Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In the near future, a young computer programmer finds her mother's body sprawled on the kitchen floor in Queens. Her unusual journey through grief begins when she decides to translate an old Tamil manuscript about a group of female medical students, surviving a drought at the edge of war, as they endeavor to save their town--and the world--through a vision of radical compassion. In the process, her story and the manuscript start to become entangled.
Living in a world powered by artificially intelligent systems--autonomous cars, carbon-footprint monitoring--where entertainment has merged with the military in the form of a popular reality TV show, she must question her own moral compass and ideas about goodness when she's faced with the arrival of a houseless veteran, a strange AI project at work, and the return of a childhood friend she hasn't spoken to in almost a decade. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Written in vivid and pulsating prose, alternating between the protagonist's present life and passages of the manuscript in translation, Akil Kumarasamy's The Island is a remarkable, genre-bending exploration of memory, war, technology, friendship, love, consciousness, and the challenges of caring for others in an age where we are so often lost in our own minds.
Synopsis
Written in vivid and pulsating prose, alternating between the protagonist's present life and passages of the manuscript in translation, Akil Kumarasamy's Meet Us by the Roaring Sea is a remarkable, genre-bending exploration of memory, war, technology, friendship, love, consciousness, and the challenges of caring for others in an age where we are so often lost in our own minds.
In the near future, a young computer programmer finds her mother's body sprawled on the kitchen floor in Queens. Her unusual journey through grief begins when she decides to translate an old Tamil manuscript about a group of female medical students, surviving a drought at the edge of war, as they endeavor to save their town--and the world--through a vision of radical compassion. In the process, her story and the manuscript start to become entangled.
Living in a world powered by artificially intelligent systems--autonomous cars, carbon-footprint monitoring--where entertainment has merged with the military in the form of a popular reality TV show, she must question her own moral compass and ideas about goodness when she's faced with the arrival of a houseless veteran, a strange AI project at work, and the return of a childhood friend she hasn't spoken to in almost a decade. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Synopsis
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, TV for a way back into herself. Along the way, she translates an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Soon, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Written in vivid and pulsating prose, alternating between her present life and passages of the translated manuscript, Meet Us by the Roaring Sea is a remarkable, genre-bending exploration of memory, technology, friendship, love, consciousness, and the costs of caring for others in an age where we are so often lost in the swamps of our own minds.
Synopsis
"A rare gift from one of our most brilliant writers . . . This deeply intelligent novel will expand your perception of history, gender, the atrocities of war and the interconnectedness of our human story." --Kali Fajardo-Anstine
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Along the way, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Written in vivid and pulsating prose, alternating between the young woman's present life and passages of the translated manuscript, Akil Kumarasamy's Meet Us by the Roaring Sea is a remarkable, genre-bending exploration of memory, technology, friendship, love, consciousness, and the costs of caring for others in an age when we are so often lost in the swamps of our own minds.
Synopsis
A spellbinding book. --Megha Majumdar
"A rare gift from one of our most brilliant writers." --Kali Fajardo-Anstine
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Along the way, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Written in vivid and pulsating prose, alternating between the young woman's present life and passages of the translated manuscript, Akil Kumarasamy's Meet Us by the Roaring Sea is a remarkable, genre-bending exploration of memory, technology, friendship, love, consciousness, and the costs of caring for others in an age when we are so often lost in the swamps of our own minds.
Synopsis
A spellbinding book. --Megha Majumdar
Akil Kumarasamy is a singular talent . . . I love this book. --Cathy Park Hong
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Along the way, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Written in vivid and pulsating prose, alternating between the young woman's present life and passages of the translated manuscript, Akil Kumarasamy's Meet Us by the Roaring Sea is a remarkable, genre-bending exploration of memory, technology, friendship, love, consciousness, and the costs of caring for others in an age when we are so often lost in the swamps of our own minds.
Synopsis
A spellbinding book. --Megha Majumdar
Akil Kumarasamy is a singular talent . . . I love this book. --Cathy Park Hong
Written in vivid and pulsating prose, alternating between the young woman's present life and passages of the translated manuscript, Akil Kumarasamy's Meet Us by the Roaring Sea is a remarkable, genre-bending exploration of memory, technology, friendship, love, consciousness, and the costs of caring for others in an age when we are so often lost in the swamps of our own minds.
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Along the way, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Synopsis
A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE
A spellbinding book. --Megha Majumdar
Akil Kumarasamy is a singular talent. --Cathy Park Hong
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Along the way, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Synopsis
New York Times Editors' Choice 2022
An NPR Books We Love 2022
"A spellbinding book." --Megha Majumdar
"Akil Kumarasamy is a singular talent." --Cathy Park Hong
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Along the way, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?
Synopsis
New York Times Editors' Choice 2022
An NPR Books We Love 2022
Shortlisted for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction
Longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
"A spellbinding book." --Megha Majumdar
"Akil Kumarasamy is a singular talent." --Cathy Park Hong
In the near future, a young woman finds her mother's body starfished on the kitchen floor in Queens and sets on a journey through language, archives, artificial intelligence, and TV for a way back into herself. She begins to translate an old manuscript about a group of female medical students--living through a drought and at the edge of the war--as they create a new way of existence to help the people around them. In the process, the translator's life and the manuscript begin to become entangled.
Along the way, the arrival of a childhood friend, a stranger, and an unusual AI project will force her to question her own moral compass and sense of goodness. How involved are we in the suffering of others? What does real compassion look like? How do you make a better world?