In a distant future, humankind has left the ruins of Earth and is now scattered in space stations and colonies all around the galaxy. 

Trade and communication between settlements is only made possible by starships that travel the “Pocket”, a dimension where time dilation applies, allowing humans to reach distant planets at the price of massive gaps in their personal timelines.

One day, on a remote rural planet, a strange boy appears seemingly out of nothing, and is assigned to the care of Nia, a lonely ship captain who may nor be that jaded after all. 

His mysterious ability to jump across space, however, makes the boy a very interesting resource for the powers that be, more invested in developing faster means to move around their goods than in respecting any resemblance of human rights.

The novel stands out for its gorgeous lyrical writing, as well as for how it blends big ideas and human emotion. 

The worldbuilding calls us to ponder over the consequences of climate changes and on the all-too-familiar nature of unbridled capitalism.

The author doesn’t hide where his sympathies lie, but does not offer simplistic or clear-cut solutions, instead leaving the reader conflicted over the perspective of harsh choices that may be required to survive, both as a species and as individuals.

At the same time, the book explores the lived in experiences of its many characters with a deft touch, whether they are movers and shakers or – more frequently – just hapless playthings of history: the world may treat people like objects to exploit, but the narration gives them back their uniqueness and dignity.

If the attention to personal feelings leads to some genuinely sweet and moving scene, however, the novel overall is anything but ‘cosy’. The setting they inhabit is in fact still bleak and ruthless, and hanging tight to any shred of joy and affection may only provide some limited comfort.

Beauty, love, and poetry are not enough to rectify the injustices of the world. They do, however, make for a spectacular book.