It was the title of the book, as well as the colourful cover-art that grabbed my attention. I was keen to see how this links to Stephen Hawking’s masterpiece “The Theory of Everything”. This renowned series of lectures about the universe and the origin thereof was ground-breaking at the time, especially in its effort to make quantum physics more accessible to the Joe Public. This also immediately indicated to me that this is probably not just a fluffy romcom, but a book that is more complex than meets the eye.
This book is the debut novel by South African-born British author, Kara Gnodde. I didn’t realise this until I read the references to our country and decided to make Google my best friend – as always.
Art and Naomi (Mimi) moved with their parents from what seems to have been, a relatively carefree childhood. Making a new living in the UK, as “outsiders”, only tightened the family bond, but it also changed the family dynamics. Moving countries and homes can be quite traumatic and takes some adjustment. Change isn’t easy.
After the unexpected and tragic passing of their parents, the sibling’s relationship turned to co-dependency, united in guilt, grief, and sadness. Their shared history also seems to have had a different impact on them as individuals.
Mimi always saw Art as the ‘favourite’ sibling. All the focus was on his genius and quirks, while she settled into taking up less space and being the dependable one. Although she is the younger of the two, she settled into taking care of the more ‘mundane’ tasks, like preparing the meals, etc. so that he can focus on his work.
Due to Art’s neurodivergence, he is extremely uncomfortable with change and very rigid in his thoughts and actions. His life’s obsession is with solving what seems to be an unsolvable mathematical equation. He is painfully logic, believes that life can be measured by algorithms and although it isn’t clearly stated I did get the idea that he possibly is on the autism spectrum. (I have to admit, Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory did come to mind a couple of times while reading this book).
Now, years after their parents’ passing, they still live together in the same house. With the support and cheerleading of Rey, Mimi’s best friend, she is now ready to be more independent, and to find a romantic partner. Even with this, Art gets involved, presenting a mathematical equation for Mimi to find romance on a dating website.
But as sometimes happen in real life, love comes Mimi’s way in a way she least expected. She meets Frank at an awards ceremony. And low and behold, he is also a mathematician! Personality wise, he could not be more different from Art though – he is kind, tender, a bit messy and has got a great sense of humour. And it seems to be love at first sight. But, Mimi isn’t 100% truthful, she lies about her surname and doesn’t disclose her family connections to Frank, in fear that it will intimate and scare him off.
And here starts an interesting ‘relationship’ triangle. Due to the nature of Art and Mimi’s connection, this new love interest does cause some conflict and tension. Art doesn’t trust Frank, is he who he says he is? Is his logic correct? Or is it only because Frank doesn’t fit into Art’s “dating” equation?
The story is told by both Mimi and Art. This paths the way for the reader to develop a strong emotional connection with the two characters. We are getting insight into Art’s compelling mind and the way he sees the world. Mimi’s strive for independence and to be freed from guilt, while also loving her brother and being loyal to him – is more of a ‘with heart’ thinker.
This is a unique and exceptional take on sibling relationships, as well as the complexities of love and loyalty.
It is off-beat, quirky and intelligent, full of likeable, candid, and delightful characters. I was so invested in the complex and very original plot, the solid character development and relatable themes.
Maths is at the centre of this book, and it is obvious that a lot of research went into this. The author presents it in a way that isn’t tedious or haughty though. The pace starts off on the slower side, but it turns into a real page-turner. I found this book profound, emotional and totally unexpected.
A thoroughly enjoyable and original debut, I can’t wait to see what comes next from Kara Gnodde!
With thanks to Exclusive Books for the opportunity to read this book. It also features on this month’s #EBRecommends list, highlighting all the ‘must read’ recent releases.
If you like reading about neurodiverse characters, also check out “The Maid” by Nita Prose
PUBLISHED BY: Pan Macmillan
EAN:9781529096354
DATE PUBLISHED: 02 March 2023
GENRE: Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)
About the Author: https://www.karagnodde.co.uk/
