Wow! I would never think to combine opera, terrorism, and living a meaningful life in a novel, but that's what this book puts together.

It's the story of a large group that is held hostage by a small group of terrorists for four months. Ann Patchett creates a whole world with a new life for everyone who is part of this situation, many of whom don't even have a shared language. One of the most fascinating aspects for me was people's ability to develop a deep relationship even though they can't communicate using a spoken language.

I'm this close -><- to giving it 5 stars; might re-evaluate as time goes on.

Several of my book group friends recommended this (as well as Patchett's latest, Run, which I'll be reading in a few days).