A GREAT BOOK

What makes a novel great,

One hard to put down?

It’s pregnant with meaning --

Every verb, every noun.

The characters are alive,

Caught in history’s maze.

The author’s done his research;

He’s ‘master of the phrase’.

There’s love, sex and violence,

Loyalty and deceit.

The villains get comeuppance;

Heroes know victory and defeat.

The book leaves a feeling,

Of having learned something new;

Of returning from a trip,

With an altered point of view!

I’ve just read such a book,

Rich with people and events, 

A story skillfully told,

With style and relevance.

Titled The Given Day,

Written by Dennis Lahane,

It’s a work of genius,

Deserving literary fame!