Let the Great World Spin: A Novel is a delight to read — the language, the imagery, the characters are all extraordinary. Beginning with a poetic recreation of Phillippe Pettit’s tightrope walk (or rather, dance) between the Twin Towers in 1974, McCann uses that human expression of daring and delight as the touchpoint of his story of equally dancing characters. Irish born brothers Corrigan and Ciaran immigrate to New York and live in a project in the South Bronx. Corrigan is a monk who choses to serve the prostitutes of the project — mainly by providing them a convenient bathroom, but watching over them with quiet care as well. These characters interweave with several others, finding connection, failure, despair, and joy. The novel will captivate you, and it earns every emotion honestly. McCann’s dance with words is unforgettable. Put in a request for this book right away.
This book sounds interesting. The response of facilitating the inevitable is always complicated. As for the opening, there is a fantastic picture book about that very stunt called The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein.