Disappearing Earth

What is not to like about this book?

Although it is not science fiction like my other two picks, it makes the top three list for its sheer humanity. The book is told as a series of vignettes, each from the perspective of a different character loosely affiliated with the kidnapping of two young girls in a remote part of Russia.

The mystery of what happened to the girls is secondary to the exploration of how a kidnapping in a small community can impact the psyches of those left behind.

I loved this book for its well-drawn characters and deep… show more.

This novel takes place in Kamchatka, in Far East Russia, and begins with the abduction of two young sisters. Each chapter then carries us into the life of a whole other character, and we get engrossed in her fate, as events move through the course of a year. The shadow of the missing girls arises every so often, and then we forget them, until they appear with brilliant drama toward the end of the book. The novel becomes a whodunit—and I suppose all mysteries are tasked with connecting improbables—that links its sequences in deep and moving ways.