On December 17, 1996 terrorists from the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) took over the residence of the Japanese Ambassador in Lima, Peru during a diplomatic reception.  The President, Alberto Fujimori would have been in attendance had his plane not been delayed. About eight hundred people were taken hostage. Most of the captives were released within a few days however it was not until April 22, 1997 that the final 71 hostages were released and the situation was resolved in a bloody confrontation.

Novelist Ann Patchett does not name the South American country where Bel Canto is set. However the arrival of armed guerrillas at an ostentatious State dinner and the lengthy standoff cannot but recall the Peruvian incident.

When an impoverished South American nation approaches Japanese businessman Katsumi Hosokawa with the request of assistance he is not interested. Whether the altruism is expression in training, trade or establishing a local factory, Hosokawa rejects the attentions of the government offer. Even the suggestion of a lavish birthday party for him fails to attract interest. It’s only when the name of Roxanne Coss is mentioned that Mr Hosokawa begins to pack his bag.

An American soprano, Coss is something of a superstar in the world of opera. And Mr Hosokawa is an avid opera fan.

The extravagant occasion is open to hundreds of men and women. Diplomats and ambassadors to the host country attend, as do local heads of industry. And about twenty terrorists. The only person missing is the one the invaders seek – President Masuda.

Releasing most of the hostages within a matter of hours a small group of 39 men and one woman remain. Roxanne Coss.

The term ‘bel canto’ means, literally, “beautiful singing”. It is used to describe Italian singing but in particular the technique used by opera singers to charm an audience.

The hostages and their captors are beguiled and calmed by the rich voice of the opera singer. Before long her practice sessions and performances give shape to the day.

But Roxanne Coss is not the only character with the capacity to charm. Strange relationships begin to develop between hostage and captor. Some become chess partners. Some are taught to cook. Others learn to read and write. As most of the terrorists are teenagers, and some barely so, the older, wealthier captives come to regard them as they would their children or their pupils.

While the situation seems improbable, even romantic, Patchett creates a believable scenario. Apart from the obvious issues, the situation is almost idyllic. The guns are put away, rules are relaxed and friendships arise. The impact of kindness towards those who have been oppressed has profound consequences. It is not only those within the novel who are being charmed. Through her deft characterisation and evocative prose, the reader is lulled into optimism. But reality is harshly reintroduced with devastating consequences.

The winner of the prestigious Orange Prize, Bel Canto is at once heart-warming and heartbreaking. Without being didactic it points to the calamitous effect of widespread deprivation and injustice. Like Patchett’s host country Peru is a nation wracked by poverty. Forty-five per cent of Peruvians live on or below the poverty line.

What is most interesting is how people respond to the stress of a hostage situation. It brings out the best in some and the worst in others. Some feign illness to escape, others offer comfort. For one man it cements the long-lost love he has for his wife, for another he questions whether he knows his spouse at all. The reaction of the two priests who attendance is perhaps most telling. While one flees at the earliest opportunity the other, who is offered his freedom, chooses to stay and minister.