Disappearing Earth

Phillips's writing is evocative and emotional and gives the reader glimpses into the lives of women who are all connected to one another through the disappearance of two sisters. The book's chapters function as vignettes which could stand on their own, but, although there is a character list, I sometimes lost the thread of how all the women were connected. As I was reading, I thought the book was solid with beautiful writing, but the ending and the way Phillips' writing built suspense and anticipation and raw emotion really left an impact and bumped the book up a rating in my mind. Overall, I think the book explores the ways in which men harm women and looks at women's value in Russian society, especially through the comparison of treatment between Indigenous and Russian girls/women.

I think I have a lot to say about this book, the most important things being that it's beautifully written and a compelling story, not only about the disappearance of some girls in Kamchatka but also about life of the people of the peninsula, about which most of us in the US know very little.

But I also want to say that the book feels to me like a tightly linked novel in stories, rather than a straight-forward novel. Each chapter gives us a different story with its own arc about different people tied in various ways to the girls who have disappeared. This isn't a criticism in any way, as I like the form (and have used it myself) but just an observation that I haven't heard anyone else make.

And finally, it is interesting to me that no one (that I've heard) has accused this author of cultural appropriation, even though a good deal of the book is about the native people of Kamchatka. Given the controversy around the book American Dirt, I'm surprised. Is it because this book is better researched and written? Or is it because it takes place so far away and there is no one here to object on behalf of the indigenous people? (I'm not raising the issue because I personally object; in fact, I think much of the criticism of American Dirt is misguided.)

One hand came up to press on her sternum. Her heart hurt. If Marina could peel off her left breast, crack back her ribs, and grip that muscular organ to settle it, she would.

4.5 stars

Let me start off by noting that this novel is primarily literary fiction; while a mystery sits at its core, there is little-to-nothing in the way of thrills and readers are going to be disappointed expecting them. The setup itself is atypical: essentially a collection of interconnected short stories, each following a different character (all women, if I recall correctly?). Think There There by Tommy Orange or Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. Like these comparisons, Disappearing Earth also has a great deal of commentary to make on race, specifically racism impacting the indigenous peoples of Russia.

I was honestly shocked to discover that this was a debut. Phillips skillfully traces the web of connections surrounding the mystery of the two missing girls and was able to make me care so deeply about the majority of the characters in the single chapter she devotes to them. There were so many moments in this that felt like a punch to the gut, so many stories that made my heart ache. And all of this in less than 300 pages.

I'm so glad I read this and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Phillips' future works.

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