by John Crowley
First published 2008
Pierce Moffett stands at what feels like a pivotal moment in world history. The professor once knew magic as a child, but those early revelations dimmed as he grew older. Now Pierce has begun searching again for a hidden history of the world, one where magic actually functions and angels communicate directly with humans. This quest pulls him deeper into mysteries that challenge everything he thought he understood about reality. Pierce must reconcile his scholarly mind with the magical experiences of his youth. The search becomes both an intellectual pursuit and a personal journey back to wonder. As Pierce investigates this secret history, he discovers that finding it might change not just his understanding of the past, but his entire future. The boundaries between the rational and the mystical blur as Pierce navigates this turning point in his life and in history itself.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, fantasy, magical-realism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
510 pages · Paperback · The Overlook Press