From the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Do Not Say We Have Nothing, The Book of Records presents a novel that traverses centuries, where past and future converge. In an enclave known as the Sea, Lina and her father arrive, carrying only three volumes from The Great Voyagers encyclopedia. Here, within a building that shifts through time, Lina encounters residents from different eras: Bento, a Jewish scholar from 17th-century Amsterdam; Blucher, a philosopher fleeing Nazi Germany in the 1930s; and Jupiter, a Tang Dynasty poet. Their narratives interweave with those of historical figures such as Baruch Spinoza, Hannah Arendt, and Du Fu, as Lina’s father reveals the circumstances that led them to the Sea.

Why You Should Read?

• Explore a multi-layered narrative that blends historical figures with fictional characters across diverse timelines.
• Engage with profound philosophical questions about fate, migration, faith, creativity, and morality.
• Experience a distinctive literary novel from a critically acclaimed author.
• Delve into a story where different eras and perspectives converge in a unique setting.