Passarola Rising

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Synopsis
This charming tale of adventure opens in 1731 with the launch of the Passarola, a peculiar airship, from the ramparts of a castle in Lisbon. Invented by Bartolomeu Lourenço to escape the intellectually stultifying climate of Portugal, the airship whisks him and his brother Alexandre away as they travel from the salons and bordellos of Ancien Régime Paris to the desolate far reaches of the North Pole in search of scientific truth.

Leaving behind their parents in Brazil and Alexandre’s beautiful love interest, Maria, a lady-in-waiting at the Portuguese court, they encounter some of the most colorful characters in eighteenth-century Europe, from the loquacious Voltaire to the irascible King Stanislaus of Poland. But their valorous quest for knowledge is threatened by the condemnation of Portugal’s Cardinal Conti, who views their scientific quest as a heresy. Filled with evocative period detail, Passarola Rising is a deftly handled picaresque tale that also touches upon the nature of truth and fraternal companionship. It is sure to captivate fans of the adventure tales of Jules Verne as well as readers of the quirky, inventive novels of Haruki Murakami and Yann Martel.

Copyright:
2006

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
260 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781440627361
Related ISBNs:
9780143038610
Publisher:
Penguin Publishing Group
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Micromegas Pty. Ltd.
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Literature and Fiction
Grade Levels:
Twelfth grade
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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