Orbital
About the book
Author: Samantha Harvey
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (Grove Atlantic)
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print) | Libro.fm (audio)
My Review
Short but deeply moving, Orbital is about a small crew of people from different countries on a ship that orbits the Earth several times in a single day. Below, their loved ones go about their lives. Below, a catastrophic tsunami approaches Asia. They pass these things over and over again.
This book is all vibes/no plot in outer space. Make no mistake, it’s not science fiction; this is literary fiction through and through. Harvey has given us a breathtaking meditation on what makes us human, what connects us, and our beloved planet Earth.
This one really took me by surprise, y’all. I loved it. Read it slowly and savor it — trust me.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Death of a parent/grief