Baudolino. Umberto Eco. Harcourt, 2000.

From the author of The Name of the Rose, this is the story of a man who saves the lives of a historian and high court official in Istanbul during the Fourth Crusade, in 1204 C.E. Born a simple peasant, Baudolina has two skills -- a talent for learning languages and a skill at telling lies -- both of which come into play with wit and humor.