by David Szalay
First published 2020
A woman begins talking to her seatmate after their plane hits turbulence. This passenger returns home to discover devastating news that also affects a pilot he has never met. The shaken pilot flies to another continent, where he finds solace with a journalist during a single night. Her life changes in small ways before she catches a flight for work, setting off more changes for others. Twelve people travel on separate flights that span the globe, from London to Madrid, Dakar to Sao Paulo, Toronto to Delhi to Doha. Some fly to reunite with lovers or estranged siblings. Others visit aging parents or new grandchildren. A few travel to meet no one at all. Each passenger experiences the full spectrum of human feeling, from deep loneliness to unexpected love. Through brief but electric interactions, they alter each other's lives without realizing it. Szalay weaves together these twelve journeys to reveal how strangers shape each other across continents and time zones.
Genres: fiction, drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, contemporary-romance
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, strangers-to-lovers
Setting: Dakar, Delhi, Doha, London, Madrid, Sao Paulo, Toronto
Period: 21st-century
160 pages · Paperback · Scribner