Love in Lower – Case by Francesc Miralles is a fictional novel written by an author who was born in Barcelona. It has been translated into 20 languages. After reading it, I understand why it is so popular.
As the story begins, we find the main character, a lonely young lecturer named Samuel, preparing to celebrate New Years Eve all alone in his apartment. Little does he know that his life is about to change by the entrance of a stray cat clawing at his door.
I really loved this book. As I read it, it reminded me of a time many years ago when my pet cat Starshine fell from my balcony on the third floor to the balcony below which led me to meeting my neighbor who eventually became the godmother to my daughter. What I will never figure out, is how that cat landed on the balcony below unscathed. I say this because the balcony of the apartment did not protrude from the building in any way. A cat jumping or falling from the balcony faced a straight drop to the ground far below. My friend and I joked that my cat introduced us.
There were other strange coincidences in the story which kind of blew my mind. David Bowie is mentioned and another character in the book has a name very similar to one of the characters in Harry Potter. It was not the character played by Alan Rickman, but brought his recent death to mind. Weird!
I digress… in addition to the strange connections to real life, the book is full of words of wisdom about life in general and the importance of being connected to other people. I just devoured it. I know this is a book I will reread and contemplate for years to come. It is wonderful!
Bookwinked 