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The Lightest Object In the Universe


July 15

7 PM

Kimi Eisele

The Lightest Object In the Universe

"A triumphant story for anyone with a shred of faith left in the human spirit." --David McGlynn, author of One Day You'll Thank Me What if the end times allowed people to see and build the world anew? This is the landscape that Kimi Eisele creates in her surprising and original debut novel. Evoking the spirit of such monumental love stories as Cold Mountain and the creative vision of novels like Station ElevenThe Lightest Object in the Universeimagines what happens after the global economy collapses and the electrical grid goes down. 





"A near-future apocalypse forms the backdrop for an intense, moving romance in Eisele's smart debut . . . Fans of Station Eleven will particularly enjoy this hopeful vision of a postapocalyptic world where there is danger, but also the possibility for ideas to spread, community to blossom, and people to not just survive, but thrive." 
-- Publishers Weekly 

"This is Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain crossed with Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven. Filled with luminous writing and messages of love and hope, this story will motivate everyone to sharpen their ham radio skills." 
-- Library Journal 

-- New York Journal of Books 

"Kimi Eisele's first novel is a love story set in a landscape where everything (government, history, infrastructure) has collapsed--except our need for one another and the struggle to persevere. In such a world, love may be on the run, but it can still be a transforming force. What's required is a kind of faith: in ourselves, in one another, in a future that is no more or less uncertain than it has always been. The experience of humanity, in other words, which Eisele brings to every page of this deeply moving narrative." 
-- David L. Ulin, author of Sidewalking: Coming to Terms with Los Angeles 

"It might be an oxymoron to call an apocalyptic novel hopeful, but The Lightest Object in the Universe is a testament to the power of love in the darkest times. Like a near-future Cold Mountain, it's the story of a man's epic journey to reunite with the woman he loves, and a woman's determination to reimagine and rebuild after the fall. There's horror, yes, but more moments of ingenuity, generosity, and grace. I couldn't put it down." 
-- Sheri Holman, author of Witches on the Road Tonight 

"A tale told in sentences starkly declarative of the gone world they describe, The Lightest Object in the Universe offers characters that linger long after the final page is turned. This is a novel with that exact balance of heart and momentum. Dazzling." 
-- Christian Kiefer, author of The Animals 

"Post-apocalyptic stories are all the rage, but Kimi Eisele's novel is a rarity. Her people don't merely wander across a blighted wasteland; they form communities, till the soil, send their voices into the ether, and cling tenaciously to hope. The Lightest Object in the Universe is a triumphant story for anyone with a shred of faith left in the human spirit." 
-- David McGlynn, author of One Day You'll Thank Me


Event date: 
Monday, July 15, 2019 - 7:00pm
Event address: 
80 West Portal Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94127
The Lightest Object in the Universe: A Novel Cover Image
ISBN: 9781616207939
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Algonquin Books - July 9th, 2019