The Moonday Letters

This book is outstanding. Bioethics, love, animism, shamanism, convincingly written worlds, beautiful prose, aching tenderness, and a deep connection to Nature. Also cats, David Bowie references, and orbital cylinder cities named Ursula and Octavia (because there was no need to explicitly state that they were for Ursula Le Guin and Octavia Butler).

The clever plot unfolds inexorably as Lumi becomes aware that beneath her spouse’s private side lies far more than she has realized.

As I finished the book, I stared at the Mediterranean landscape unfolding in front of the train window, stunned for a moment to be here, wondering why I was back on Earth, and at the same time, feeling lucky to be on Earth and hopeful, while feeling dread at the current and future effects of climate change.
This book is one of the book gems that allows a reader to truly feel an experience and be in someone else's shoes, akin to an outstanding video game. A cli-fi set in different bodies of the solar system, that explores different topics without feeling all over the place. A mix of fantasy and science fiction that works incredible well and stays believable. An epistolary novel that feels intimate and global at the same time. A study in show more grey areas that still has values and opinions, not avoidance.
I loved following Lumi's journey as the main character searches for their spouse Sol in the galaxy, with themes of sustainability, the environment, social/economic justice and more, unravelling in a crescendo.
I really want to read Emmi Itäranta's other books now!

I want to thank NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. show less

This story has a very whimsical writing style that reminded me a lot of The Night Circus. I was actually reading both at the same time for a it but ended up putting this one down until I finished Night Circus because I also wanted more different. This follows Lumi as she searches and wonders about her lost partner in a future where Earth is lo longer inhabitable and humanity is spread between the planets (and those from Earth are looked down on because of what humanity did to the plant although scientists are trying to figure out how to ix it).

Firstly, can I just say that I loved that we have a non-binary biologist? I do wish we had been able to see more of them and not just Lumi's memories of them. This would also have added more show more action and excitement (beyond the wondering) to the story. The universe was a fascinating one (I loved the bop dye for example and could definitely see it being a thing one day!) and I would have loved to have seen more of it.

The less good: It was a little repetitive at times because a lot of it was Lumi longing for Sol and the Moonday House. Although it wasn't that common, I did also sometimes get a little annoyed when it switched to second person. While I get that this was meant to convey Lumi's longing for Sol, it just didn't really do it for me. But it was still a beautifully written book and I'd definitely recommend it to those who are looking for some whimsy in their reading! show less

The writing here is fine but I had trouble connecting with the semi-magical realism aspect of the story; I found the whole spirit-animal thing to be off-putting within the setting of a solar system-hopping space sci-fi. Who are these 'healers', and from where do they get their powers? The narrative also seemed very drawn out with a predictable denouement/ending. I figured out what Sol was up to from early on so there was not much suspense remaining during all of Lumi's traveling around.

This book follows a series of fictional journal entries using incredibly flowery language, which really fits the vibes of the book. It discusses both environmentalism, spirituality, and gender, and I found it as a whole a beautiful and interesting book. It was just the right length too to give the characters the appropriate development.

DNF @ page 177. Lumi is traipsing around Mars in search of an errant spouse, and writing interminable, dull letters to them, then she pointlessly leaps into fantasy-land as a shaman/healer with a mystical spirit animal. There is some potential in the short descriptions of various Martian habitats, and the declining tourist-land that Earth has bcome, but these are never really explored. Dull.

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-moonday-letters-by-emmi-itaranta/

I found this less engaging than Memory of Water. Single-note emotionally, and the means and motivation of the eco-terrorists not very well explained in the end. (I also noticed repeated mentions of feline ears!)