Bel Canto by Ann Patchett is a novel that is interesting and intriguing. It tells the story of a group of party-goers in a Latin American country who are being entertained by a famous opera singer named Roxane Coss. The party is in the honor of a Japanese businessman named Mr. Hosokawa. The party is an attempt to lure Mr. Hosokawa to do business in the country, but he really only came because he wanted to meet Roxane. During the party, terrorists come into the building and take everyone hostage. The terrorists let all the women except Roxanne go, and then keep the rest of the hostages in the building for months, waiting for their demands to be met. During this time, Roxane helps keep the hostages sane by singing every day, and surprising friendships grow between the hostages, and even the terrorists. Roxane and Mr. Hosokawa become romantic, and so do the translators Gen and Carmen. However, after the release of the hostages, Gen and Roxane marry. The author wrote this book to explore relationships under unusual circumstances. These people are thrown together in an impossible situation, and yet they learn to...

She shows that these people, even the terrorists, have emotions, lives, families, and real reasons for what they are doing. She also included opera and the arts as a sort of bridge between the people, to show that music is a universal language, and can bring people together and make them bond, no matter what the circumstances are. The author also wanted to show that loss can also lead to love, and that ultimately all relationships end in loss. She showed this with compassion however, and so the book is not depressing, it is inspiring and romantic.
The information presented in this book is entertaining, but people can get many other things out of reading this book. First, it may encourage them to explore opera and try to understand it more. Roxane is a premier opera singer, and her singing every day becomes one of the most important things for the characters' lives as the days go on. Her beautiful voice makes them forget their troubles and helps them feel normal in an abnormal situation. In addition, this book makes even the terrorists seem…