Bel Canto - Ann Patchett

An amazing vocalist performs at the home of the Vice President of an unnamed South American country. Various dignitaries are present and just as she completes a song, a group of 18 terrorists attack from the air conditioning ducts.

They immediately take control of the situation, yet remain primarily nonviolent. What happens next is the unexpected. The individuals, both captors and hostages alike, create their own ecosystem. Gen, the translator, becomes a filter in which all relationships must flow in order to communicate. The vocalist takes an apprentice under her wing. The captors play chess with the hostages. The Vice President becomes a mentor to a young terrorist. As their lives begin to intertwine, new roles emerge and reality seems to slip further away. The only contact they have with the outside world is through their messenger and Red Cross mediator, Messner.

Their world, closed within the four walls of this mansion starts to become their new reality. Love. Friendship. Family. But how long can it last?
I loved this book. Couldn't put it down. It's a reminder that circumstance can be the catalyst of new relationships. And that despite differences of upbringing, status and even language, the foundation of humanity is still our common denominator.
Read it. Take my word for it.