WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024 • A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
New York Times Book Review Book Club Pick | Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show Book Club Pick
Winner of the prestigious 2024 Hawthornden Prize and shortlisted for various acclaimed awards, including the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction, "Orbital" has even made it to Barack Obama's list of favorite books for 2024.
This remarkable work by Betty Trask Prize-winner Samantha Harvey is a profound meditation on the intricate relationship between space and life on Earth, told through the eyes of six astronauts embarking on a 24-hour journey around our planet.
As they travel at a breathtaking speed of over seventeen thousand miles an hour, these astronauts come from diverse backgrounds – America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan. Having temporarily left their earthly lives behind, we are given a window into their experiences through fleeting communications with loved ones, the cherished photos they carry, and the personal talismans that ground them in their memories. We watch their day unfold as they prepare dehydrated meals, float effortlessly in glorious zero gravity, and engage in disciplined routines designed to stave off muscle atrophy.
Throughout this slender yet powerful narrative, we see these astronauts bond in ways that counter the loneliness of space travel. Their collective experiences of witnessing sixteen stunning sunrises and sunsets, alongside the rhythmic beauty of distant constellations, create a contrasting sense of isolation and companionship that is both poignant and relatable.
In essence, "Orbital" is more than just a tale of space travel; it is a deeply moving elegy for our planet, prompting readers to reflect on their own lives and the environment that sustains us all. Harvey's prose is “ravishingly beautiful,” making this book a treasure not just for space enthusiasts, but for anyone who values the connection between humanity and the cosmos.
