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Book Review of Let the Great World Spin

Let the Great World Spin
NancyAZ avatar reviewed on + 94 more book reviews


What a wonderful novel! I was on the fence about a third of the way in but reviews by friends encouraged me to continue. I'm so glad I did! Colum McCann is a brilliant writer.

This book is about a handful of people living in NYC in 1974. Several of the people witness a tightrope walker making his way between the World Trade Towers on this one day. Most of the book shows how their lives intersect on this news making day. We learn the stories of all the individuals and how they interconnect. The books takes a look into the lives of ordinary people and what drives them to act the way they do. This is not an action driven book but a beautiful story of the social picture in New York City in 1974.