Cecile Pin

A Novel

Wandering Souls

Celestial Lights

'Exquisite and deeply felt' VOGUE 'Beautifully rendered' GRAZIA 'Magnificent ... melds sharp insight with great heart' NICOLA DINAN 'Thoughtful and beautifully compelling' ALICE WINN A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about ambition, love and space from the award-winning author of the Women's Prize longlisted Wandering Souls. 28 January, 1986: Moments after launch, the Challenger shuttle falls from the sky. At the same time, in a small English village, Oliver Ines is born. Ollie spends his childhood in a bedroom covered in glow-in-the-dark wallpaper, bearing the planets and stars. Decades later, he has become one of the most renowned astronauts of his time. When an enterprising billionaire approaches him to lead a landmark, ten-year mission to the distant moon Europa, Ollie cannot resist the call of history. As the mission advances deeper into uncharted territory, Ollie finds himself retreating into the past: his school days and years in the Navy, relationships found and lost, becoming a husband and father. But will the world he remembers still be waiting for him when he returns? Celestial Lights is a breathtaking story of fate, love, and sacrifice that questions what we owe ourselves and our loved ones, when our ambitions and loyalties collide. 'Truly lovely ... the scope of an epic' JO HAMYA, author of The Hypocrite 'A wonderful and singular reading experience' JENNY MUSTARD, author of What A Time To Be Alive 'Incredible ... stayed with me long after the page' RED MAGAZINE 'Atmospheric, original, and beautiful' ELA LEE, author of Minbak 'Masterful ... I was totally absorbed from start to finish' JYOTI PATEL, author of The Things That We Lost 'A moving story that stays with you' ROMALYN ANTE, author of Agimat 'Stunning, exhilarating and unforgettable' ELIANA RAMAGE, author of To the Moon and Back

Celestial Lights Hb

A coming-of-age tale inspired by Odysseus set both on Earth and in space, Celestial Lights is perfect for fans of Orbital and Normal People. Oliver Ines is one of the most renowned astronauts of all time, having embarked on a mission further into the cosmos than anyone has ever been. Celestial Lights is his story. Born on January 28, 1986, at the same time the Challenger shuttle fell out of the sky and into the sea, it seems that his journey into space was almost preordained. His idyllic childhood in a small English village takes place against the backdrop of his bedroom's glow-in-the-dark wallpaper upon which planets and rocket ships shine brightly. During college and later a stint in the Navy, his fascination with the celestial sharpens into a focus often mistaken for aloofness. Still, he is able to make lasting bonds with a close friend and eventually a wife, a scientist, uncovering ways of life, with whom he is playful and tender. When an enterprising billionaire taps him to train to become an astronaut and later lead a mission to Europa, Oliver makes the choice to leave her and his loved ones behind. Aboard his spacecraft, he is accompanied by only three crew members who mightily depend on each other. But as commander, he must once again hold himself apart. Oliver details the voyage in a private log, and unreachable by anyone on Earth, he mourns those he leaves behind, to a present that is happening without him, while dreaming of a future that can only happen because of him. Celestial Lights is a portrait of a complicated man whose vision and unparalleled understanding of the universe don't always translate into stellar relationships on Earth. It explores the sacrifices required to achieve greatness—but more importantly, the idea that greatness is not always what it seems. This breathtaking tale which reveals how personal choices can send a world spinning, will make every reader lift their head to the night sky and marvel while also cherishing the connections that make our planet home.

‘Exquisite and deeply felt’ VOGUE ‘Beautifully rendered’ GRAZIA ‘Magnificent ... melds sharp insight with great heart’ NICOLA DINAN ‘Thoughtful and beautifully compelling’ ALICE WINN A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about ambition, love and space from the award-winning author of the Women’s Prize longlisted Wandering Souls.

När de sista amerikanska soldaterna har lämnat Vietnam inleder syskonen Anh, Thanh och Minh en riskabel resa till Hong Kong. Deras föräldrar och yngre syskon ska snart komma efter, men tragedin slår till och de tre syskonen står med ens föräldralösa. Barnen hamnar i England, först i överfyllda flyktingläger och förläggningar och därefter i ett kokande London. Margaret Thatcher är premiärminister och vill hellre ta emot vita flyktingar från Rhodesia, staden slits sönder av sociala orättvisor och växande främlingshat. I sin kamp att finna en identitet får de tre allt svårare att hålla ihop. Cecile Pin berättar omväxlande poetiskt och sakligt, dokumentärt och meditativt om en familj som krossas av krig och förlust men där hoppet om ett värdigt liv lever kvar i spillrorna. Cecile Pin växte upp i Paris och New York. Som artonåring flyttade hon till London för att studera filosofi och senare arbeta på bokförlag. Vandrande själar, hennes första roman, är på väg ut i ett flertal länder.

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