The Cloud Sketcher

The Story

From its stunning opening -- a celebrated Finnish architect is arrested for murder as he arrives in New York Harbor in 1928 -- The Cloud Sketcher reveals one of this generation's most admired young novelists ('Richard Rayner is a brilliantly gifted writer'*) at the full height of his storytelling power. From the ice fields of rural Finland to the ruthless world of New York real estate speculation, The Cloud Sketcher traces the life of Esko Vaananen, a young architect who dreams of building skyscrapers and winning the love of a beautiful Russian aristocrat. Recklessly pursuing these twin passions, Esko's journey takes him from the battlefields of war-torn Helsinki to the gangster underworld of New York City in the 1920s -- and to a Faustian bargain he hopes will bring him artistic perfection and the love he has always desired. *Milwaukee Journal SentinelBeautifully, vividly written, The Cloud Sketcher is a powerful evocation of a turbulent age and a tragic romance -- and promises to become one of the year's most beloved novels.