by Ian McEwan
First published 2019
Jack studies the courtship rituals of an endangered bird species, but his own relationship with Bella is falling apart. His wife creates art with the same intensity that Jack brings to science, yet her creative brilliance comes wrapped in emotional turmoil that he cannot decode. While Jack maps the intricate dance of avian romance in his laboratory, he fails to navigate the deteriorating bond with Bella at home. His academic work becomes an escape from their fractured marriage until an unexpected finding destroys his research entirely. The collapse of his scientific project forces Jack to examine his personal life with the same rigor he applies to his specimens. Family secrets emerge that challenge everything Jack thought he understood about loyalty and love. McEwan places a man of science against the mysteries of human connection, showing how expertise in one realm offers little protection in another.
Genres: fiction, science, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Period: 21st-century
128 pages · Paperback · Vintage Classics