Of Giants and Other Men

Sometimes I like to wait to review a book to let to absorb the whole idea and let it sink in. I am sure other book lovers will know what I mean :) I have to admit I was distracted by the cover of this book and thought I had made a mistake requesting it but I ended up completely enthralled by the first sentence. This is a beautifully well-written novel that just takes you by the hand and brings you along to meet the main characters and their world. Tomas Delacorte's world is shaped from the day his father's ashes arrive with a visit from a General and other soldiers. His mother tries to make sure in her own flawed way that her son never goes along the same path his father did but is not wise enough to understand that her son is hurting just as much as she is. The place is Nicaragua during the reign of Somoza. Tomas has a cousin named Fausto and they decide to become blood brothers but end up leading different paths as adults during this tumultuous period in Nicaragua's history. The descriptive writing literally draws you into the book and you see, feel, and smell what the characters do. I have to admit that I knew next to nothing about this subject and it was a fascinating eye-opener. It is a fantastic family saga and also is much more than that. My only regret is that it ended almost too abruptly for my taste and I was not prepared to finish the book on that note. Highly recommended. Four out of Five Stars