Most of us who adored Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “All the Light We Cannot See” have been anxiously looking forward to his next book, “Cloud Cuckoo Land” (Scribner. 656 pages. $30.). It was released on September 28, and I can say unequivocally that it was worth the wait and lives up to every bit of fanfare it is receiving!
The novel, quite different from its immediate predecessor, is again an engrossing tale, but this time the author leads readers into three different time periods. The action is divided between the mid-1400s during the siege of Constantinople, present day Idaho, and 2146 on a starship hurtling towards a distant planet. The story follows five main characters, each of whom is seeking to understand his or her own relevance. All are affected in different ways by an ancient book, written in Greek, that captures the promise of storytelling.
In the 15th century, we meet Anna, an orphan who shares a small cell with her sister in a community of women who embroider garments for priests. She yearns to know more of the world, manages to teach herself to read, and discovers an ancient manuscript, purportedly written by Diogenes, that tells of Aethon who is seeking a magical world, Cloud Cuckoo Land, that exists in another realm.
In the same time frame is Omeir, a young boy living in Bulgaria in very primitive circumstances with his grandfather, mother, and sister. His two oxen, Tree and Moonlight, are his beloved companions. He and his animals are conscripted by an army planning to sack Constantinople, and Omeir is unprepared for the horror and inhumanity of war.
Another thread in present day Idaho follows a troubled teenager, Seymour, who is devastated when the area surrounding the pitiful doublewide trailer he shares with his mother is cleared for new construction. The development destroys not only the forest, but also Seymour’s talisman, a great grey owl he had named Trustyfriend. The ensuing situation leads Seymour to seek out and attempt to fit in with a questionable environmental group.
Elderly Zeno, who grew up in the same town where Seymour lives, became enchanted by another soldier who had introduced him to Greek literature when both men were prisoners of war during the Korean conflict. After the war Zeno returned to a simple and lonely life in Idaho, but he remembers his friend by working to translate the Cloud Cuckoo Land manuscript and fill in the gaps that proliferate throughout what remains of the ancient text. He frequents the library in his hometown where he shares his passion for the story of the mythical land with a group of children.
The last character, and the first one that readers meet at the beginning of the novel, is Konstance, a young girl who lives on an interstellar spaceship that is hurtling toward an unknown planet. Her connection with the story of Aethon is rooted in her love for her father who read it to her when she was a young child. As she tries to understand her situation, she accesses the past through the virtual technology of the future.
The book is compelling, surprising, and mesmerizing. Even though it moves from place to place and from time to time, it is never confusing. Doerr has created a rich and hopeful story, one that celebrates books, honors heroism, and rejoices in redemption, while illustrating that our connectedness is what makes life worth living. Don’t miss reading it!
Addition Moving Right Along
The Library’s addition is finally beginning to look like a room! We have watched eagerly as the patio was repoured and smoothed, the elevator shaft was built, and the beams were erected. It’s amazing how defining the space can make it seem truly real!
Teddy Burns, the supervisor for J and J Contractors, has won our admiration with his skill at seeing that everything is done correctly. He is here every day at 7 a.m. to make sure all goes smoothly, and we all have grown to count on him for daily progress reports.
If you haven’t been to see us lately, please stop by and watch from the upstairs windows as the men work their magic. You will be surprised and impressed by their handiwork!
by Karin Glendenning
The novel, quite different from its immediate predecessor, is again an engrossing tale, but this time the author leads readers into three different time periods. The action is divided between the mid-1400s during the siege of Constantinople, present day Idaho, and 2146 on a starship hurtling towards a distant planet. The story follows five main characters, each of whom is seeking to understand his or her own relevance. All are affected in different ways by an ancient book, written in Greek, that captures the promise of storytelling.
In the 15th century, we meet Anna, an orphan who shares a small cell with her sister in a community of women who embroider garments for priests. She yearns to know more of the world, manages to teach herself to read, and discovers an ancient manuscript, purportedly written by Diogenes, that tells of Aethon who is seeking a magical world, Cloud Cuckoo Land, that exists in another realm.
In the same time frame is Omeir, a young boy living in Bulgaria in very primitive circumstances with his grandfather, mother, and sister. His two oxen, Tree and Moonlight, are his beloved companions. He and his animals are conscripted by an army planning to sack Constantinople, and Omeir is unprepared for the horror and inhumanity of war.
Another thread in present day Idaho follows a troubled teenager, Seymour, who is devastated when the area surrounding the pitiful doublewide trailer he shares with his mother is cleared for new construction. The development destroys not only the forest, but also Seymour’s talisman, a great grey owl he had named Trustyfriend. The ensuing situation leads Seymour to seek out and attempt to fit in with a questionable environmental group.
Elderly Zeno, who grew up in the same town where Seymour lives, became enchanted by another soldier who had introduced him to Greek literature when both men were prisoners of war during the Korean conflict. After the war Zeno returned to a simple and lonely life in Idaho, but he remembers his friend by working to translate the Cloud Cuckoo Land manuscript and fill in the gaps that proliferate throughout what remains of the ancient text. He frequents the library in his hometown where he shares his passion for the story of the mythical land with a group of children.
The last character, and the first one that readers meet at the beginning of the novel, is Konstance, a young girl who lives on an interstellar spaceship that is hurtling toward an unknown planet. Her connection with the story of Aethon is rooted in her love for her father who read it to her when she was a young child. As she tries to understand her situation, she accesses the past through the virtual technology of the future.
The book is compelling, surprising, and mesmerizing. Even though it moves from place to place and from time to time, it is never confusing. Doerr has created a rich and hopeful story, one that celebrates books, honors heroism, and rejoices in redemption, while illustrating that our connectedness is what makes life worth living. Don’t miss reading it!
Addition Moving Right Along
The Library’s addition is finally beginning to look like a room! We have watched eagerly as the patio was repoured and smoothed, the elevator shaft was built, and the beams were erected. It’s amazing how defining the space can make it seem truly real!
Teddy Burns, the supervisor for J and J Contractors, has won our admiration with his skill at seeing that everything is done correctly. He is here every day at 7 a.m. to make sure all goes smoothly, and we all have grown to count on him for daily progress reports.
If you haven’t been to see us lately, please stop by and watch from the upstairs windows as the men work their magic. You will be surprised and impressed by their handiwork!
by Karin Glendenning
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