The Lion of Venice

This is the story of Marco Polo, told with a poets ear. Frutkin uses this most interesting of historical figures to explore what it means to be human. (No pun intended.)Though this is a fictional account, I feel closer to Polo than any sterile account could have taken me. This story is filled with magic, and all connected to the statue of the winged Lion of Venice that guards Marco Polo's hometown. To Marco, the Lion is real, a fiece guardian guiding him in times of danger. And there is plenty of danger for a traveler in the 13th Century. From desert sand storms to distrustful natives, Marco sees it all. Marco Polo's journey from Venice to China and back to Venice again took almost a quarter of a century. He saw amazing sights, he endured illness and difficult traveling conditions. And he lived to tell his tale. And oh what a telling it is. I was hooked from the first word to the last. I could have read this book in a day, but instead I took a month in hopes of savoring every turn of phrase and every image Frutkin evokes. In my family there is a waiting list to read this book, and the list keeps growing. Get this book and you will not be disapointed.