A masterpiece that moves between memory and history to trace a profound inquiry into the immeasurability of life. An exceptional reflection on the stories and chance encounters that shape us. A book that expands life.

"Sometimes I'm surprised by why we insist on returning to the beginnings; why we search for the particular thread we could pull to unravel the tapestry we consider our life." That is precisely what the author sets out to do in these pages: to unravel his own existence, a journey that will take him from H.G. Wells to the beginnings of nuclear physics; from his father's captivity in Japan, a prisoner of war subjected to forced labor, to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima; from genocide and colonization in Tasmania to his revelatory experience as a student in the United Kingdom.

Richard Flanagan uses a unique blend of genres to explore key moments in 20th-century history and his family history, crafting a dazzling narrative that speaks to the immeasurable power of love and how much our lives depend on the stories we tell ourselves or are told. A book hailed by many as a masterpiece, in which literature invites us to find meaning in an uncertain world.