This is one of the first American novels to deal with the tragedy of 9/11. But it's also a book full of pictures and told from the viewpoint of a nine year old…can it possibly live up to its critical acclaim? I really hope so - or else I'm in trouble with the ladies of bibliofemme! I choose it because I wanted to see how a book that plays at being so young deals with a rather grown up and serious topic. I think Saffron-Foer is one of the most interesting writers and I can't wait to see how he plays with the narrative, our expectations and still deliver an interesting read. It's a bit of a gamble but what can I say ladies…I don't judge a book by its cover…rather how many coloured pictures it has on the inside….

Synopsis
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, Francophile, letter writer, pacifist, natural historian, percussionist, romantic, Great Explorer, jeweller, detective, vegan, and collector of butterflies. When his father is killed in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre, Oskar sets out to solve the mystery of a key he discovers in his father's closet. It is a search which leads him into the lives of strangers, through the five boroughs of New York, into history, to the bombings of Dresden and Hiroshima, and on an inward journey which brings him ever closer to some kind of peace.

We are meeting in January 2008 to discuss this book and a review will be posted here shortly afterwards.

This month's book was picked by The Dreamer