Yann Martel

In Lisbon in 1904, a young man named Tomas discovers an old journal. It hints at the location of an extraordinary artefact that - if it exists - would redefine history. Travelling in one of Europe's earliest automobiles, he sets out in search of this treasure. Some 35 years later, a Portuguese pathologist finds himself at the centre of a murder mystery. 50 years on, a Canadian senator takes refuge in northern Portugal, grieving the loss of his beloved...

Fate takes many forms. When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled further into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey named Beatrice and Virgil.