Good Morning, Midnight

By: Lily Brooks-Dalton

Narrated by: John H. Mayer, Hillary Huber

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

For listeners of Station Eleven and The Snow Child, Lily Brooks-Dalton's haunting debut is the unforgettable story of two outsiders - a lonely scientist in the Arctic and an astronaut trying to return to Earth - as they grapple with love, regret, and survival in a world transformed.

Augustine, a brilliant, aging astronomer, is consumed by the stars. For years he has lived in remote outposts, studying the sky for evidence of how the universe began. At his latest posting in a research center in the Arctic, news of a catastrophic event arrives. The scientists are forced to evacuate, but Augustine stubbornly refuses to abandon his work. Shortly after the others have gone, Augustine discovers a mysterious child, Iris, and realizes that the airwaves have gone silent. They are alone.

At the same time, Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether on its return flight from Jupiter. The astronauts are the first human beings to delve this deep into space, and Sully has made peace with the sacrifices required of her: a daughter left behind, a marriage ended. So far the journey has been a success. But when Mission Control falls inexplicably silent, Sully and her crewmates are forced to wonder if they will ever get home.

As Augustine and Sully each face an uncertain future against forbidding yet beautiful landscapes, their stories gradually intertwine in a profound and unexpected conclusion. In crystalline prose, Good Morning, Midnight poses the most important questions: What endures at the end of the world? How do we make sense of our lives? Lily Brooks-Dalton's captivating debut is a meditation on the power of love and the bravery of the human heart.

©2016 Lily Brooks-Dalton (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

" Good Morning, Midnight is a remarkable and gifted debut novel. Lily Brooks-Dalton is an uncanny chronicler of desolate spaces, whether it's the cold expanse of the universe or the deepest recesses of the human heart." (Colson Whitehead)

"What does it mean to be isolated from the ordinariness of the everyday world, yet to find the extraordinariness of being close to another human being? With imagination, empathy, and insight into unchanged and unchangeable human nature, Lily Brooks-Dalton takes us on an emotional journey in this beautiful debut." (Yiyun Li)

"A truly original novel, otherworldly and profoundly human.... This beautiful story reminds us of our deep longing for connection - with those we love, with strangers, with ourselves. We come to understand that, across time and distance, in the face of isolation and emptiness, it is tenderness and communication that keep us tethered to each other. Good Morning, Midnight is a fascinating story, surprising and inspiring at every turn." (Keith Scribner)

Fabulous

Mind-bending and hypnotic. Giver yourself 15 minutes after you complete this book to sit quietly and think about what you have heard.

I'm inclined to be hard on authors in my occasional reviews.

Not this time.

I loved it.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Loved it

I loved it. I cried at the end, only two other books have had that effect. Beautiful character development and exploration.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Hmmm

It was a nice story...I was looking for something like “Station Eleven,” “The Stand,” “The Girl With All the Gifts,” etc. This IS a post-apocalyptic novel but instead of giving any information on how things collapsed or multitudes of characters surviving in the new world, this book focuses on two main characters who are completely removed from whatever happened. Not one I’ll recommend but not sorry I read it.

LOVE this book!!

sometimes imaginative fiction books can seem like too much or be so far out that you're not interested in reading it anymore, but I absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone even if they wouldn't normally be into the genre

Resolution?

Overall I was so happy with this book. I loved the pace at which it was read, it was a very interesting story, and the details were impeccable. However, I was not satisfied with the end. There was no resolution. Everything else was perfect.

Moving

Incredibly moving, and surprisingly uplifting for the subject matter. I see a lot of reviewers frustrated with the ending and lack of action, but I felt it was perfect. It was a deeply humbling and thoughtful piece of work.

Kept thinking, “it’ll get better soon” and then it was over

Mildly entertaining, pretty good imagery, but poor character development (others may disagree). Didn’t feel connected to characters at all until we were almost done. Ended the book and felt like I wasted my time. Looking at other reviews afterwards, some of the book makes a little more sense, but still a disappointment. Great concept...not executed in a way that I could enjoy it.

meh

struggled to finish this book. only thing that kept me listening was the hope that all my questions would get answered at the end. and they didn't. such a long book for nothing interesting to happen.

Excellent story

Well written characters. Really enjoyed how the author described their thoughts feeelings. While they were going through very difficult times. Very believable.

Just wish that it was more than it was.

Saw where it was going early on. Hoped that would be a pit stop along the way. Instead, a very long journey with no resolution. Seemed like a very long preamble to something else.