Lost Luggage: A Novel by Jordi Punti

The prize-winning debut novel from a major new talent in Catalan literature--the story of four half-brothers who only discover the others' existence when the father who abandoned them all is reported missing. Christof, Christophe, Christopher, and Cristfol are four brothers--sons of the same father and four very different mothers--yet none of them knows of the others' existence. They live in four different cities: Frankfurt, Paris, London, and Barcelona. Unbeknownst to them, they have one thing in common: Gabriel Delacruz--a truck driver--abandoned them when they were little and they never heard from him again. Then one day, Cristfol is contacted by the police: his father is officially a missing person. This fact leads him to discover that he has three half-brothers, and the four young men come together for the first time. Two decades have passed since their father last saw any of them. They barely remember what he was like, but they decide to look for him to resolve their doubts. Why did he abandon them? Why do all four have the same name? Did he intend for them to meet? Divided by geography yet united by blood, the Christophers set out on a quest that is at once painful, hilarious, and extraordinary. They discover a man who during thirty years of driving was able to escape the darkness of Franco's Spain and to explore a luminous Europe, a journey that, with the birth of his sons, both opened and broke his heart. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly The spark of magical realism enlivens Punti&'s debut novel about four abandoned sons--Christof, Christopher, Christophe, and Cristfol--who, as adults, learn of each other&'s existence after their father disappears. They join forces to search for him but discover it&'s tough to track down a stranger: Only somebody who&'s previously appeared can disappear and that&'s not the case with our father, they say. Gabriel Delacruz, their father, lived an itinerant&'s life in Franco&'s Spain, visiting his lovers and sons in Germany, England, and France when his job as a mover took him there. Punti&'s expansive story, written from each son&'s point of view and, interestingly, from their joint perspective, mainly tells of how Gabriel met their mothers: Christof&'s he seduced when ice shut down the roads outside Frankfurt; Christopher&'s, a nurse, came to his aid during a memorable passage to England; Christophe&'s he found inside of a wardrobe he was moving; and Cristfol&'s encountered Gabriel at El Prat airport, certain that he was her astrological soul mate. Punti also takes time for forays into the colorful lives of minor characters; while some of those detours feel too long, they impart narrative richness. The result is a mostly successful experiment in perspective, made lively by Punti&'s extensive knowledge of the landscapes of Europe. (Oct.) From Booklist *Starred Review* Called in by police officers investigating his almost-forgotten father's abandoned flat, Christfol discovers files revealing that he has half brothers in London, Paris, and Frankfurt. With stunning virtuosity, Punti unfolds the tangled tale of how the four half brothers--all bearing forms of the name Christopher--join in an international quest to penetrate the maddening mysteries surrounding their father, Gabriel Delacruz Expsito, who disappeared more than 20 years ago. As they collectively probe that disappearance, the four abandoned sons piece together a kaleidoscopic image of their father--an orphan who becomes a consummate actor, fusing the roles of resourceful furniture mover, opportunistic luggage thief, roving lover, unbeatable card shark, and imperfectly polylingual yet spellbinding storyteller. Deciphering Gabriel's perplexing history played out in the dark shadows of Franco's Spain, the Christophers learn of Gabriel's randy orphanage friend, Bund, and his cagey driving partner, Petroli, and they compare the markedly different characters of the women Gabriel chose as their mothers. But it is the piquantly contrasting personalities of the Christophers themselves that emerge most strongly when their final effort to locate their father becomes a daring rescue, culminating in the piercing revelation of why they all bear the same name. An adept translation of dazzlingly polyphonic fiction. --Bryce Christensen Review Lost Luggage is an ingenious creation, plotted with lovely patterns and symmetries. It is alert to the sheer untidiness of life and filled with the strange connections between public events and private destinies. -- Colm Toibin, New York Times bestselling author of Brooklyn and The Testament of Mary Punti delivers a richly told literary novel...The character's wit and the author's vivid imagination shine through in this beautiful translation. Kirkus Reviews Inventive, absorbing and beautifully written. The Daily Mail An adept translation of dazzlingly polyphonic fiction. Booklist, Starred Review A remarkable work of literary fiction that also manages to be unputdownable. London Review of Books Punti is a sprightly writer, delighting in taking us down byways and through backwaters as the novel circles Gabriel's disappearance. But the big, bold self-consciously picaresque storytelling never completely loses sight of the book's central theme, the ways in which family, and its lack, can shape a life. Financial Times A funny, moving and poignant exploration of identity, home, family and freedom. The Daily Express This is a remarkable work, full of invention and consistently gripping. Times Literary Supplement Punti delivers a richly told literary novel about four half brothers in search of their father... The characters' wit and the author's vivid imagination shine through in this beautiful translation from Catalan. Kirkus Reviews The spark of magical realism enlivens Punti's debut novel about four abandoned sons... [A] successful experiment in perspective, made lively by Punti's extensive knowledge of the landscapes of Europe. Publishers Weekly Lost Luggage is an astonishing literary artifact. Marvellous. El Mundo A conjuring trick. Incomparable literature. El Pas A book as extraordinary as it is memorable. Jordi Punt already belongs to the noble tradition of the great storytellers. Rock de Lux Everything jostles happily in Jordi Punti. Nuns with a wooden leg, stuffed animals and racehorses. The Franco years, feminism, miniskirts and tear gas in May 68. A delightful first novel. Le Monde About the Author Jordi Punt is a writer, translator, and a regular contributor to the Spanish and Catalan press. Punti is considered one of the most promising new voices of contemporary Catalan literature. In 1998, he published his first book of short stories, Pell d'armadillo that won the Serra d'Or Critics' Prize. He is also the author of the novel Lost Luggage. Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Lost Luggage