Yann Martel 
Beatrice and Virgil 

Henry, an acclaimed writer, receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist that poses an irresistible puzzle. As he is pulled into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey named Beatrice and Virgil the taxidermist s guides through hell . Together the three embark on an epic journey. This novel from Yann Martel s is a profound meditation on life, art and the liberating power of stories