In the Skin of a Lion

Title: In the Skin of a Lion

Author: Michael Ondaatje

Pages: 256

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: Patrick Lewis arrived in Toronto in the 1920's from deep in the woods of Ontario, where his father was a dynamiter for the logs that would be shipped down the river.  In Ontario, Patrick works as a searcher for the vanished millionaire Ambrose Small, and in doing so he falls in love with Small's mistress.  In parallel times and stories, there are detailed descriptions about the building of the Bloor Street Viaduct and the huge waterworks plant for the city of Toronto, focusing on the lives of the immigrant workers, who have accepted Patrick as one of their own.

My Review:  I enjoyed this book, and I think that I would have enjoyed it more if I had been able to read it over the course of a week or so.  Instead, I was quite busy at the time I was reading it, which meant that I would only get to read it about once a week.  Because of this, I had a hard time following the stories and parallel plotlines. Going back and reading the detailed summaries and synopses online was a big help in understanding and remembering what was going on.  I've read that this is a prequel to The English Patient, however, I have not read that book yet.