The Creator's Map
Published on 22. January 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-7195-9650-6 (ISBN)
Description
Rome, October 1952. The architect Jose Maria Hurtado and his wife Montserrat open their newspaper to find that their friend Prince Junio Vivarini, Fascist and Nazi-sympathizer, has been found dead, decapitated in the Swiss Alps. In the event of his death, they had been told they would receive a mysterious package containing secrets he could not reveal while living.
Who was the Prince? And why were Hurtado and his wife chosen as the repository of these documents? The answers lie in Rome, in the past, during the tumultuous period of the 1930s and 1940s from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War to the end of the Second World War. For there an exiled Spanish architect, a passionate and beautiful young aristocratic librarian and an elegant and influential Fascist prince became enmeshed in a web of political intrigue, love and deceit involving a fateful map with the power to destroy them all.
Part love story, part espionage novel and part mystery, The Creator's Map brilliantly recreates the dark intrigue, romantic entanglements and divided loyalties of war-torn Europe.
Who was the Prince? And why were Hurtado and his wife chosen as the repository of these documents? The answers lie in Rome, in the past, during the tumultuous period of the 1930s and 1940s from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War to the end of the Second World War. For there an exiled Spanish architect, a passionate and beautiful young aristocratic librarian and an elegant and influential Fascist prince became enmeshed in a web of political intrigue, love and deceit involving a fateful map with the power to destroy them all.
Part love story, part espionage novel and part mystery, The Creator's Map brilliantly recreates the dark intrigue, romantic entanglements and divided loyalties of war-torn Europe.
Reviews / Votes
'Calderon's refusal to allow a character to become the mouthpiece of a cause is admirable' * Laura Silverman, Daily Mail * 'Subtle touches of humour follow this unlikely spy, and evocative descriptive passages afford the reader satisfying moments of reflection' * Elisabeth Field, Financial Times * 'Calderon is clearly a novelist with a superb imagination' * Gillian Nelis, Sunday Business Post * 'A powerful mix of romance, spy story and thriller, this fascinating novel captures life in the Eternal City under Nazi rule. It's a real page turner' * Choice * 'Calderon has a light literary touch, a respect for historical reality and a dark dramatic imagination' * Iain Finlayson, Saga Magazine * 'I'm thoroughly enjoying it' * Bookseller * 'Incredibly entertaining . . . A narrative that combines the historical novel and the espionage thriller, with a dash of fashionably esoteric intrigue, it is likewise a story whose stylistic and thematic beauty surpasses the expectations of even the most demanding of readers. ... A stunning work of fiction' * ABC Las Artes y Las Letras (Spain) * 'A challenging, very enjoyable read' * Yours magazine * 'Thrilling and beautifully translated espionage thriller...I had difficulty putting this book down. I am sure you will too' * Dover Express & Folkestone Herald * 'Had me hooked from the start...The mixture of intigue, politics and a love triangle make for fascinating reading...a brilliant book I would thoroughly recommend' * Shropshire Star: Review by Toby Neil *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Murray Press
Target group
US School Grade: Twelfth Grade
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
210 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7195-9650-6 (9780719596506)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Emilio Calderon was born in Malaga in 1960 and studied Modern History at the Complutense University. In 2003,he obtained the Valle-Incln Fellowship in Rome from the Spanish Royal Academy.The authors stay in the neighborhood of San Pietro in Montorio was the inspiration for The Creators Map, his first novel for adults. He lives in Madrid.