The Comet Seekers audiobook

Antarctica. The first sunset of the year. Darkness will increase 20 minutes a day. Róisín, an Irish astrophysicist, and François, a French chef, both working at a research station, are becoming involved. They share a wanderlust and a deep attachment to people and places continents away, she to her beloved cousin, Liam, he to his unusual mother, Severine. But each feels a connection to the other that seems to have been written in the stars. The Comet Seekers traces their paths through time and geography to show how they found themselves and each other at this time in this forbidding but magical place at the end of the Earth. Helen Sedgwick - from her siteRóisín always had her eyes on the sky. Even as a child she would drag her closest friend, her cousin Liam, out at night to look at the heavens, in rural Ireland, particularly when there was a comet to be seen. Liam is very much earth-based, expecting to spend his life working his family's farm. Róisín always knew that she wanted to see the world, and study the worlds beyond. The tension in Róisín's relationship with Liam is as palpable as their deep love for each other. They talk about their respective worlds, the earth and the sky, the ground under his feet and the planets over her head.Comet West - from LearnAstronomyHQ.comFrançois was an only child, raised in the Normandy town of Bayeux, seven miles from the English Channel, home to the world famous Bayeux Tapestry, but more on that later. It is François' mother, Severine, we follow on most of the track-back of François' journey. Severine is an unusual sort. Faulkner may have famously noted that The past is never dead. It's not even the past. Maybe this is more true for some than for others. After her grandmother passed away, Severine began receiving frequent visits from her relatives, her...um...late relatives. She had humored her beloved grandmother when she had seen her, frequently, talking to people no one else could see, and who Severine presumed were not there. Turns out, she has inherited her Granny's ability, and becomes hostess to frequent visitations. Much more garden party than spook house, as she gets to meet, in addition to beloved Granny, ancestors from ages past. There is one, though, whose ghostliness is decidedly ghastly. Brigitte haunts Severine in a more usual way, with displays of the horror that had ended her life. The mystery of this ghost, and why she remains, herself, haunted, is a large motivator for Severine. Comet McNaught - from LearnAstronomyHQ.comFrançois, as had been true for his mother before him when she was young, does not see the ghosts. He thinks his mother is mad, and is mortified when she chats with the unseen while any other living souls are present. But they remained close, despite her oddity, and his disbelief. But Severine contributed more to her son than a store of discomfiting tales. It is the cooking she does with him that leads him to a life in fine cuisine. And she passes on to François her passion for exploring the world, however homeward she may have turned her own adventure. Donati's Comet - from WikimediaA central notion of The Comet Seekers is that not only are there ghosts, but these spirits are most visible when there is a comet in the sky. Like hand-crank radios, comets seem to provide temporary power to spirits, enabling them to visit their earth-bound descendants, at least the ones with the capacity to see. Once the comet fades from sight, so do the visitors. Her granny says the ghosts will only stay for as long as she can see it in the sky. The brighter it is, the more they have to say. And there are other conditions. The ghosts are somehow rooted to an earthly location. Yes, they can make the odd visit elsewhere, but the cost in battery power is considerable. If you want to hang with the haunts you really have to stay close to home. You have to want to see the visitors in order to get to see them, and you must have lost someone. Comet Hyakatuke -from the University of OregonThe spirit-power issue embodies the home-heart, stay-wander conflict for Severine. For François, while he is not in on the ghostly vision thing, he is very attached to Severine, which keeps him from wandering too much, even though Maman encourages him to see the world. For Róisín, the attachment is Liam, (As a young man, he wanted to be just like his father. It is heartbreaking, he thinks, the things people believe they want when they are young.) but the pull of her curiosity is so overpowering that she breaks out of the gravity of home and sees as much of the world, and the universe, as she can. When she walks across the field she opens her arms wide and imagines a world so big, so full of people, she would never tire of exploring it, her eyes fixed on the sky above until she slips on some sheep droppings, only just managing to catch her fall. Liam ís always telling her the ground is just as important as the sky. The book is organized around the arrival of major comets. Each chapter includes the name of the comet and the year in which it appeared, from contemporary, well, a little ahead of when this was posted, (2017) to medieval (1066) times. Each chapter is populated by ancestors. The selection of Bayeux as a base location is no coincidence. The Bayeux Tapestry (on display in Bayeux, but most likely made in England), an impressively lengthy work of art, at over two hundred twenty feet by a foot and a half tall, not only tells the historical tale of events leading up to the Norman Conquest and ending with the Battle of Hastings, it is also the first reference in human history to Halley's Comet, which appeared in 1066. Sedgwick weaves the tapestry into her tale, shows us a bit of it's making, and it's display in a local museum. She uses images from the tapestry as inspiration for elements of her story. A small piece of the tapestry, with Halley's comet - from Britain's Reading museumAt first blush one might make the mistake of thinking this is a romance. I did not react to it as such. Sure, there are certainly romantic elements in the connection of this person to that, and that one to another, but The Comet Seekers has it's eyes cast upward on grander visions. There is a certain force we experience with people and places, an attraction, a pull, a connection, however invisible it might be, and so we circle, maybe connect, possibly even crash, even if, in the case of things like comets, or hearts, the ovoid route may be a particularly long one. In a way, one might see Róisín-Liam and François-Severine as two binary star systems, locked in a gravitational dance with each other, whatever the physical distance there may be between. In addition to the draw of home, there is much tugging between the past and present, the attraction of and even need for adventure vs the gravity of warmth and home, the appeal of the wide open universe vs the draw of terra firma.Comet Hale-Bopp - from WikimediaThe plot line may involve connecting Róisín and François, who encounter each other like two heavenly bodies with intersecting orbits, but that is a mechanism, not the essence. There is so much going on here it could fill a planetarium dome. But it would all result in a gray cloudy view if the characters Sedgwick created did not have some starlight in them. I found things I could relate to in a range of characters, male and female. Yearning knows no gender. Feeling stuck is neither male nor female. Having to make excruciating choices is a human condition not a male or female one, as are joy and disappointment. Losing loved ones hurts on both sides of the gender fence. There are tears to be found here. Keep those tissues at the ready. But there is joy as well, in the humanity of Sedgwick's characters, the daring of her approach, and the magic she has dreamt up to illuminate her tale. The Comet Seekers is a masterful and brilliant book, smart, emotionally engaging and wholly entertaining, a celebration not only of our capacity for connection to each other but of taking strength, hope and inspiration from the connections we have to our past. This is a book that is sure to blaze a bright trail across the publishing universe, one you will not want to miss. The Comet Seekers is nothing less than heaven on earth.Publication - 10/11/16Review first posted - 5/13/16=============================EXTRA STUFFLinks to the author's personal, Twitter and FB pagesThere is a lovely short piece on Sedgwick's inspiration for a short-story progenitor of this novel, on Kirsty Logan's blog. The Comet Seekers gets a nice pat on the back in this piece in the NY Times - October 30, 2016 - Newly Released Books The animated Bayeux TapestryThe sound of a comet. Yes, really, well, sort of. Go ahead. Check this out. For all things Comet-ish, check out this siteThe comet section of NASA's website is lovely as well

I LOVED this book. It was something a little different, beautifully written and absolutely engaging.Following our characters and those that came before them over a thousand years, snapshots of life whenever a comet is visible in the skies, this is a gorgeous, imaginative premise that really hits you in the heart. To be fair it is actually really difficult to review because you don’t want to give away the pure magic of it but also you want to throw it at people and just say READ THIS you will fall in book love.The Comet Seekers has a haunting, surreal quality to it, the prose poetic but highly immersive and the descriptive sense of it just sits with you long after you have finished it. I read it in pretty much one sitting so caught up was I in the lives of these people, their world and experience, holding it all together in heavenly (yes) style is the night sky in all its glory – this is a journey in more than one sense of the word.I adored how Helen Sedgwick made the connections, sent the threads up and around and through the narrative like a spider spinning a web on a dewy morning – pitch perfect to keep you involved and attached to the story unfolding.Really really lovely. A lovely book – one that you will return to again and again just to find the things you have missed.Highly Recommended

3.5 starsThe Comet Seekers is beautifully written. I was so excited to read it based on the summary and other reviews I had read. Somehow, I just did not totally connect with the story. There are SO many characters that I found it hard to keep up with them all. I also just did not love the story line. Sedgwick’s prose is lyrical, and I truly enjoyed reading her writing so after several days of thinking about the book after I finished it, I decided to give it 3.5 stars. Her descriptions of Antarctica are very descriptive, and I felt like I was being transported there. She conveys the isolation, the darkness, and the ice and cold phenomenally well. That was my favorite part of the book by far (and the cover which is spectacular). Thanks to BookBrowse for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is truly incredible. I will admit I am prone to liking novels like this, that have a firm foundation based in people, emotions, and relationships, but with a piny dipped in the waters of the supernatural. But even with that said, "The Comet Seekers" kept pushing me further and further into a place (or more accurately, places and times) that push the boundaries on how I view like and the quick-moving time we are here on this planet. I want to be the type of person that takes no one day or person in my life for granted. It's fair to say that you never know how long you have, or when someone might fall in your lap that completely turns your day to day life upside-down. It probably sounds like a cliche, but I think about it every day. I want to be that type of person, but I'm still working on it. But, it's books like this that keep me on track in this quest. Helen Sedgwick does a remarkable job in laying at each character in each time line, segment by segment, throughout the first half of the book. I have read some reviews saying there are too many threads and all I can say to that is this; I am not that smart, nor am I good at keeping a lot of detail in my brain. But I had no trouble keeping things together and, the further you go into the story, and once you hit the spectacular second half, all the pieces start to come together, and they come together flawlessly. The balance between mysticism and emotion is the true bedrock of what makes "The Comet Seekers" such a complete story. While I do my best to keep everything in perspective during my day to day life, there is nothing quiet like thinking about our "place" in the universe to keep you in your place, is there? Sedgwick uses the known and unknown of space and the universe to not only show us how insignificant our lives really are, but in the same breath, show us how truly meaningly everything you do is. It's not just that she gives you several enriching characters to work with, but their relationship to each other, and their relationship with time and, in a sense, all other human beings and living things on earth. I won't go into too much other detail about the plot (seems like you can find that all over reviews), but I will say that what keep me reading was a perfect combination of wanting to know how things would end and how the threads would come together (or not) in the end, but also how much the book made me think. And for someone who thinks about mortality a lot, that's saying something. One last thing I will say is that, without being able to really articular it well, this book had an overall sense of calm that I really enjoyed throughout. I was on the phone with my mom the other day and she was asking me about "The Comet Seekers", seeing if it would be something good for her book club to read, and of course my answer was yes. But as I was attempting to (not very well) describe what I liked about it, I kept coming back to the word "calm." I guess what I mean by this is that even though each character is going through many different thinks during many different parts of their lives, there seems to be a sense that everything is moving along like it should. If you have read this book while you read this, you might disagree with that statement sense there are a couple points in the story that no one would ever want to have happen to them, and it would be even harder to say to yourself, after experiencing something like that, that it was something that happened "like it should." But in the context of a piece of fiction, everything seemed very real and without pretension, and I was both shocked by some aspects of the ending, and in equal stride, not at all surprised because of how authentic it felt. This "calm" that the book exudes really comes down to how well Sedgwick moves in and out of each story line, and never seems to miss anything important through out them.As you can tell at this point, I really loved this book. I can understand why it might not be for some, but if you are okay with a little bit of a slow (but very meaningful and well written) first half of the book, the second half will blow you away. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

ONE MILLION STARS AND COMETS. This is why I read. These are the books I live for. I read this on a flight from Heathrow to JFK and honestly forgot I was in a plane. Utterly transported somewhere else. A brilliant idea brilliantly executed. I highly HIGHLY recommend this, especially if you have a few unplugged hours to disappear.

This is a delightful--and I mean that in the best sense of the word--novel filled with surprising wonder, one dazzling moment after another. Clearly in part inspired by the Bayeux tapestry (and who wouldn't want to go see it after reading this book!), the novel, itself in a sense shaped as a tapestry, interweaves various plot lines, extending as far back as the Norman invasion. As you read, the intricate design of the novel begins to take shape, stories being connected and filled in. Structurally, it's quite an achievement, particularly for a first novel. And there can't be many other writers who can pack, as Sedgwick does, so much meaning and feeling into a series of vignettes. By the end, the passions--of love, of heartbreak, of breaking free and of settling in, of facing death and grasping one's legacy--that compel the characters toward their destinies carry the reader away. It's a marvelous read and a marvelous novel.

If you know two people who are just on the verge of falling in love; hiding in that small space between mayhem and harmony, do them a favor and give them this book. That'll get the job done, it is very decisive that way. This novel made me weep. Do yourself a favor too and read this as well. Be free.

This was beautifully written, almost ethereal, and the themes resonated powerfully with me. Unfortunately, it's also very sad. I don't usually like books that depress me, and The Comet Seekers loses a star for it. It's a testament to how exceptional it is that I didn't drop it to 3 stars (I really hate depressing books!) Even though it broke my heart, I have to say that I loved it, and it's really stuck with me.Poignant, other-worldly, beautiful. I recommend it easily.

Oh my my my, yes to the magic, the feelings, the comets, and pain. - "I couldn't live like that, too much was missing - one person can't be enough, can they? You need more. Everyone needs more." Reading this book was like being in landscape of relationships with a wonderful typography of emotions that felt so real. And to think it only took a few ghosts.

Dit boek kwam ik in Oxford in een van de prachtige boekhandels daar tegen. ik had er nog nooit van gehoord, maar de titel en de cover spraken me meteen aan. Ik heb heel lang alleen veilig gekocht (schrijvers die ik al kende, boeken waar ik al een stukje in had gelezen van de bieb etc.), maar op vakantie ging ik in de boekhandels een beetje los. Wel spannend, maar de prijzen liggen daar iets lager, dat scheelt ook haha!En toen ik in ons idyllische huisje was en begon in dit boek, vloekte ik even in mezelf ohnee wacht hardop. Het is HEEL ERG wennen om dit boek te lezen, want er staan geen aanhalingstekens om wat er gezegd wordt. Dat leest echt heel lastig. Gelukkig bleek dat vrij snel te wennen.Dan het verhaal. Het begin vond ik erg tof, maar toen werden het daarna vage stukken uit het verleden over dingen met geesten van verloren familieleden, en een verliefdheid op een neef bij het andere hoofdpersonage en dacht ik even okéééé.Als ik dit boek uit de bieb of op mijn ereader had, zou ik na een aantal bladzijdes misschien wel gestopt zijn. Misschien ook niet, misschien triggerde de rol die kometen in dit boek spelen me ook wel genoeg. ik zal het niet weten, want ik heb hem uitgelezen omdat ik hem gekocht heb.Ik schrijf dit nu wel alsof het heel spannend is maar jullie hebben allang gezien dat ik dit boek 4* heb gegeven. Inmiddels snappen jullie wel waarom het er geen 5 zijn denk ik zomaar (: Maar waarom dan wel die vier? Nou, omdat ik erg van dit verhaal en de personages ben gaan houden, er erg om ben gaan geven. En ik weet niet precies op welk punt dat gebeurd is of wat daar voor zorgde.Wat ik heel mooi vind aan de loop van het verhaal is dat het heel echt en rauw aanvoelt wat er gebeurt. het gaat gewoon niet altijd allemaal goed, het is soms moeilijk en zwaar, maar op een manier die niet overkomt alsof het verzonnen is om het personage te laten lijden, maar het komt heel echt over. En het idee met de rol van de kometen in dit boek is toch wel erg gaaf. Ook is het erg tof dat het niet echt een liefdesverhaal is (wat je op basis van de buitenkant en de omschrijving misschien wel denkt), het is meer een levensomschrijving. Ik raad hem aan als je houdt van Dani Atkins. Als je niets hebt met een vleug (dit is geen vleugje meer) magie of bovennatuurlijke dingen in een boek, dan raad ik dit niet aan.

For what seems like a small book this is an epic tale. Of the stars, comets, love, loss, life, ghosts and life’s complexities. It’s about a love that’s predicted in the stars and how the lives of the lovers must flow and intersect until the time is right for them to meet. It’s about being able to be your true self, unrestricted by pressure or social expectations. Being able to stand up, be brave, live the life you want and breaking through barriers to do so. It really is a wonderful story and well worth a read.