All That is Solid Melts into Air is an exceptionally moving novel of interwoven lives, set amidst one of the most iconic disasters in living memory: Chernobyl.

'Daring, ambitious, epic, moving' Colm Toibin

Coloured sheets of paper fall from the sky. This is their first indication that something serious has happened. Each sheet bears a message: you have three hours to evacuate, bring only one suitcase. From their balconies they can see a dark column of smoke rising above the nuclear plant. For the people of Pripyat, these are the last moments they will spend in their homes. For a child piano prodigy, a dissident factory worker, a broken-hearted surgeon and unknowing others, this disaster will change their lives forever . . .

'Shocking, vivid . . . sweeps with epic confidence across lives' Sunday Independent

'Astonishing . . . A page-turner' Irish Times

'A stunning debut' Guardian

Coloured sheets of paper fall from the sky. This is their first indication that something serious has happened. Each sheet bears a message- you have three hours to evacuate, bring only one suitcase.


About the Author
Darragh McKeon was born in 1979 and grew up in the midlands of Ireland. He has worked as a theatre director, and his writing has been shortlisted for the Francis McManus Short Story Award and the Filmbase/RTE Short Film Award. This is his first novel.

Reviews
This daring and ambitious novel blends historical epic and love story with a moving description of the Chernobyl disaster and the fall of the Soviet Union. A book rich with resonance far beyond its historical moment -- Colm Toibin
Brilliantly imagined, exhilarating in its sweep; McKeon creates a thrilling appearance of ease, while he delves deep and forges new territory for the contemporary novel. Daring, generous and beautifully written, All That is Solid Melts into Air marks the beginning of a truly significant career. I cannot say it loud enough: McKeon is here to stay -- Colum McCann
Powerful and moving ... a supremely accomplished social novel ... What makes McKeon's vision so compelling is that the system this novel describes is not merely Russian, nor communist, but universal -- John Burnside * Guardian *
His description of the explosion at the Ukrainian nuclear plant is a stylistic high point ... recalls Don DeLillo's Underworld ... disturbing ... convincing ... a tense denouement * Independent *
An outstanding debut novel ... portraying inconceivable horrors and acts of incredible beauty in luminously understated prose ... McKeon makes us care ... skilfully drawing us into their worlds before and after the explosion ... devastating * Metro *
A book to be devoured, tragic and funny and sad and beautiful and sensual and shocking and, ultimately, utterly transcendent ... crackles with the whip-smart propulsion of a thriller, while immersing its reader in the rich inner turmoils of its characters * Image *
Fascinating, with ... the ferocious grip of a rollercoaster thriller ... this book is beautifully written ... generous with elegantly turned phrases ... Skilfully crafted, thoughtful, poetic, well-judged ... [a] flawless pearl * Irish Independent *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241964675
Author Darragh McKeon
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 278g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 26mm