The prose and storytelling is beautiful, the characters are complicated and interesting (excluding the main character, unfortunately), the subplots are vivid and the food ideas make me craving. So what went wrong? For me, the novel really has no cathartic moment. There simply is no reason why this story should be told, where is the message I should get from it. One man lives selfishly and yet, he is rich and everybody come to terms with him at the end. But why? So the experience I am taking from this novel is that how valuable the kindness of the side characters is. How strong Lisa, the main character's wife, is; how forgiving their three sons are. How faithful are the higher powers trying to connect with the main character of José María Álvarez until the very end.

Private banking has always been and will always be a business of secrets and discretion. But we've now entered a new era of transparency between nations and between private institutions and the public that has caused all of that to change. This is an odd place to start a review of a lyrical and moving, character-driven novel. But at the heart of this book are the secrets that sustain us as individuals and that sustain our businesses and support fortunes, and how they also eat us alive.

This isn't just a book about a Spanish banker, José María Álvarez, who comes to terms with his mortality. It's about a man coming to terms with his morality -- his creed and ethos. Is he a good man? I think he ism ultimately. But the reader would have to be charitable about that. He has certainly meant well. But he has also gone into partnership with narcotics dealers, weapons dealers and tax evaders and built a legacy so tarnished that none of his sons want much part of it.

This is a fun book, it explores big issues of personality and society and there are lush descriptions of Spanish life that evoke Hemingway, including salmon fishing adventures, crave-inducing meals (this is the author of "The 100 Foot Journey," after all) and a remarkable cameo by Franco.

I was fortunate to read this book in gallows, months ago, and am only reviewing it today, from memory. I can attest that it's a book that stays with you and that's rare.

Sorry, this novel is not for me....I couldn't connect with the main character and I didn't find the story particularly interesting.

This book shines on every level: sentence after sentence is beautiful and precise. The characters are complicated and sympathetic, the ideas are sweeping and profound, but are never too overt. It’s a rare novel that is as accomplished in its meaning as it is in its storytelling while also succeeding wildly on the language level as well! A novel to lose yourself in and then reflect upon again and again.

Absolutely loved the characters, the rich setting, and the plot. We would read anything Morais writes. He is a master at revealing information the moment you can't stand to live without it a moment longer. Great fall day read.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "The Man With No Borders".

This book did top my favorite reads this year, however I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.

Thank you so much!

A good read for fans of the genre- a dying man looking back over his life. In this case, Jose Maria Alvarez is a Spanish banker living in Switzerland, adding a different level of complexity to the tale. Well written and sympathetic characters.

Jose Maria Alvarez, a Spanish banker living in Switzerland with his American wife, reflects on his complicated life and relationships as he faces his final days. At the heart of this novel is fly fishing: lessons learned, grudges unsettled, rivers discovered. Some passages of this lovely story read like poetry, with foreshadowing delicately and subtlety disclosed. The family dynamic is honest and relatable and had me turning the final pages with cheers and tears. I nearly gave up on this book after the first chapter, as the underlying plot currently hit a bit too close-to-home, but I am so happy to have finished it. I will certainly be recommending it to others, in hopes that it receives the recognition it deserves.

Thank you to Net Galley and Little A Publishing for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. A rich banker at the end of his life regrets the failures of his youth and travels back one more time to his native lands to amend them. Loved the rich writing and characters and the history.