The New York Times and Globe & Mail-bestselling author of The Imperfectionists returns with an intricately woven novel about a bookseller who travels the world to make sense of her puzzling past.
Tooly Zylberberg tells a story: as a child, she was stolen from home, stashed at a den of thieves, then adopted by crooks there, who ended up raising her and even using the little girl in capers around the globe. But Tooly understands only fragments of what happened in Thailand, Italy, New York and beyond. Then, a desperate message reaches her musty bookshop in Wales, and she is lured into a journey that will reveal the secret of her childhood. Celebrated for his ingenious plotting, humanity and humor, Tom Rachman has written a novel that will amplify his reputation as one of the most exciting young writers today.

Tom Rachman's profile page

Born in London and raised in Vancouver, TOM RACHMAN is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Columbia School of Journalism. He was a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press (stationed in Rome, with assignments taking him to Japan, South Korea, Turkey, and Egypt, among other places). From 2006 to 2008, he worked as an editor at the International Herald Tribune in Paris. He now lives in London.

• "This is a brilliant and highly accomplished novel, and so much of the wisdom it contains happens in the background that it isn't until after reading it, or re-reading it, that much becomes clear. This is what fiction is all about. It is impossible to overstate its power and elegance." --The Globe and Mail

• "Tom Rachman has done it again--[he has] written a novel that's innovative and that keeps readers guessing, but that isn't just a gimmick. The Rise and Fall of Great Powers has everything that classic novels have--a cast of intriguing and unique characters, a compelling storyline and laser-sharp insights into humanity." --The Vancouver Sun

• "Ingenious." --The New York Times

• "Tremendously readable, with characters who often spark and jump off the page, and a central puzzle that grips you until the end." --The Huffington Post