Library Loot ~ July 17-23

The Stockholm Octavo ~ by Karen Engelmann, 2012, fiction (Sweden)

From the publisher:  Life is close to perfect for Emil Larsson, a self-satisfied bureaucrat in the Office of Excise and Customs in Stockholm of 1791.  He is a true man of the town — drinker, card player, and contented bachelor.   Until one evening, when Mrs. Sophia Sparrow, proprietor of an exclusive gaming parlor and fortune teller, shares with him a vision she has had — a golden path that will lead to love and connection for Emil.  She offers to lay an Octavo for him, a spread of eight cards that augur the eight individuals who can help him realize this vision — if he can find them.  Emil begins his search, intrigued by the puzzle of his Octavo and the good fortune Mrs. Sparrow’s vision portends.  But when Mrs. Sparrow wins a mysterious folding fan in a card game, the Octavo’s deeper powers are revealed.  No longer just a game of the heart, collecting his Eight is now crucial to pulling his country back from the crumbling precipice of rebellion and chaos.  This novel is set against the backdrop of late 18th century Stockholm, as the winds of revolution rage through the great capitals of Europe.

I learned about this book, my only "loot" for this week, from Wendy @ Caribousmom.  This map of Stockholm is from the author's page, where there's also a tour of Stockholm.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire @ The Captive Reader and Marg @ The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages us to share titles of books we’ve checked out of the library.  Add your link any time during the week, and see what others got this week.