Wandering Souls

'Exquisite and deeply felt'VOGUE'Beautifully rendered'GRAZIA'Magnificent ... melds sharp insight with great heart' NICOLA DINAN'Thoughtful and beautifully compelling'ALICE WINNA beautiful, heartbreaking novel about ambition, love and space from the award-winning author of the Women's Prize longlisted Wandering Souls.28 January, 1986: Moments after launch, the Challengershuttle falls from the sky. At the same time, in a small English village, Oliver Ines is born.Ollie spends his childhood in a bedroom covered in glow-in-the-dark wallpaper, bearing the planets and stars. Decades later, he has become one of the most renowned astronauts of his time. When an enterprising billionaire approaches him to lead a landmark, ten-year mission to the distant moon Europa, Ollie cannot resist the call of history.As the mission advances deeper into uncharted territory, Ollie finds himself retreating into the past: his school days and years in the Navy, relationships found and lost, becoming a husband and father. But will the world he remembers still be waiting for him when he returns?Celestial Lights is a breathtaking story of fate, love, and sacrifice that questions what we owe ourselves and our loved ones, when our ambitions and loyalties collide.'An affecting study of childhood romance hitting the brick wall of adult reality'JONATHAN COE, author of The Proof of My Innocence'Truly lovely ... the scope of an epic'JO HAMYA, author of The Hypocrite'A wonderful and singular reading experience' JENNY MUSTARD, author of What A Time To Be Alive'Incredible ... stayed with me long after the page'RED MAGAZINE'Atmospheric, original, and beautiful'ELA LEE, author of Minbak'Masterful ... I was totally absorbed from start to finish' JYOTI PATEL, author of The Things That We Lost'A moving story that stays with you' ROMALYN ANTE, author of Agimat'Stunning, exhilarating and unforgettable'ELIANA RAMAGE, author of To the Moon and Back

LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION'A mighty achievement'OCEAN VUONG'Beautiful, brilliant'R. F. KUANG'Dazzling'OBSERVER'Will shatter your heart'GLAMOUR'Powerful'SUNDAY TIMESAn extraordinary story of the journey of one young family through love, loss and unwavering hope.There are the goodbyes and then the fishing out of the bodies - everything in between is speculation.One night, not long after the last American troops leave Vietnam, siblings Anh, Thanh and Minh flee their village and embark on a perilous journey in hope of a new life. Separated from their parents and fearing the worst they find themselves travelling alone in the world without a home to return to. After a twist of fate lands them in Thatcher's Britain, they must somehow build new lives there. Will the love they have for each other be enough to keep them together?Wandering Souls is a stunning, life-affirming testament to the healing power of stories.**Celestial Lights, the latest novel from Cecile Pin is available to preorder now**A TIMEAND GUARDIANBOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2023'Poignant and lyrical'DAVID NICHOLLS'A powerful story of courage, love and unwavering hope'MARIE CLAIRE'Beautiful... I loved every word' PHILIPPA PERRY'A deeply affecting reckoning with history'i-D'Tells one of the most important stories of our times'LUCY CALDWELL'Special ... Reading it is like watching a writer at work'NEW YORK TIMES