The Shadow of the Wind

AN ENCHANTING HARDBACK EDITION TO MARK 20 YEARS OF THE LITERARY MYSTERY THAT BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER . . .

‘One gorgeous read’ STEPHEN KING
‘A book lover’s dream’ THE TIMES
‘An instant classic’ DAILY TELEGRAPH
‘A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading’ INDEPENDENT

At the first light of dawn in postwar Barcelona, a bookseller leads his son through the misty streets to a library hidden in the heart of the old city. Here, in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, are shelves and shelves of stories that have been forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Ten-year-old Daniel is allowed to choose just one to protect. Out he pulls The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax.

But when Daniel sets out to find the author’s other books, he makes a shocking discovery: someone is determinedly burning every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Before he knows it, Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest has plunged him into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, and he is embroiled in an epic story of murder, magic and doomed love.

Since The Shadow of the Wind‘s first publication, more than 20 million readers have opened a heavy wooden door, stepped into the haunting world of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and fallen in love. This modern classic brings to life Barcelona’s gothic streets and hidden corners, and reminds us of the all-encompassing power of a well-told story . . .