It begins with Peter, a
devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one
that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed
in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an
enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a
seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous
illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings—his Bible is their “book of
strange new things.” But Peter is rattled when Bea’s letters from home
become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating
whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea’s faith, once the
guiding light of their lives, begins to falter.
Suddenly, a
separation measured by an otherworldly distance, and defined both by one
newly discovered world and another in a state of collapse, is
threatened by an ever-widening gulf that is much less quantifiable.
While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the
desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling for survival. Their
trials lay bare a profound meditation on faith, love tested beyond
endurance, and our responsibility to those closest to us.
This is not Crimson Petal and the White, so if you
go into it thinking that’s what you’re going to get, you’ll be disappointed.
This is, however, a fascinating novel that leaves the reader with many
questions.
Faber’s writing style always captures my attention.
There’s something about the way he structures his scenes, even his sentences, that
make the novel read smoothly and without allowing it to become dull even once.
For a book of the size this one is, this is a great virtue.
I enjoyed his descriptions of Oasis and its
inhabitants, because although he paints a vivid picture, he doesn’t bog down
the narrative with too much description. In fantasy or sci fi novels this can
be tricky to achieve. The only thing that was slightly frustrating was the insertion
of strange characters to represent the way the Oasans pronounced certain words.
I understand what it’s supposed to stand for, but it makes the reading experience
less smooth. It’s a bit distracting.
The characters are not too likeable, so don’t expect
to fall in love with any of them. I particularly didn’t enjoy Bea, who becomes
a whiny brat as the story progresses, but Peter, with his incessant Bible quoting
is no fieldtrip either. Still, they are real characters who have faults and
dimensions, which allow them to pop out of the narrative.
This is a novel that I really do recommend.
"Calm down, Joe. They don't like it when a guy comes on too strong."
With the looming shadow
of Edgar Allan Poe falling over one family, Gregory takes the reader
into a world of uncertainty and fear.
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