The Mapmaker's Opera by Gonzalez, Bea - 2005

Toronto: HarperCollins, 2005 Born in Seville, Spain, to a dishonoured governess, a young Diego Clemente finds solace in the world of books, in particular John James Audubon’s Birds of America. Aided by this magnificent volume, he nurtures the artistic talent that will transform his life.Presented with the tremendous opportunity to assist the renowned American naturalist Edward Nelson, Diego moves to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to help the master complete the first guide to the region’s birds. Arriving on the eve of the Mexican Revolution, Diego finds himself in a world that is as precarious as it is beautiful, where opulent henequen plantations are built on the backs of slave labour and the social order is on the brink of imploding. There, Diego falls for the young Sofia, a woman who longs to be as free as the birds she also loves.In this mesmerizing tale of star-crossed passions, a pair of mysterious birds and a young man’s quest to honour both his mentor and his father, The Mapmaker’s Opera transports its audience in a tour de force of magical storytelling.. 1st Canadian Edition. French Wraps. New.