Godwin

Godwin is, as advertised, about the search for a teenage soccer prodigy who may or may not exist in West Africa and who may or may not be the next Messi. But it's also about a minor power struggle at a small Pittsburgh firm of tech-writer freelancers. That O'Neill can credibly braid these two stories together—and make the latter drama as compelling as its more glamorous counterpart—is a sign of his particular talent for nailing with graceful irony (as he did in his marvelous novel, Netherland) the wonder, the pettiness, the greed, and the kindness that are all part of our interconnected modern world. He's one of the few writers I always read, and Godwin made me once again glad I do.