I'm normally a bit wary of Booker prize winners, but I saw some of Harvey's acceptance speech and then really wanted to then see her writing. It wasn't a disappointment. She writes beautifully. I'm a fast reader but with this book I really slowed my pace and took my time, because I wanted to enjoy the language. I did have to let go of the fact that there isn't very much of a 'story'...though there are elements of a story, and it could have gone further, but I resigned myself early on to there being no completion for me in the book. It didn't matter. What I was enjoying was the experience of being on the space station, of looking down and observing the earth. There were aspects of space life I hadn't really thought about, and whilst I know this isn't a real life account, it felt believable, and I am sure she had done lots of research to get to the point of writing this. But it didn't feel research heavy. Nor did it feel like she was on any kind of bid to win a book award, which is something I sometimes sense with the prize winners. It just felt like a love letter to earth. And to space. And to language. I loved it.
Author: Samantha Harvey
ISBN: 9781529922936
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