"let the great world spin" by colum mccann

i've been stealing chapters of this book for the past week as i went about my day.  A chapter in as i took a break from work, a chapter in as i waited for my tires to get changed.  I finally finished it last night, shut the book, turned off my light, and felt the tears rolling down my cheeks.  this book is that good.

the story starts with an amazing occurence in the 1970's.  A man named Philippe Petit walked a tightrope across the two towers of the World Trade Center.  People stop in their tracks, look up into the sky, and can't believe what they are seeing.  (this is a true story.  colum mccann mentions the book "to reach the clouds" for an intimate account)

the story then unfolds into separate but inter-connected tales of the people on the ground.  you have an irish priest/crusader, his brother, a pair of mother/daughter hookers, a new york city judge and his wife, computer programmers in california, drug addled artists, and a group of women sharing the pain of losing their sons in Vietnam.

this book is incredibly moving.  it's gritty and raw, but i couldn't help but feel that the theme of  respect was at the core.

and like all great literary works, you can find a treasure trove of quotes such as, "she likes the people with the endurance to tolerate the drudge, the ones who know that pain is a requirement, not a curse".