Flashlight

More about the book

A novel tracing a father’s disappearance across time, nations, and memory, from the author of Trust Exercise. One summer night, Louisa and her father walk on the breakwater. Her father, who cannot swim, carries a flashlight. Later, Louisa is found on the beach, soaked and barely alive, while her father is missing. At just ten years old, Louisa is the only child of parents who have distanced themselves from their pasts. Her father, Serk, a Korean raised in Japan, lost contact with his family after moving to North Korea. Her American mother, Anne, is estranged from her Midwestern family due to a reckless adventure in her youth. The return of Tobias, Anne’s illegitimate son, adds complexity to their lives. Now, it is just Anne and Louisa, navigating ordinary life amid profound loss. Bound by their shared grief yet also repelled by it, they struggle to move forward while haunted by the events of that fateful night. What truly happened to Louisa’s father? Shifting perspectives across time and characters, the narrative revisits that night by the sea, exploring the reverberations of a family’s tragedy and the invisible currents of history. This monumental novel spans decades and continents, offering a gripping investigation of family, loss, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.