What a fantastic novel — not only has Louis de Bernieres created an unforgettable cast of characters and a symphonic plot, but also he has created a wonderful tragicomic mini-epic and the first literary love story to really push my buttons. The Los Angeles Times Book Review called it "An exuberant mixture of history and romance, written with a wit that is incandescent." My thoughts exactly.

On one surface, this is a history of a family on the Greek island of Cephallonia, during and after World War II. I don't want to give away any of the joys of this wonderful novel, but it's ten times better a love story than The English Patient movie (I haven't yet read the book).