This novel sends its readers on a mesmerizing journey, a tale that hovers between the 1400s and the present.

This captivating story chronicles the life of a man in residence at the Seville Institute for the Mentally Ill. He insists he is the famous explorer Christopher Columbus and it is imperative that he reach by phone the King and Queen to obtain funding for ships and supplies needed for his upcoming adventure across the Atlantic. .

Rich in details of the 15th century Columbus tells his caregiver Consuela how he cherishes dreams of sailing across the Western Sea , how he falls in love with every women he meets and how he came to wager everything on a single game of billiards with the king of Spain and many other tales of fantasy. While entertained by this evidently educated man's fantastical tales of adventure and love, Consuela tries to find clues as to why this man is so detached from reality and who he really is.

The story is told from three perspectives: the delusional man who is convinced he is Columbus, Consuela who finds herself romantically attracted to this unusual personality and Emile Germain, a French Interpol Officer who is scouring Spain for a mysterious person of interest. Their paths eventually cross in an intriguing mystery.

At first I found it hard to stay focussed, the story is multi-layered and unconventional, a big puzzle. The various details are taken from a mish-mash of 15th and 21st century events mixed with Columbus's strange ramblings. Slowly, I was hooked by the emotional intensity of this imaginative mystery. Mr Trofimuk is a storyteller that plants little details that are seemingly irrelevant but blossom when you least expect them to. His style grows on you, I enjoyed this novel.

This is a really great read. It has you wondering from the start about Columbus - how did he wind up in an asylum. His stories have little bits of current day realities creep in and again you wonder about his reality. Like Consuela, you fall in love with Columbus. The end of his story comes as a shock and all the story pieces fall into place. I think you'll love this book too!

Thomas Trofimuk is a Canadian author who is new to me - and one I'm very glad to have found. The premise of Waiting for Columbus very much intrigued me.

A bedraggled man is forcibly delivered to an institute for the mentally ill in Sevilla, Spain. He insists that he is Christopher Columbus and it is imperative that he speak to the King and Queen about arranging for his ships. He needs to phone them right away.

Consuela is the nurse assigned to Columbus when he arrives. When Columbus begins to tell the story of how he got his boats, she is the one who listens. The stories are rich with details of the 15th century. Columbus tells Consuela tales of his loves, wants, trials and desires. Just when we're caught up in that time period, an anachronism interjected into the tale, such as using a cell phone or turning on a television, jars us back to the present day. What has happened to this man to make him retreat to the 15th century - and why Columbus? Consuela finds herself captivated (and a little bit in love with him), as do all who come into contact with him.

"For her, the details of his stories are remarkable. The clarity with which he paints these word pictures is sometimes quite marvellous. She sometimes finds herself caught beyond redemption, so enthralled that she wants to believe him. Something denied inside her yearns to believe him."

In a separate story line we meet Emile, a detective. His story is somewhat of a mystery as well. An incident from two years ago is alluded to, but not explained. Emile is just back to work. We know that he is good - very, very good at finding lost people. Does he hold the answer to 'Who is Columbus?'

Trofimuk had me spellbound, turning page after page. I was totally enthralled with Columbus's story and trying to tease out details that would give me a clue as to who he truly was. But I was just as caught up in the 1400's. The stories are lavish with detail, sensual and emotional. I almost wanted him to be Columbus.

Trofimuk's descriptions and prose are rich and evocative.

"Regardless of his ranting, she liked the colour of his voice. It sounded like burnt sienna, and at the bottom, the colour and texture of fine sand."

A unconventional, multi tiered tale of love, loss and redemption that will grab you and not let you go until the final pages......

I've been in a book club since March 2008 and we meet once a month to review a book, share some wine, and generally carry on. We chose Waiting for Columbus because we wanted to discuss an author who would be attending the Vancouver Word on the Street Festival on September 27th.

The first 2 chapters were a little tough for me, but once I got into it, I enjoyed the storyline and the unravelling 'mystery' of Columbus' identity. The writing in both eras was very good - I had no problem immersing myself in either the 1500s or modern-day Spain. While I'm not expecting a controversial or in-depth discussion with the book club this round, we will see the author speak at the festival before our discussion, so it should add a new dimension for us to hear the author reading favorite passages or sharing research methods, character development ideas, etc.

A couple of themes that stood out for me were the idea of loving a person's delusion or alternate personality and how dysfunctional that makes the 'lover' of said psychosis, as well as the diversity of treatment methods in the mental health field.

All in all, a good read.