I'm not sure how I first learned of this book, but it has been sitting on my TBR pile for a few months. I was drawn to the idea of following six different perspectives of space, and was hoping to get some lovely ruminating on the nature of humanity. In a lot of ways, I got just that; I don't think I've read many things that describe the impression space (and the view of earth) makes on people the way Harvey does it- with such poetry and nuance and overwhelming love. If you're into that kind of literary fiction - fiction that doesn't so much follow a plot as it does meander through thoughts and feelings - this might be a good one to pick up.

WRITING: Harvey's prose I'd extremely lyrical and beautiful. It's less a progression of plot point to plot point and more a meandering - moving through past and present, from astronaut to astronaut, from earth to space, and so on. I especially loved the descriptions of the earth as the space station moved past regions and continents, and the way Harvey conveys the passage of day into night and vice versa was stunning. There were also multiple passages that gave me a kind of heartache, both in awe and love for our planet and in sorrow for the destruction wrought by humanity.

PLOT: This book doesn't have much of a plot. It takes place over the course of one "day," describing the thoughts of the six astronauts as they move through 16 orbits. Thus, you'll probably enjoy it more if you already like literary fiction or poetry.

I do think, though, that I benefitted from having read Chris Hadfield's memoir less than a month ago. Harvey does a wonderful job capturing the rigid structure of an astronaut's life on the space station and its relationship to their training on earth; though I don't think having background information is required, Hadfield's memoir gave additional context to what I was reading.

My favorite parts were when the astronauts were thinking about humanity's place in the universe and the interconnectedness between humans and all life on earth. Some of it was hopeful, some of it was melancholy. It really hammered home the best and worst impulses of our species as well as the tremendous responsibility we have to care for our planet.

CHARACTERS: Because this book takes place over the course of one "day," we don't get sweeping character arcs. We do, however, get to explore each of the six astronauts in incredible depth, getting to know their ambitions, their family lives, their attitudes towards space. I loved that they were all varied and felt unique, yet at the same time, they are all bound by their desire to be in space and their significant insignificance in the grand scheme of the universe.

I also liked how Harvey discussed the nuances of national identity and the comradery that develops on the space station. There's never a point when we forget the Russians are Russians and the Europeans are Europeans, but like national borders, they don't matter so much in space. Watching everyone come together as a temporary family while being acutely aware of the politics that got them there was fascinating.

TL;DR: Orbital is a beautiful meditation on humanity and it's relationship to life of earth, told from the perspective of six astronauts aboard the International Space Station. With lush, lyrical prose and a mixture of hope and melancholy, this book is perfect for lovers of literary fiction and in-depth explorations of character.