"Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett

If there is one way of setting a story which has always managed to catch the audience’s attention, it’s when it all (or most of it at least) takes place in a single location, let it be a room, an office, or perhaps even an entire building.

Naturally, developing a story without being able to change the setting is more than problematic from a writer’s point of view, which is why so few have managed to successfully pull it off.

Ann Patchett may very well be one of those people as her novel titled Bel Canto takes place almost exclusively in the home of the vice president in South America. It starts off as a great and lavish party, as some of the world’s richest and most famous personalities have gathered in the honor of a very respected and powerful businessman, Mr. Hosokawa.

Unfortunately (or fortunately from the reader’s point of view), the party is then crashed by a number of gun-wielding terrorists who take the entire place hostage.Naturally, panic ensues and it soon becomes clear what the terrorists’ scheme is: get ransoms for the world’s richest people, which in itself is actually quite sound.

However, the situation starts to evolve strangely as some of the terrorists begin developing a bond with certain hostages. What started as a nightmare that could end forever with a gunshot turned into a beautiful and amazing story of love, friendship, compassion, and altruism.

Ann Patchett manages to take an already-popular concept and make it new again, adding her own personal touch to it. While this may not necessarily cater to those who are expecting realistic plot developments and violence, I believe it will be perfect for people looking for a warm yet tense read.

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Ann Patchett Personal site Ann Patchett is a writer of American origin. She received numerous awards and accolades, the most prominent ones being the Orange Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2002 for her masterpiece, and some say her magnum opus, Bel Canto.