The book fairs always give us the pulse of what are the novels that readers are most like. Bestsellers are confirmed, the most beloved authors sign the books of the huge tails of reading fans who expect patiently and, of course, discoveries of works are made that perhaps we did not have on the radar but are beginning to conquer, and much.
This has been the case of the recommended novel that we bring you today, which has become the success of Sant Jordi’s last day: it has been six times Bestseller on Book Day and has become a literary phenomenon in Catalonia with more than 500,000 readers. Now, he has just been edited in Spanish by destination and we are convinced that it will be one of the best -selling novels at the Madrid Book Fair, whose 84th edition will be held from May 30 to June 15.
This is ‘Diagonal Manhattan’, by Xavier Bosch, a novel that you will love if you are a fan of ‘The devil wears Prada’ since he brings us an argument that revolves around the world of marketing and communication, with a young protagonist who tries to make his way in a women’s environment, competitive and with the most ruthless capitalism in between.
In ‘Diagonal Manhattan’, Edda Leveroni, daughter of a successful Barcelona publicist, receives as a birthday gift a one -year stay at an advertising agency in New York. In 1989, Edda arrives in Manhattan to work in BBM Advertising, an agency formed only by women, where the world of creativity and ambition raises unexpected challenges. In a competitive environment, with companions who receive it with suspicion and a creative director who ignores her, everything changes when the charismatic Bianca B. Miller chooses her to lead an important campaign, unleashing tensions within the team.
While Edda faces his own professional and personal maturity process, in Barcelona his father Brauli Leveroni lives a turbulent moment. His agency, Bloc, is in crisis due to internal conflicts, blackmail and a clandestine relationship with a colleague. In addition, the return of a criminal linked to his past further complicates his situation.
The novel speaks of empowerment, freedom, to take destiny in the hands of each one and how the present, the past and the future are linked in the search for our happiness. In 592 pages, Xavier Bosch builds a vibrant novel with intense characters, fascinating advertising environments and parallel plots between New York and Barcelona that intertwine with rhythm and intrigue. A story about power, ambition and secrets that can mark the fate of a family.
‘Destiny Manhattan’ is the tenth novel by Xavier Bosch (Barcelona, 1967), a long career journalist that you can read in newspapers such as ‘Ara’ or ‘Mundo Deportivo’. Awarded with the Sant Jordi and Ramón Llull Awards, he is one of the great authors in Catalan, with novels like ‘We two’ (2017), ‘The wife of his life’ (2021) or ‘March 32 (2023)’.
