by Solvej Balle
First published 2024
Tara Selter opens her eyes on November 18th for the 122nd time. The blackbird will sing at exactly the same moment. The rain will start precisely when it always does. She has stepped outside the normal flow of time, trapped in an endless loop of the same twenty-four hours. Her husband remains confused by her behavior, unable to understand her references to events that haven't happened yet in his timeline. Tara watches the world repeat itself with perfect precision while she alone retains memory of each iteration. She discovers how little impact one person makes when the day resets completely, erasing all consequences of her actions. The isolation weighs on her as she struggles to find meaning in a reality where nothing she does carries forward. This is the first volume of Solvej Balle's seven-part novel, where Tara must navigate her strange new existence and search for a way to reconnect with the husband she loves but can no longer truly share her life with.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, fantasy, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, time-travel, unreliable-narrator
176 pages · Paperback · New Directions