Wearing a lion's skin

Author: Michael Ondaatje
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: This is a Canadian unofficial history with a strong atmosphere and rich imagery. The descendant of immigrants, Patrick Lewis, arrives in Toronto from the remote forests of Canada in the 1920s. In this vibrant and diverse city, he makes a living by searching for a missing millionaire and excavating a tunnel under Lake Ontario. During this process, he falls in love with two actresses—one of whom is the millionaire's mistress, and the other is her close friend. These two women in Patrick's life both possess a strange and mysterious quality, captivating him, giving him strength, and profoundly changing his ordinary life. Author Michael Ondaatje won the British Booker Prize and the Canadian Governor General's Award for his novel The English Patient.