At the home of the Vice President in some unnamed Latin American country, dignitaries from various countries have gathered to celebrate the birthday of one prominent Japanese businessman.
In honor of his birthday the world renowned Soprano, Roxanne Coss, is in attendance to perform for the evening festivities. But midway through the concert, militants have made their way inside the home and will hold everyone hostage until their demands are met.
As hours turn into days and efforts are made to liberate hostages or at least keep everyone alive, there are alliances being formed between the hostages and even the terrorists. Gen, who is fluent in many languages, goes from simply being Mr. Hosokawa's employee to being one of the most important people in the compound. He'll relay words of encouragement, messages of love and information crucial to their survival.
It's a fantastic premise and a book I had wanted to read since it was released but ultimately I was not as moved by the story as much as I hoped. While I enjoyed the tidbits on opera, the hardest part to take seriously was the spell Roxanne Coss seemed to weave upon everyone in the compound. I never felt much for her and wondered why others would.
On the contrary I found other characters to be much more interesting for example the younger kidnappers. There are several young girls and boys who joined the militants to get out of their lives of poverty. Knowing this happens in real life made this piece of the story more poignant for me.
However the end of the book was the weakest part. It made no sense and makes me wonder why the author felt the need to finish the book with such an ending. It would have been a stronger book without it.
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Added 01/07