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Naomi B. (Tucson, AZ)
Four Brothers Search for a Father
Jordi Punti's Lost Luggage, translated from the Spanish by Julie Wark, reminds me of those nested Russian dolls; open a layer of the story and inside is another layer, couching another, and so on, until you get to the tale's vibrant, pulsing heart. Lost Luggage is storytelling at its best. On the surface, it is the quest of four brothers--each named some variable form of Christopher--for a father they have each barely known. Although he has always been missing from their lives, he has now gone officially missing, and the brothers believe that by piecing together the story of his life from their disparate points
…more of view, the completed puzzle may lead to the discovery of the man. What is interesting to me is that even though the story is told in sections from each of the four Christophers' points of view, there is very little variation in voice between them. The decision is clearly deliberate, as if each brother is a piece of clay cleaved from the same block. The result is a novel that unfurls slowly, quietly, and gracefully toward that golden moment of denouement. As if we sit with Jordi Punti at a crackling fire, listening to hims spin his tale, we wait for that moment spellbound. We know it is coming, but we know, too, that it will surprise us, a sleight of hand delivered by a master magician. (less)This is a wonderful story about 4 brothers with the same father and four mothers. Their father was only in their lives briefly when they were young. Travel with them as they find each other and begin their search for their father in an intriguing journey through Europe, full of mysteries and childhood memories. Who was their father? Where was he? Why did he leave? What happened to him? Will they find him? How do they feel?
I loved it- reminded me of Shadow of the Wind, Cutting for Stone, Stone's Fall. It's themes of identity, broken families, value and influence of work, friends, and loss wrapped up in the
…more framework of a grand mystery is perfect for book club discussions. (less)I really liked this book. The stories of the four Christophers kept me wanting more. I found it helpful to make a list of each Christopher's birth and city. The relationship between Gabriel and the house movers was special. Lost Luggage was a very different, great book. I will read it again soon.
John P. (Timonium, MD)
Lost Luggage
Christof, Christophe,, Christopher and Cristofol take us on an amazing journey that introduce to Senyora Giuditta and through her their father Gabriel Delacruz. The history, culture and fascinating turns through dark alleys, barrooms and interesting apartments as well as travel through tunnels that take you from one culture to another will keep the reader intrigued and wondering where it will take them.
Christine B. (St. Paul, MN)
Lost Luggage
I absolutely loved the four "Christophers". This novel dissects the unusual and enigmatic relationship between Gabriel Delacruz and his four sons and their four respective mothers. I thought that all the secondary characters totally added to the overall charm of the story. The authors verbiage is extraordinary at conveying the ordinary man who encounters tragedy, comedy and pathos in his life. The mystery the four sons pursue in locating their father is interesting mostly because we learn the "story" of everyone involved, including the four delightful mothers. I think this book would generate a lot of interesting discussion.
Terrie J. (Eagan, MN)
Interesting story line...
This book kept my interest, but was slow at times. I liked the concept of the story line and the fact that the brothers joined together to find out what happened to their father. I felt that jumping between past and present got confusing at times. I would recommend this book to others.
Diane D. (Blairstown, NJ)
Well Written, but...
...too drawn out.
I think the backgrounds of Gabriel and the other characters was very well written, and you got a sense of the people and areas at that time in history. That being said, the book could have been about 1/3 the size without losing anything.
The story kept me reading, since I wanted to find out if the 4 half-brothers would find the answers they were seeking. I was hoping to find out more about the "boys", but most of the book was about their father & mothers as well as all the other characters.
There were many surprises at the end, which made for a good story, but they confused me.
All in all, I
…more think there will be a lot of people who will enjoy the book. It would make a good Reading Group book, since it has many areas for discussion. I will recommend it to my group. (less)Lost Luggage is a good story but is difficult to read and somewhat confusing. 4 characters with basically the same name is a little much for me. It's told from many different people, not just the 4 brothers. Jordi Punti can tell a good story but needs to cut back on the characters.
