LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER - An MIT astrophysicist
reinvents herself in the wake of tragedy and discovers the power of
connection on this planet, even as she searches our galaxy for another
Earth, in this "bewitching" (Anthony Doerr, The New York Times
Book Review) memoir.
"Sara Seager's exploration of outer and inner space makes for a
stunningly original memoir."--Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for
Stone
Sara Seager has always been in love with the stars: so many lights in
the sky, so much possibility. Now a pioneering planetary scientist, she
searches for exoplanets--especially that distant, elusive world that
sustains life. But with the unexpected death of Seager's husband, the
purpose of her own life becomes hard for her to see. Suddenly, at forty,
she is a widow and the single mother of two young boys. For the first
time, she feels alone in the universe.
As she struggles to navigate her life after loss, Seager takes solace in
the alien beauty of exoplanets and the technical challenges of
exploration. At the same time, she discovers earthbound connections that
feel every bit as wondrous, when strangers and loved ones alike reach
out to her across the space of her grief. Among them are the Widows of
Concord, a group of women offering advice on everything from home
maintenance to dating, and her beloved sons, Max and Alex. Most
unexpected of all, there is another kind of one-in-a-billion match, not
in the stars but here at home.
Probing and invigoratingly honest, The Smallest Lights in the Universe
is its own kind of light in the dark.
