Book Review: The Columbus Affair

The stakes are huge. On one side, a grand scheme is unfolding; and on the other, it is a chance for redemption

Christopher Columbus is known to us in history books as navigator and explorer. However, the admiration is not common to all. For the Europeans, he was the beacon that led them to the hitherto unexplored ‘New World’; opened the doors for colonisation and riches and the spread of Christianity. On the contrary, for the nations that were colonised, he represented the beginning of a dark era; civilisations wiped out, treasures looted, millions enslaved and families ripped apart.

The book talks about a completely different side to the explorer — a man whose mysteries exceeded his fame. In the Caribbean, where marauding pirates and mighty navies fought pitched battles, lies a secret that has been sealed by Columbus and disclosure of which may alter the history of the world.

Once a feared and respected journalist, Tom Sagan lost everything he held dear after a story he wrote was found to be false. Divorced, estranged from his only daughter and leading a seemingly pointless life, he is about to take his life when there is a knock at the door. A zealous billionaire, a Jamaican planter-mafiosi, secret societies and international conspiracies, the plot has a right blend of all to keep you glued in anticipation.

The main characters are in a race to accomplish their missions, engaged in calculated moves that would put professional chess players to shame. Priorities change, loyalties switch, trust is earned and betrayed as the players — each with immense resourcefulness — are thrust into a sequence of actions which they falsely assume they can control. The stakes are huge. On one side, a grand scheme is unfolding; and on the other, it is a chance for redemption.

Blended perfectly into the plot is each man’s personal quests. A father seeks to mend family ties that were broken and abandoned; another searches for his identity and acceptance, and the third tries to put into place dominoes whose collapse would create the pattern he wants.

The history of Columbus is fascinating, and much of his life both before and after 1492 will seem new and surprising to the reader.

Berry is a master at blending fact and fiction. The narrative is interesting and the pace of the story is set at a level where one can absorb every detail before moving forward. The twists are kept realistic and there are no larger than life heroics that defy logic.

A gripping story is told in a simple manner.

Name: The Columbus Affair
Author: Steve Berry
Pages: 426
Publisher: Hachette India

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Category: Books