Book description
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • Colum McCann’s beloved novel inspired by Philippe Petit’s daring high-wire stunt, which is also depicted in the film The Walk starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt
In the dawning light of a late-summer morning, the people of lower Manhattan stand hushed, staring up in disbelief at the Twin…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Let the Great World Spin as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I love novels that reveal the hidden connections between strangers, and this one does it beautifully.
As I read it, I felt as if I were moving through New York alongside a remarkable range of characters whose lives unexpectedly intersect. It left me with the sense that the city itself is a living spidery web of stories—immigrants, artists, judges, mothers, and priests all sharing the same urban space.
The novel reminded me how powerful fiction can be when it allows many voices to exist side by side and slowly reveals the threads that bind them together.
From Gail's list on the American mosaic.
Let The Great World Spin orbits around Philip Petit’s high-wire walk between the Twin Towers in New York in 1974; an amazing feat that has, of course, only become more charged and potent with time. The novel creates a kaleidoscope of lives touched by that breathtaking act, as well as capturing, in heartstopping prose, the magnitude of the act itself.
From Barney's list on collage novels.
If you love Let the Great World Spin...
Whiskey Rebel
A shell-shocked soldier returns home, questioning the very meaning of American freedom.
While panning for gold, Iraq-war veteran Punxie Tawney meets Hamilton Chance, a barefoot, manic, obsessive drummer with a burning desire—to distill tax-free whiskey just like his forefathers during the American Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.
The two join forces,…
Want books like Let the Great World Spin?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Let the Great World Spin.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,340
readers submitted
so far, will you?
