The Shadow of the Wind

It took me a while to get through this, although at ~486 pages it's not all that long, but I did enjoy it. Set in postwar Spain, it's about Daniel Sempere, a young boy who discovers an obscure book of which few copies remain – because an unknown figure has been seeking out and destroying all copies of it. Sempere's investigation covers years and entails danger to both his person and his personal relationships.

Sempere is likeable, well-meaning if not always sensible; the supporting cast has plenty of charm, especially friend and confidant Fermín Romero de Torres. I am often wary of translated titles, only because I have seen too many translations that butchered the author's voice; I thought Lucia Graves' work here was exemplary. Recommended.