Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (2001)
Bel Canto takes place in an unnamed, fictional Latin/South American country. The story takes place in the Vice President's home, who is hosting a party. Guests include Mr. Hosokawa, a Japanese industrialist whom the government is trying to woo to invest in the country, and Roxanne Coss, a great opera star. Mr. Hosokawa was in attendance only because he wanted to meet Roxanne, his operatic idol. He has his translator, Gen, with him. Other guests include various diplomats, as well as a young opera-loving priest who was invited, but confined to listen in the kitchen.
Suddenly, after Roxanne sings, the lights go out and an army of rebels burst into the room. The band of rebels are a motley group of young, teenaged poor men from villages in the jungles. There is very little leadership amongst the rebels, thereby leading to a hostage situation that lasts for several months. A Red Cross negotiator manages to get all the women and the sick release, leaving Roxanne as the lone female captive amongst several of the more important male diplomats in the house.
Gen, Mr. Hosokawa's translator, actually knows several languages. He finds himself becoming the central figure translating between hostages and captor, as many of the captives are from around the world and do not speak Spanish. After several days, the hostages come to realize that two of their captors are actually young women. One of the women, Carmen, slowly builds a friendship with Gen. She asks him to teach her English as well as to learn to read and write. The two secretly begin meeting in a kitchen closet every night.
At the same time, a budding romance is building between Roxanne and Mr. Hosokawa. Carmen helps them to secretly meet in Roxanne's room each night.
Although this is a work of fiction, it was based on a real-life hostage situation. In December 1996, a group of Marxist rebels in Peru crashed the home of the Japanese ambassador during a party. A four-month hostage situation ensued, until governmental forces finally entered the enclosure killing all the rebels and freeing the hostages.
Ann Patchett is a wonderful writer. I look forward to reading more of her works.
Read: January 1, 2010
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