at all times a tale worth reading.

Poor

This book was a disappointment. While the plot was initially intriguing, I lost interest quickly. The characters were unrealistic and the writing style was excruciatingly bad.