In the epic 'Son of Nobody,' Yann Martel gives footnotes a starring role
In the epic 'Son of Nobody,' Yann Martel gives footnotes a starring role  
Podcast: NPR's Book of the Day
Published On: Wed Apr 01 2026
Description: Yann Martel’s new novel Son of Nobody contains two narratives: a lost epic about the Trojan War and a personal tragedy that plays out in the book’s footnotes. The two protagonists are Psoas, a common Greek foot soldier, and Harlow Donne, a graduate student who discovers Psoas’ story by chance. In today’s episode, Martel joins NPR’s Scott Simon for a conversation about the author’s decision to give footnotes a “starring role” in the novel and whether war gives his characters a sense of purpose.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayTo manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy