Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! Leung’s debut releases in the US from WW Norton on October 22nd, 2024.

How to Fall in Love in a Time of Unnameable Disaster by Muriel Leung is a hauntingly lyrical meditation on love, survival, and the human connections that tether us in times of crisis. Set in a post-apocalyptic New York City ravaged by acid rain, fires, and military checkpoints, Leung’s novel follows Mira, a woman separated from her partner, Mal, and struggling to build a life with her mother and the other residents of their apartment building. As the city around them collapses, the characters confront both the literal and emotional ghosts of their pasts, asking what it means to love, grieve, and find community in the face of disaster.

Leung’s prose is achingly beautiful, weaving a dreamlike, ghostly atmosphere with fragmented, evocative sentences that mirror the disorientation of living in an unrecognizable world. The writing is introspective and deeply existential, delving into themes of grief, memory, and the weight of trauma that haunts both the individual and the collective. The novel’s obsession with ghosts—whether literal, metaphorical, or emotional—adds layers to its exploration of how the past clings to the present, making it difficult to move forward. Through Mira’s journey and the alternating perspectives of her neighbors, Leung paints a vivid picture of community care and the resiliency required to survive the apocalypse together.

The book’s themes are richly complex, examining love and loss in equal measure. At its core, How to Fall in Love in a Time of Unnameable Disaster questions whether love is possible amidst chaos, and how relationships, both chosen and familial, offer solace in the darkest times. The novel’s characters are beautifully flawed, all of them grappling with their own sense of isolation, longing, and fear of abandonment. Mira’s desperation to reunite with Mal, despite her burgeoning relationship with Sad, speaks to the powerful pull of unresolved grief and the ways in which love can become a haunting force in itself.

While the novel’s structure, with its shifting perspectives, occasionally feels disjointed, Leung’s world-building is immersive and poignant. The apocalyptic setting provides a perfect backdrop for the novel’s reflective and existential musings on the fragility of human connection. Though plot takes a backseat to atmosphere and emotion, the novel shines in its exploration of how people find meaning, hope, and even love in the face of unnameable disaster. I found myself enchanted by Leung’s characters and her haunting, poetic prose. Ultimately, How to Fall in Love in a Time of Unnameable Disaster is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that leaves a lasting impression, reminding us of the resilience of love and connection even in the darkest of times.

📖 Recommended For: Readers who enjoy introspective and poetic prose, those fascinated by post-apocalyptic settings, fans of stories centered on community care and chosen family, and anyone who appreciates existential reflections on love and loss.

🔑 Key Themes: Survival in Crisis, Ghosts and Haunting, Love and Grief, Community and Isolation, The Fragility of Human Connection.