A friend of mine recommended this book to me, and I found myself completely swept away in the tale that is a love letter to books and Barcelona (it even comes with a walking tour at the end of the book which will allow those in the city to visit all the sites mentioned in the story).

Set around the mid-20th century the tale follows Daniel, a young boy, who grows to manhood through the course of the story. He discovers a novel that changes his life, and begins to look for more by the author, Julian Carax, and investigate Carax’s disappearance.

When his father introduces him to the Cemetary of Forgotten Books, young Daniel is allowed to take one book home to look after and read. He chooses The Shadow of the Wind, and he loves the story, and like any voracious reader, he wants to find more by that author. He becomes obsessed with finding more by the writer, about the writer, and the circumstances that led to his disappearance.

But he quickly discovers he’s not the only one looking for Carax’s books.

Through a variety of interactions, Daniel has Carax’s tale revealed to him, one filled with heartbreak, passion, violence, and self-hatred. As Daniel grows, parts of his own life begin to parallel Carax’s, as he falls in love for the first time.

As Carax’s tale is revealed, Zafon’s writing completely wraps you up, and keeps you turning the pages. It’s a sweeping, powerful tale that kept me coming back, keeping me from putting the book down, one more chapter… just one more chapter.

It’s a beautiful story, a human tale. Zafon’s story takes you in and wraps you in its narrative blanket. We get introduced to a number of characters, all of whom were touched by Carax, we learn about Carax’s youth, a small circle of friends, the love of his life, and the course of events that changed his life forever as he sought to tell his stories to the world.

I went into this story blind, and I will recommend this book to everyone without telling them what the story is completely about. That way they can discover all the wonders, and heartbreak that lay in the book’s pages for themselves.

It’s a beautiful book, and I was very happy to learn that there are three more books set around the Cemetary of Forgotten Books. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed crawling inside the pages of this novel and go on Daniel’s journey with him.

It’s a love letter to Barcelona, but Shadow of the Wind is also a love letter to reading, books, and the worlds held in their pages.

Read this book.