Paperback, 272 pages
English language
Published July 4, 2017 by Random House.
Augustine, a brilliant, aging astronomer, is consumed by the stars. For years he has lived in remote outposts, studying the sky for evidence of how the universe began. At his latest posting, in a research center in the Arctic, rumors of war arrive. The scientists are forced to evacuate, but Augustine stubbornly refuses to abandon his work. Shortly after the others have gone, Augustine discovers a mysterious child, Iris, and realizes the airwaves have gone silent. They are alone.
At the same time, Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether on its return flight from Jupiter. The astronauts are the first human beings to delve this deep into space, and Sully has made peace with the sacrifices required of her: a daughter left behind, a marriage ended. So far the journey has been a success, but when Mission Control falls inexplicably silent, Sully and her crew mates are forced to …
Augustine, a brilliant, aging astronomer, is consumed by the stars. For years he has lived in remote outposts, studying the sky for evidence of how the universe began. At his latest posting, in a research center in the Arctic, rumors of war arrive. The scientists are forced to evacuate, but Augustine stubbornly refuses to abandon his work. Shortly after the others have gone, Augustine discovers a mysterious child, Iris, and realizes the airwaves have gone silent. They are alone.
At the same time, Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether on its return flight from Jupiter. The astronauts are the first human beings to delve this deep into space, and Sully has made peace with the sacrifices required of her: a daughter left behind, a marriage ended. So far the journey has been a success, but when Mission Control falls inexplicably silent, Sully and her crew mates are forced to wonder if they will ever get home.
As Augustine and Sully each face an uncertain future against forbidding yet beautiful landscapes, their stories gradually intertwine in a profound and unexpected conclusion. In crystalline prose, Good Morning, Midnight poses the most important questions: What endures at the end of the world? How do we make sense of our lives?
I did not enjoy this as much as the subsequent The Light Pirate; similar themes of aging in disaster, the tenuousness of our ability to stay in communication and relation, and evocative desolate scenery, but with more convoluted and ultimately unnecessary and shaky setting and plot complications.
This is an original, engrossing, superbly written novel, an amazing accomplishment for an author's fiction debut. If anything, I loved this book even more than The Light Pirate, which I'd read previously and also given five stars. I was so involved with Good Morning, Midnight that I devoured the whole thing in only three sittings — and now I think I might start over and read it again! I can't remember the last time I've done that with a novel, if ever.
As a caution, I suppose this book might not be for everyone. It's at least part science fiction, and some of the science is admittedly sketchy. That didn't bother me, however, because the characters were so finely drawn and believable, especially when they're put into difficult or challenging situations. Most of all, I greatly admired the author's courage to portray attitudes within her two protagonists that are not …
This is an original, engrossing, superbly written novel, an amazing accomplishment for an author's fiction debut. If anything, I loved this book even more than The Light Pirate, which I'd read previously and also given five stars. I was so involved with Good Morning, Midnight that I devoured the whole thing in only three sittings — and now I think I might start over and read it again! I can't remember the last time I've done that with a novel, if ever.
As a caution, I suppose this book might not be for everyone. It's at least part science fiction, and some of the science is admittedly sketchy. That didn't bother me, however, because the characters were so finely drawn and believable, especially when they're put into difficult or challenging situations. Most of all, I greatly admired the author's courage to portray attitudes within her two protagonists that are not necessarily comfortable for us to contemplate in people we might otherwise admire or relate to. That's a refreshing choice.
