PositiveThe Spokesman-ReviewWith a melding of historical fiction, social commentary, fairy tale and science fiction, Anthony Doerr delivers a deft and intricately woven tale that makes Cloud Cuckoo Land one of the most memorable books of the year ... The novel challenges the reader with five characters spanning five centuries in the past and one into the future amid an unspoken promise that all will wind up together in the end. Doerr delivers on that promise amid colorful details and a rhythmic writing style that keeps the story moving toward the reader’s final reward ... But it’s a payoff that requires work. I found myself starting and stopping the novel several times. Still, all that’s really required is to form an early attachment to at least one of the characters. It’s like the multiple jigsaw puzzles that one character struggles with in the novel, ending up with pieces strewn across the floor and under furniture ... Doerr reminds us even in a complex and unforgiving world, happy endings are still possible.
Maggie Shipstead
RaveThe Spokesman-Review... riveting ... Cunningly crafted ... This book is richly layered, a joy to read in Shipstead’s colorful and easy style ... Shipstead writes so convincingly of the fictitious Graves, she even quotes footnotes from a book reportedly based on her flight logbook. By about midway through the novel, the reader gets an urge to stop and Google this colorful figure from history alongside real pilots such as Amelia Earhart ... Shipstead is adept at writing so vividly, the reader can feel the thrill and pain of her characters.
