Circles Within Circles

There’s a tightrope walker on a cable between the still-standing World Trade Center towers. He ties the many threads of Colum McCann‘s novel Let the Great World Spin because, at some point in the novel, everyone sees the walker—including:

Two little boys playing in Ireland. One grows up to be a monk in New York City. His brother follows him to the city, helping him out from time to time.
A group of gold-star mothers who’ve lost their sons in Vietnam. These women, from very diverse backgrounds, can tell their sons’ stories to an understanding audience. Interestingly class difference seems to provide more of a barrier than race, religion, or ethnicity.
A group of hookers that includes a mother and daughter. The monk leaves his apartment unlocked so the prostitutes can use the bathroom.
An artist and his wife who connect with the monk and one of the prostitutes. To say how would be a spoiler.
And a judge, a gold-star father who sees the prostitute mother and the tight rope walker in his court.

This book starts out looking like a short story collection. In fact, I had to close the book a couple of time to read the cover. Yes, it is a novel. As the various stories develop, the connections become clearer until  McCann reminds us in the end that “Literature can remind us that not all life is already written down; there are still so many stories to be told.”

I highly recommend this intricate novel, Let the Great World Spin  by Colum McCann.