A review by kristinana
The Pathless Sky by Chaitali Sen

5.0

A lovely, heartbreaking book. I loved the character of Miriam so much: her sensitivity, her longing, her pain, her awkwardness -- it was all so well-drawn and realistic. I was absorbed by this character and her story. Her involvement in her work, its importance to her, really spoke to me. IMO, John's only redeeming quality was that he saw how amazing she was; otherwise, he wasn't worthy of her. Which is not the point of fiction, but she felt so real to me -- I felt like her friend trying to tell her not to bother with him, even though she wouldn't have listened to me. The connections between this couple's personal life and the political situation they were in was expertly conveyed, as these were two regular people hemmed in and shaped by politics and history without actively choosing to be "political."

I found this novel totally absorbing. Before reading it, I happened across a short story by this author called "A New Race of Men From Heaven" which was one of those amazing stories that packs so much in while retaining its elegance and adherence to the short story form--stunning. I am really looking forward to reading more by this author. Check it out if you liked this novel: https://shenandoahliterary.org/682/a-new-race-of-men-from-heaven/?fbclid=IwAR1m8pEVB9-a9tU3JAVYbWShmUC951kfDjWupp99d22j_hBuXOo6rmeYmdQ