Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

I'm at about page 250.  Roxane Coss is one of the most accomplished sopranos living; Mr. Hosokawa is an opera mad Japanese industrialist who has been lured to an unnamed South American country where the government is eager to attract foreign investment by the enticement of a birthday party for him at which Roxane Coss will sing.  The party is held at the Vice President's home.

Roxane Coss sings and as she finishes her final aria the lights go out; terrorists swarm the premises, having entered the building through the HVAC system.  All of the guests, all of the kitchen workers and staff are held hostage.  The terrorists are surprised and confused when they discover that the President, who was scheduled to attend and was their quarry, is not there.

Two weeks later, a Swiss man named Messner enters the house.  He is a arbitration expert who just happened to be in town on vacation when the hostage event occurred, and has remained long after his vacation should have ended, and he should have returned home, to act as courier and communicator between the terrorists and the authorities.

He thinks to himself that he most likes to talk to General Benjamin; General Benjamin seems intelligent. He finds himself worrying about General Benjamin because the General has a terrible case of shingles that is red, angry, obviously painful and seems to be creeping across his face to reach his eye. Messner reminds himself that it is a mistake to become attached to anyone here, captors and hostages alike.  He knows that situations like this always end badly.

At the same time, Roxane Coss has discovered that one of Mr. Hosokawa's colleagues at his electronics firm is an excellent pianist, and would be happy to accompany her so that she could practice.  All she needs now is sheet music.  She approaches Messner with a list she wishes him to convey to her management in Italy.

The young priest in the house, Father Arguedas, overhears her request to Messner as it is translated by Gen, Mr. Hosokawa's translator.  He rushes to insert himself into the conversation and struggles to get Gen's attention.  His friend lives two miles away and is a music librarian.  Father Arguedas' friend Manuel can get them the Chopin, the Faure, the Bellini, Verdi and Puccini, that they want and more besides. He's so eager to help because he became a priest so that he could help others:  that is his reason for being.  But his great interest, his great comfort, his great passion is opera.  He, like Mr. Hosokawa, is a little in love with Roxanne Coss.  The beauty of her singing moves them so greatly, that love and deference occur to them naturally.

It was at this point that I burst into tears.