Maxim Jakubowski's April 2015 Book of the Month.
Following the multi-award nominations of her 4th novel, the subtle post-apocalyptic Station Eleven, Mandel's earlier novels are finally being released in the UK and this, her first, is a poignant masterpiece (the other two, equally worthy of attention are The Singer's Gun and The Lola Quartet). A bleak but enchanting tale of lost souls, fathers and daughters, existential detectives, dancers and drifters set against the emptiness of the American (and Canadian) dream, it's a tale that weaves fragile connections between its characters and parallel stories, not quite a crime investigation -although crimes do take place-, not quite a love story -although love is the engine of the plot. Inevitable sadness, transient joys, most of all this is about the hole inside our souls and it affected me deeply. I might not have have made it sound terribly cheerful but be brave and jump into Mandel's fascinating world.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
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