Emily Vance Brown

by Anthony Doerr

5/5

To me, this book is flawless. I recently read it for the third time (well, technically, I listened to the audiobook, which I would recommend for a re-reading, although not for a first read). Doerr’s characters are desperately clinging to life, empathetic even in their glaring flaws, and courageous in their own, occasionally misguided, ways. Their worlds are fully fleshed out and whole. With every scene change, I feel like I’ve been transported to the world of the given character. From ancient Constantinople to the prison camps of the Korean War, the book’s settings feel tangible and delicate. It’s clear that the peace provided by the fable will be disrupted at any moment, but this fragility only makes the story and its retellers more precious. 

Cloud Cuckoo Land is my favorite book to re-read when I’m in a dark place. It’s far from a happy book, but the bittersweet ending always makes me feel grateful to be here, with you, reader, in this bizarre, remarkable world. I’ve never read anything else like it.