Beautiful book

This novel has such an unusual plot: A female American opera singer is at a dinner party in an unnamed Spanish-speaking country, when guerrillas burst in and take the guests hostage. The hostages include many important people from several different countries, all speaking different languages. A translator is accompanying a Japanese CEO, so his talents become very useful.

The entire book takes place within the Vice President's home, where the dinner party was held. The guerrillas stay on, while negotiations are held, and the reader begins to know and become fond of many of the guests and some of the soldiers. The personalities of the different characters as they react to such an unusual situation is very interesting. Relationships form, romances begin, secret longings are revealed, and surprising events occur as these very different people continue to be held hostage.

This book, with such a strange plot and setting, begins quietly and becomes so beautiful and lyrical. I certainly did not want it to end.

One of the reviewers of this book says that it's the kind of book which makes one want to grab a friend's arm and shake it, saying "You must read this!" I agree wholeheartedly. I have not read any of Ann Pattchett's other books, but I plan to.