The Situation: In 1912, Edwin St. Andrew finds himself on a trip away from his family and home in England, though he knows to think of it as a 'trip' would mean he hopes to return, but that probably will not happen. One day, he takes a walk through a forest, and over eight decades later, a young girl will take a similar walk through that same forest, recording on a camera as she goes. In the year 2203, writer Olive Llewellyn will be participating in a book tour on Earth, talking about her latest science fiction novel, as she misses her husband and daughter at their home in one of the colonies on the moon. Little does she know that she has something in common with Edwin St. Andrew in 1912, and the teenage girl in 1994. She may not find out everything, but what she learns will be enough to change the direction of her life.
The Problem: An anomaly has occurred in North America, back on Earth, and Gaspery Roberts has been hired to investigate it, though it really isn't his area. This kind of thing is really more Zoey's deal, his older sister. But Zoey is the one who brought him in, and after extensive training and research, Gaspbery is sent away from his home in Colony Two of Earth's moon, also known as the Night City, to find out more about what is going on. If Zoey is right, what happened to Edwin, the young girl, and the science fiction writer could be more than a simple coincidence. Instead, it would change everything about how we view life and the universe.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set across history (as early as 1912) and as far into the future as 2401. For the first half of the book, the events occur in a chronological order. But once the primary characters are introduced and their situations are established, the story begins to move around, changing locations as it changes time. Gaspbery does not become the focus of the story until about 100 pages in, though his presence certainly brings a fair amount of focus and clarity to what is going on. And readers of The Glass Hotel, another one of Mandel's novels, may recognize a handful of characters.
My Verdict: I was somewhat anxious about jumping into this book, mostly because it is science fiction, but I was excited that it was one of Mandel's, and that it was also less than 300 pages. The simple, yet extraordinary and vivid settings that I have come to expect from Mandel were immediately clear and present. Each shift in time has been given its own distinct feel, with the scenes that are closer to our own time feeling familiar, and those far off in the future feeling both strange and possible. And as someone who had issues with one character in particular from The Glass Hotel, I was glad for the callback. Mandel takes a subject and theme that is often overdone, or simply not handled well, and not only managed to craft an absorbing story, but one that is clever and original.
Favorite Moment: I have already mentioned it, kind of...but I enjoyed reading about Paul Smith, a character from The Glass Hotel, and seeing how he is managing his life. It is a brief encounter, but it is something.
Favorite Character: Gaspbery's sister Zoey is the person in your high school class who you know is going to do something great with their life. They will excel at whatever they choose to do, and it is accepted that they simply know more than everyone else, and they somehow aren't annoying about it.
Recommended Reading: I wonder what it would have been like to read this book first, and then read The Glass Hotel...someone out there must tell me about it. Of course, I also recommend Station Eleven, though be warned, it is about a deadly virus that nearly wipes out humanity.
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