Synopsis:

In 1965, on a small island in the South China Sea, a group of astronomers gather to witness the passing of a comet, but when a young boy dies during a meteor shower, the lives of the scientists and their loved ones change in subtle yet profound ways. Denise struggles for respect in her professional life; married Eli becomes increasingly attracted to Denise and her quixotic mind; and young Lydia attempts to escape the scientists’ long-casting shadows. We visit these characters in six-year intervals as the comet loops around the sun. Andrew Sean Greer’s remarkable and sweeping first novel is an exploration of chances taken and lost, of love found and broken, and of time’s subtle gravitational pull on the lives of everyday and extraordinary people.

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Topics/Categories:

Astronomy, Comets, Death, Love, Meteor Showers, Risk, Science, Self-Discovery, Time

Type of Work:

Book Novel

Publishers:

Picador USA

Purchase From:

Powells

Original Publish Date:

2002-10-04

ISBNs:

9780312306052

Reading Guides:

http://www.andrewgreer.com/?page_id=54

Formats:

Paperback