Son of Nobody

‘A brilliant novel of ideas….a powerful meditation on life, death, and the vanity of human wishes, all illustrated by a poem that would do Homer proud. A stunningly imagined revisitation of an ancient past that is every bit as awful as the present.’ * Kirkus Reviews [starred review] *‘An appealing labor of love.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘…a classical scholar uncovers a lost account of the Trojan war. The translated poem unfolds at the top of the page, with heartfelt footnotes addressed to his young daughter below, in a meditation on mythmaking, homemaking and storytelling.’ * Guardian *‘The much-loved author of 2001’s Life of Pi is back with a new novel. Known for his ability to balance intricate narratives with epic stories philosophical questioning, Martel’s Son of Nobody connects the lives of a foot soldier in the Trojan War with an academic who has abandoned his family life for his studies. A beautiful story about what we can learn from the past when it comes to homesickness, grief, love and ambition.’ * Elle Magazine *‘Another staggering and insightful novel of ideas.’ * Y! Entertainment *‘Perfect for readers who love history, myth, and philosophical storytelling.’ * ArtPlus *‘Takes an iconic story – The Illiad – and finds a way to retell it as gripping as it is original.’ * QANTAS Magazine *‘Original, thought-provoking, and utterly absorbing… [An] inventive novel about a classics scholar who makes a thrilling discovery.’ * Booklist, starred review *

Yann Martel is the author of a short story collection, The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, and of four novels, Life of Pi (for which he was awarded the 2002 Man Booker Prize), Self, Beatrice & Virgil, and The High Mountains of Portugal. Life of Pi was adapted for the silver screen by Ang Lee, garnering four Oscars. Martel also ran a guerilla book club with Stephen Harper, sending the former prime minister of Canada a book every two weeks for four years. The letters that accompanied the books were published as 101 Letters to a PrimeMinister. Martel lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with the writer Alice Kuipers and their four children.