In Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution, the author gives words a magical power - depending on the different meanings they have developed in languages over time.

I was enchanted by the concept of language having those magical powers.

The characters in the novel are drawn from different backgrounds, and the life of college students is well sketched.

The book raises questions about how peoople can be shaped by their families and lives, how bias can affect the way we see others, and, ultimately, to whom we owe loyalty.

A complicated, slow read that offers much to ponder.