Though this is only the second book I’ve read by her, a consider myself a big fan of Emily St. John Mandel’s writing. She has a remarkable way of conveying big and even devastating emotions and events in the most understated and elegant way.

This is a book that crosses time and space but still manages to capture the delicate details of individual lives. There are connections here to Station Eleven and apparently to The Glass Hotel, but you don’t need to have read either of those books to enjoy this (though if you really haven’t read Station Eleven yet, I would urge you to do so—it’s one of my favorite books of recent years). There’s a touch of The Time Traveler’s Wife in this as well (another book I was suprised to enjoy so much). I don’t know how Mandel is able to draw her characters so compassionately and dispassionately at the same time, but she seems to pull it off, and her style really works for me. I enjoyed the book tremendously.

Further reading…