Lot #131: Let the Great World Spin (2009) by Colum McCann - National Book Award Winner

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann is a multi-perspective novel set primarily on August 7, 1974, in New York City. The narrative centers on a real-life event: Philippe Petit's (unnamed in the book) tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The plot uses the high-wire act as a "binding point" to connect a tapestry of seemingly disparate lives unfolding on the ground below. The Corrigan Brothers: John Andrew (Corrigan), a Jesuit monk living in a Bronx housing project, ministers to local prostitutes. His skeptical brother, Ciaran, arrives from Ireland after being injured in an IRA bombing. The Mourning Mothers: A group of women from various backgrounds meet in a posh Park Avenue apartment to grieve sons lost in the Vietnam War. Tillie, a grandmother, and her daughter Jazzlyn are Bronx prostitutes whose lives are deeply affected by the legal system and a tragic car accident. A young artist finds her life upended by a hit-and-run, and a group of hackers in California try to call payphones near the Twin Towers during the walk. Softcover book. Dimensions: Approximately 6 x 9 inches. Pickup category timeslot {A}