Ann Patchett was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved with her family to Nashville, Tennessee at age six. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. In 1990, during a residential fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, she wrote her first novel, The Patron Saint of Liars, which was named a New York Times Notable Book for 1992. Her second novel, Taft (1994), was awarded the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for fiction. Her fo...
Bel Canto
Bel Canto
Synopsis
PerfectBound e-book exclusive: "Friendship and Love," an interview with Ann Patchett.A prolonged hostage crisis in the lavish home of a South American politician turns into something quite different as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and passionate, ill-fated love blooms. Winner of the 2002 Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the 2002 Orange Prize for Fiction.Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening -- until a band of gun-wielding terrorists breaks in through the air-conditioning vents and takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different countries and continents become compatriots. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion and cannot be stopped.
Genres
Characters
Roxanne CossProtagonist
Mr. HosokawaSupporting
Subjects
Places
Edition
Bel CantoPaperback, Oct
336 pages
Fourth EstateISBN: 97800083261355 editions available
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bel Canto based on a true story?
Ann Patchett drew inspiration for Bel Canto from the 1996 Japanese embassy hostage crisis in Lima, Peru. While the novel is a work of fiction, the real-world event provided a framework for the prolonged siege and the unexpected relationships that develop among captives and captors.
Does Bel Canto have a film adaptation?
Bel Canto was adapted into a film in 2018, starring Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe. The movie closely follows the novel's narrative of a hostage crisis at a diplomatic party, focusing on the developing connections between the diverse group of characters.
What awards did Bel Canto win?
Bel Canto was awarded the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 2002, recognizing its literary merit and significant contribution to American fiction. It also received the Orange Prize for Fiction in the same year, celebrating its excellence in women's writing.