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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
A hostage situation — violence at the start and end
Language
Barely any
Period language; minimal strong words
Sexual Content
Some
Mild romantic content
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
A hostage situation — the violence of the beginning and the ending; The ending — sudden and does not protect characters the reader has grown to love; Music as a central presence — the opera's beauty is part of the novel's meaning
What this book is about
At a birthday party for a Japanese businessman in an unnamed South American country, a terrorist group takes everyone hostage. Among the guests is Roxane Coss, the world's greatest soprano. As the siege stretches into months, an unusual peace settles over the hostages and their captors—and within that strange world, love develops. Bel Canto is a novel about the beauty that survives when everything else has been stripped away, and about an ending that does not spare the people it loves.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A hostage situation — the violence at the start and the ending
The ending — sudden; does not protect beloved characters
Music as central meaning — the opera's beauty is integral to the reading experience
Reader Verification
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