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The Creator's Map |
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A Novel
Emilio Calderon - Author
Katherine Silver - Translator
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| Book: Hardcover | 5.98 x 9.01in | 272 pages | ISBN 9781594201813 | 17 Jul 2008 | The Penguin Press | 18 - AND UP |
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Through the eyes of a Spanish architect in Rome, the dark period surrounding the rise and fall of Fascism roars to life, as the architect, a passionate young librarian, and an Italian prince become entangled in a web of intrigue, love, and deceit involving a fateful map whose secrets are powerful enough to destroy them.
Rome, 1952— José María is—like Europe itself—struggling to recover from the chaotic and character-defining events that transpired during the previous fifteen years, events that haunt him still. He and his wife, Montse, attempt not to dwell on their past, until the day they read about a mysterious death by decapitation of an old acquaintance, and José María’s memories come surging back.
And so our narrator begins his tale… It is 1937, in the thick of the Spanish Civil War. José María and Montse are two of a group of Spaniards thrown together, forced to wait out the war in refuge at the Spanish Academy in Rome. Unlike the rest of his compatriots, José María has no strong feelings either way about the Fascist or Nationalist ideologies that are causing such bloodshed in his home country; it is only the beautiful and bookish Montse who ignites his passion. When Montse and José María sell a sixteenth century text discovered in the Spanish Academy’s forgotten library, they unwittingly become embroiled in an underground Nazi plot to collect mystic artifacts for the practice of the black arts. The most powerful artifact sought—the one most coveted by the Führer—is the Creator’s Map, a legendary document depicting the power centers of the universe, said to be penned by God himself.
When the handsome and sinister Prince Junio, a wealthy Italian Fascist and Nazi sympathizer who is in pursuit of the map, appears to take a romantic interest in Montse, she is recruited to spy on him. As WWII blazes into full force, the idealistic Montse becomes more and more deeply involved in espionage, as does José María, for his own reasons.
Covering the most tumultuous and fascinating period of recent history—from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War to the end of World War II—The Creator’s Map brilliantly recreates the dark intrigue, romantic entanglements, and divided loyalties of a war-torn Europe. Long after the war is over, the destinies of these characters will continue to be shaped by the devastating repercussions of this tumultuous time.
“An intricately plotted, compelling read that vividly conjures up the Rome of World War II.”
—Juan Gómez-Jurado, author of GOD'S SPY
"A narrative that combines the historical novel and the espionage thriller, with a dash of fashionably esoteric intrigue, it is likewise a story whose stylistic and thematic beauty surpasses the expectations of even the most demanding of readers... A feverish triangle of love and intrigue... The Creator’s Map is, in sum, a stunning work of fiction.”
—ABC (Spain)
“Sprinkled with historical facts and figures and beautiful descriptions of Rome.”
—NBD Biblion (Holland)
“Exciting…. A clever and original suspense novel.”
—Dagbladet (Norway)
“Calderón takes the historical facts as a starting point and weaves existing legends and figments of his own imagination around it…. An intelligently written book with a surprising plot.”
—Leidsch Dagblad (Holland)
“The Creator’s Map is an extremely successful debut. Calderon’s well- written… novel captivates the reader’s attention, is intriguing and on top of it instructive.”
—Boek (Holland)
“The Creator’s Map is a skillfully written spy novel that manages to sustain the suspense.”
—NRC Handelsblad (Holland)
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This month we kick off the seaon of summer reading with a thrilling selection of our hottest books of the year. And you'll receive 15% off these select titles by simply using coupon code SUMMER09 thru July 7th.
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