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“A darkly comic rat's tale of exile, unrequited love, and the redemptive power of literature. Unforgettable!
Set in the 1960s, this richly allegorical story follows a literate rat through his life in Boston's Scollay Square during the last days of its famous bookstores and infamous burlesque houses. Born in a bookstore, Firmin's only nourishment comes from his nest of shredded books. Absorbing more than pulp and glue, he miraculously learns to read and soon begins to identify more with humans than rodents. Unlovely and unable to speak, Firmin's attempts to befriend people result in both comical and harrowing misunderstandings. Through a series of misadventures and against a backdrop of urban destruction, Firmin is led deep into his own imaginative soul—a place where Ginger Rogers holds him tight and tattered books, storied neighborhoods, and down-and-out rats alike can find people who adore them. Brimming with charm and a wistful nostalgia for a world that once treasured authors and their books, Firmin is a darkly comic fantasy for everyone who has been transformed—for better or for worse—by an early diet of great literature.”
