Sea of Tranquility
Emily St. John MandelThree different characters in three different times (the 20th, 21st and 23rd centuries) have unusual experiences that leave them perplexed and change the course of the rest of their lives. In 1912, Edwin is sent to Canada following a family disagreement on colonial matters; in 2020, receptionist Mirella is confronted with impossible developments in a video performance, and in 2203 novelist Olive encounters a new contagious disease on her book tour. All three characters also encounter a mysterious stranger while hearing violin music and background noises reminiscent of a railway station. Finally, in 2401, Gaspery, born in the Lunar Colony in the Sea of Tranquility, goes to work for the Time Institute and finds himself conflicted between his duties for the institute and his compassion for the people he is supposed to observe. An intriguing story, stretching your imagination and challenging you to balance the book’s fantasy world with existing reality.