Safe Return Doubtful

Six astronauts in a space station orbit our planet over the course of a single day, existing in a sort of trance; weightless, outside of time, transfixed and astonished by the “ringing singing lightness” of the countries of the world they see below.

In some ways, its the height of contrivance, but who could be in a better situation to observe the beauty of the planet, and the destruction caused by its population.

Muted ripples emerge in the plot, the mother of the Japanese engineer has just died, one of the Russians has discovered a lump on his neck, some are on their way to a moon-landing, but the large part of the book is not plot-driven.

Harvey presents the reader with a counundrum, opportunity or crisis, and in such a way that the novel is one that will stay in the mind a long time, a concise lament and invocation as to the urgence of our times.