Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

I loved this novel about a months-long South American hostage crisis and opera singing (one of the hostages is a world-famous soprano), even though I have no particular interest in either topic and I was not at all sure I would be drawn in. But drawn in I was. The story, which is based on a real incident, is full of surprises, the writing is masterful, and the observations about human nature, art and love are profound. Winner of several awards, including the PEN-Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. -EB