RaveThe San Francisco Examiner... is itself transcendent. Tragedy coexists with hope. Hope exists only due to the astonishing intelligence and determination of the main character. The book tells the story of an immigrant family from Ghana. It is also an absorbing rumination on the role of science, religion, racism, addiction, depression and spirituality in shaping human lives ... The novel’s power derives not just from its beautiful prose, but its emotional intimacy. Gifty deciphers her family’s tragedies and ponders her relationship with her brave, but broken mother. Gifty’s story is a journey of reflection and healing ... allows us to witness the bittersweet peace that comes from her hard-won understanding.
Julia Phillips
RaveThe San Francisco Examiner... intense, evocative and haunting ... The captivating book conveys the unique ethos of this remote region ... Phillips gives voice to the struggles of women navigating their increasing challenging daily lives in Kamchatka ... he fate of all three girls is told in the story’s stunning conclusion. However, the novel’s power derives from the slow unveiling of its characters. They are isolated yet connected, like Kamchatka itself. Phillips’ great achievement in Disappearing Earth is that she convincingly transports readers into their world.
