LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN by Colum McCann (2009)

In this great symphony of a novel Colum McCann weaves several voices together to form a tapestry that was New York City in August 1974 when Phillipe Petit strung steel cables between the World Trade Centre towers and walked from one side to the other in a scandalous stunt.

Each of the narrative voices is distinct and convincing--grieving mothers of Vietnam Vets, a young painter, an Irish monk and his brother who intends to save him, a prostitute and her daughter, and a well-respected judge.

McCann recreates a time and place so beautifully that it's hard to believe that he didn't experience the moments himself.

This is the finest novel that I've read in a long time and the prose is as extraordinary as the story itself. If you liked Michael Cunningham's THE HOURS, then you must get yourself a copy of LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN and prepare to be astonished.