It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book this good, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This book restores my faith in fiction and reminds me why I wanted to become a writer in the first place. It’s a story that, quite frankly, I wish I could have written.
Silly as the title may sound, Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land is a richly layered and beautifully written tale that, like Cloud Atlas, spans multiple generations, from the fall of Constantinople to a generation ship set in a far distant future. Through the eyes of his protagonists, all of whom are engaging, Doerr explores the power of storytelling, revealing how ancient myths survive the ravages of natural and manmade catastrophes to shape our culture, identity, and ultimate future. Hauntingly beautiful, tragic, and hopeful, Doerr weaves an intricate knot of plot threads into an epic tapestry.
I give Cloud Cuckoo Land my highest recommendation. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in thirty years. **** out of **** stars.
The Art of Storytelling 
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