Enlightenment
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry, published by Jonathan Cape in 2024, is a literary exploration of love and astronomy spanning twenty years through the lives of two unlikely best friends. Set in the small Essex town of Aldleigh, the narrative follows Thomas and Grace, who, despite their three-decade age difference, share a deep bond rooted in their faith and a yearning for something more. Their friendship faces challenges as romantic feelings emerge, intertwining their lives with themes of religion and the mysteries of the universe.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of emotions as Thomas navigates his feelings for James Bower, a local museum curator, while becoming captivated by the legacy of the nineteenth-century astronomer Maria Veduva. Simultaneously, Grace’s relationship with Nathan introduces her to a different, more adventurous life, leading her away from Thomas. As the story unfolds, the complexities of friendship, love, and the natural world come to light, ultimately guiding Thomas and Grace back to each other and a deeper understanding of existence. This edition comprises 381 pages and is presented in English.
Official synopsis Publisher
**LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024**
A story of love and astronomy told over the course of twenty years through the lives of two improbable best friends
‘Gorgeous… Ethereal’ GUARDIAN
‘A book with cosmic reach’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘A romance worthy of Emily Bronte’ WALL STREET JOURNAL
‘A genre-bending novel of ideas’ TELEGRAPH
‘Sarah Perry just gets better and better’ INDEPENDENT
Thomas and Grace are fellow worshippers at the Baptist chapel in the small Essex town of Aldleigh. Though separated in age by three decades, the pair are kindred spirits – torn between their commitment to religion and their desire for more. But their friendship is threatened by the arrival of love.
Thomas falls for James Bower, who runs the local museum. Together they develop an obsession with the vanished nineteenth-century female astronomer Maria Veduva, said to haunt a nearby manor. Inspired by Maria, and the dawning realisation James may not reciprocate his feelings, Thomas finds solace studying the night skies. Could astronomy offer as much wonder as divine or earthly love?
Meanwhile Grace meets Nathan, a fellow sixth former who represents a different, wilder kind of life. They are drawn passionately together, but quickly pulled apart, casting Grace into the wider world and far away from Thomas.
In time, the mysteries of Aldleigh are revealed, bringing Thomas and Grace back to each other and to a richer understanding of love, of the nature of the world, and the sheer miracle of being alive.
*A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE GUARDIAN*
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