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'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

“The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is the first in his Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. In it we meet the protagonist Daniel Sempere the son of an antiquarian bookseller. On the morning that Daniel awakes in sad realization that he can no longer remember the face of his mother; Daniel’s father initiates him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. There Daniel is instructed to find a find a book to “adopt” as his own. Hidden there within the labyrinth of shelves, Daniel finds a book that speaks to his heart, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julian Carax. When he sets out to find more books by the author, he discovers that a mysterious figure is systematically destroying all Carax’s work. In fact, Daniel may be in possession of the only Carax book in existence. Helped by his friend, Fermin de Torres, an assistant in his father’s shop, Daniel tries to solve the mystery. In his quest to uncover the truth about Carax, he discovers a story of dark secrets, murder, madness, and true but ill-fated love.

This is a story of Daniel’s coming of age in the city of Barcelona-a city still healing from civil war, but it is also a story-within-a-story as the sad history of Julian and his love Penelope unfolds. It is peopled by endearing characters like Daniel’s friend Fermin, who is full of warmth and humor despite the cruelty he has experienced. This book is for those who love a good mystery, a good Gothic tale, interesting historical fiction, or simply a beautifully told story. Most of all, it is a book for book lovers.

The Shadow of the Wind is not a new bestseller. It was written over 20 years ago, but with the author’s death in 2020, it’s worth discovering his work all over again. Once you’ve read it, you’ll want to visit Barcelona, wander the Gothic Quarter, and perhaps adopt your own forgotten book. Although, it is the first in four-book series, “The Shadow of the Wind” is an excellent stand-alone novel.

 

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