"The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Wow....I have just finished reading "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and thoroughly enjoyed his writing style. The story is set in Barcelona in the 1940's revolving around the life of central character Daniel and the power of a book. At the age of ten, Daniel is taken to the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" by his bookstore father to select and protect one book from the dusty shelves of a vast array of obscure & forgotten titles. Daniel selects "The Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax and this novel transforms him, so much so he is determined to find out more about the life & death of the author, Julian Carax. As Daniel grows up, several people are interested in his find and he is surprised to learn that all volumes of this Authors books have been disappearing through the hands of a mysterious stranger who is determined to burn and obliterate any remaining titles. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth as it threatens to destroy everything and everyone he loves. This is a magical tale that interweaves through time, love, murder and mystery with an unusual array of characters and wonderful storyline..
