Expo 58

A tale of Cold War love and intrigue by Jonathan Coe, “probably the best English novelist of his generation” (Nick Hornby).

Handsome but naive Englishman Thomas Foley is an employee at the Ministry of Information whose particular biography (Belgian mother, pub-owner father) makes him just the chap to oversee the "authentic British pub" that his country will be erecting at the Brussels 1958 World's Fair. It's the first major expo after WWII, meant to signify unity, but under the shadow of a mind-bending structure called Atomium, U.S. and Soviet delegations plot against each other. Foley becomes both agent and pawn--when he's not falling in love with his charming Belgian expo hostess.

Funny, surprising, and moving, Expo 58 is both a deft evocation of a moment in post-war history and a display of Coe's seamless storytelling skills.