This is a beautiful and intense meditation on grief and emotional trauma, full of difficult and brutal imagery and at the same time tenderness. Kampmann takes on troubled psyches and regrets amid fields of climate change and poverty; intimacy and distancing; and the value of life and labor. Waclaw's journey from oil rig to oil rig and city to city illustrates the fragility of the world and of the individual within it. A harrowing, stunning read.

A man is missing feared dead,out in the cold unforgiving water. His mate appoints himself the teller of his life story. This man journeys to far flung places hoping to find relief from his grief and sorrow. Each chapter offers insight to life through interaction with some times charming often interesting characters. The language of this story is intense. The characters are fully realized. The resolution is that life is sweetest often in your own backyard.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book via netgalley!

The writing is this book is beautiful. The author is able to capture every sentence to perfection. It is a very enjoyable book to read. However, I was unable to attach myself to the storyline. I think the depth of the writing makes this book heavy, yet the storyline seems light in comparison.

This is a moving and atmospheric tale of grief and the ways in which it manifests. It is also a story of the planet Earth and the role we play in its destruction. Kampmann's poetry background is evident in this powerful debut novel. She explores male friendships, climate change, human connections, and loss along the book's journey.

Calling this novel a modern Odyssey is an accurate description. Waclaw has lost Mátyás, his best friend, and co-worker with whom he had lived and experienced life as oil riggers 40 miles out. Astounding that this is a debut novel, written by a poet, given the amount of realistic detail and description. I was reminded of some of the work of Agnes Vargas in the unstinting view of workers and changing worlds. Highly recommended.

Such an interesting read! The story somehow reminded me of Kapuściński . There is a lot of vivid scenic detail of unpleasant places, and the harshness of economic strife is never far from these pages. The translation feels oddly like it was done by a non-native speaker. This isn’t a criticism...I don’t have access to the original as I write this but I enjoyed the way the language here feels like it inhabits an interstitial space between languages. A unique read.

This beautifully translated work is unique and gorgeous. A man who has lost his friend travels far and wide on this journey of memory, grief, and self discovery. The author's poetic background is clear in the writing, and the book is incredibly deep for being so fast paced. This book is both heart wrenching and heart warming. It is slightly darker than your average travel book, but it takes the reader along to both physical and mental places they may not otherwise have gone.