Let the Great World Spin

Let the Great World Spin

A heartbreaking evocation of the pain, beauty and promise of New York City in the 1970s, Let the Great World Spin might be Colum McCann’s most ambitious novel to date.

The book begins in August 1974, with a group of wide-eyed pedestrians in Lower Manhattan staring in disbelief at the Twin Towers. A mysterious tightrope walker is dancing between the towers, suspended a full quarter mile above the ground. Meanwhile, in the streets below, we meet a slew of ordinary people as McCann paints an intricate portrait of the city.

Corrigan, a radical young Irish monk, struggles with his demons while living among a group of prostitutes in the Bronx. A group of mothers convene in a Park Avenue apartment to mourn the loss of their sons who died in Vietnam, only to find that grief is all they share. A young artist finds herself at the scene of a brutal hit-and-run that sends her own life careering out of control. A 38-year-old grandmother turns tricks alongside her teenage daughter, determined to take care of her family.

Elegantly weaving together a continuous stream of seemingly disparate lives, McCann’s powerful tale comes alive through the unforgettable voices of the city’s people.

Softcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Random House Inc. ( June 23, 2009 )

Item #: 72-7080

ISBN: 9781615239337

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 x 0.88 inches

Product Weight: 11.0 ounces