The Power of Words

I first discovered the power of words in books in 8th grade. I read Beau Geste. As the story unfolded the descriptions and feelings were amazing. I could feel what the author was trying to convey. Simply by the way he put the words together could change everything.

Next came A Tale of Two Cities and I was hooked. I became a reading junkie, hooked on words on the printed page. Not all books are of that cosmic level, but when you get the great ones to read you are transformed. Cold Mountain, Peace Like a River, Kavalier and Clay, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao are some of the recent books that have done that for me.

But I have just finished one that is in the upper reaches of that incredible ability to make the world stop and have me explain as each chapter ended:

Oh.
My.
God.
Amazing!

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann was the 2009 National Book Award winner. As Wikipedia describes it:

The plot of the book revolves around two central events. The first central event, which is laid out clearly in the book's opening pages, is the sensational real-life feat of the Twin Towers tightrope walk of Philippe Petit 110 stories up, performed in 1974. This...lays the groundwork for the author's description of the human ability to find meaning, even in the greatest of tragedies, for which the Twin Towers serve as a sort of an allegory. The second central event, which is only revealed halfway through the book, is the fictional courtroom trial of a New York City prostitute. This second central event serves as a sort of point of balance, bringing the book back down to its more earthly, and therefore more real basic story lines.


Throughout the book the author weaves the stories of each of his protagonists through both of the two central events, exploring the personal impact that each of these two events had on the lives of each of the various protagonists. Additionally, some other issues which are unique to certain of the various protagonists are touched upon, such as the loss of a child, or the personal struggles that a member of a Catholic religious order must contend with. (This religious protagonist named "Corrigan" happens to be loosely based on the real life Catholic priest, Daniel Berrigan.)

The book is eclectic in style. The NYT called it rough and edgy like the city itself. I was entranced from the start. Corrigan, the Catholic Religious is the glue of the story. His humanity, struggles, and love reach out from the pages even when he is nowhere to be seen. There are at least 10 or 11 protagonists weaving in and out like a jazz riff on life in a world that is long gone- the burning Bronx of the 1970s, the immediate aftermath of the Vietnam War, pimps and hustlers strolling.

It is a life affirming novel that pulls the heart and soul into places I don't like to spend time- issues of mortality and hope, despair and wonder. I found myself sitting in church yesterday with Corrigan running through my heart. What an incredible gift.