Christof, Christophe, Christopher, and Cristofol are four brothers--sons of the same father and four very different mothers--yet none of them knows of the others' existence. They live in four different cities: Frankfurt, Paris, London, and Barcelona. Unbeknownst to them, they have one thing in common: Gabriel Delacruz--a truck driver--abandoned them when they were little and they never heard from him again.
Then one day, Cristofol is contacted by the police: his father is officially a missing person. This fact leads him to discover that he has three half-brothers, and the four young men come together for the first time. Two decades have passed since their father last saw any of them. They barely remember what he was like, but they decide to look for him to resolve their doubts. Why did he abandon them? Why do all four have the same name? Did he intend for them to meet?
Divided by geography yet united by blood, the "Christophers" set out on a quest that is at once painful, hilarious, and extraordinary. They discover a man who during thirty years of driving was able to escape the darkness of Franco's Spain and to explore a luminous Europe, a journey that, with the birth of his sons, both opened and broke his heart.

A slighted wife escapes her wealthy family for the evening and stumbles into the city's red-light district... The head of security at Barcelona's container port searches for a figure that only he has seen sneak in... An elderly woman brings home a machine that will turn her body into atoms, so she can leave behind a city that is no longer recognisable... Historically, Barcelona is a city of resistance and independence; a focal point for Catalan identity, as well as the capital of Spanish republicanism. Nestled between the Mediterranean coast and mountains, this burgeoning city has also been home to some of the greatest names in modern art and architecture, and attracts visitors and migrants from all over the world. As a result, the city is a melting-pot of cultures, and the stories gathered here offer a miscellany of form and genre, fittingly reminiscent of one of Gaudi's mosaics. From the boy-giant outgrowing his cramped flat on the city's outskirts, to the love affair that begins in a launderette, we meet characters who are reclaiming the independence of their city by challenging common misconceptions and telling its myriad truths.

Christof, Christophe, Christopher and Cristofol are four brothers - sons of the same father and four very different mothers, yet none of them knows of the others' existence. When they learn that their father has been declared missing, they come together for the first time and attempt to reconstruct his life.

"Reading this playful portrait of Leo Messi reminded me how extraordinary every minute was that I spent by his side." PEP GUARDIOLA SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR In 22 short chapters, acclaimed Catalan writer Jordi Punti explores the beauty, the genius and the obsession of Lionel Messi. He takes us from the near-mythical scenery of a South American footballing youth to the glory and the struggle of a life on the international stage, capturing along the way our enduring desire to relive our experience of the beautiful game. "Jordi Punti's stunning tribute to Lionel Messi will captivate football aficionados as well as fans of fine writing." Ian Sansom, Spectator "This is brilliant - I've been telling everyone about this book." Simon Critchley, author of What We Think About When We Think About Football "There's nobody better to write this book - which doesn't aim to explain Messi but to enjoy him... A joyous read." Simon Kuper, co-author of Soccernomics "An eloquent celebration that can remind us of the thrill of a close encounter with a player whose skills have often led him to be described as 'alien'." David Horspool, Times Literary Supplement