British Literature – published November 2026
In this, his debut novel, Eastham portrays a Greek island as a refuge being built for the super-rich who seek sanctuary from political bickering, war and environmental uncertainty.
The narrator is a struggling writer and teacher who is grieving the death of his wife. He is hired to assist Finn Reith, a renowned artist commissioned to give the project its artistic stamp that fits in the with ancient Greek culture. As he begins his research of the island, he finds out that it was once the location of Harmonia, a utopian workers’ settlement that collapsed before completion. The site is the brainchild of billionaire Thanasis Morel, whose mission statement of building ‘a new world’ contrasts sharply with the questionable origins of his fortune. As the narrator reveals his research he introduces a cast of memorable characters.
It’s very much a novel of our times, as in the background there is a refugee crisis, pandemics, rising extremism, conspiracies and violent uprisings. Eastham is not attempting to describe what a modern utopia may be like, rather, to investigate why certain people would want to insulate themselves in private worlds, to insert their heads into the sand..
Something of it reminds me of the David Byrne lyric, ‘And as things fell apart, Nobody paid much attention.’
My GoodReads score 4 / 5
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