Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold: A Novel

An inexplicable sickness. A small town cut off from the world. An unexpected community of survivors forges a family out of the despair, struggling against things known and unknown for survival and hope.A mysterious plague known as the Grey grips the small village of Pilam, which the world has quarantined without pity. Laying waste to Pilam’s residents, the sickness saps its victims of strength, drains the color from their eyes, and kills all promise. Only the young are immune. But beyond the barricades and walls of soldiers―the manifestation of a nation’s terror―there are rumors of a cure. Dunka, the eldest son of a family reeling from the Grey, takes on the daunting task of leaving Pilam to find that cure for his siblings and save them before it’s too late. His brother and sisters, however, have plans of their own. Navigating the chaos of violence, hunger, and death, each of them tries to make sense of the bleak circumstances, forging new bonds with other juvenile survivors left to their own devices. Now an unlikely family of six, they choose their own perilous paths, at first separately and then together, coming to terms with the decisions they make and the ghosts they cannot leave behind.Umar Turaki’s gripping novel is a story of survival, love, and the human spirit’s tenacious capacity for wonder.

Good Morning America

“A mysterious disease sweeps through an African village in Umar Turaki’s debut novel. Estranged siblings reunite to band against this insidious illness, highlighting the power of the everyday in this terrifying yet elegant read.”

Fredericksburg Free Lance Star

“Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold is ultimately a redemptive and uplifting text about what family means. The characters draw apart and come together again, showing an astonishing and moving amount of resilience. Though some of the characters commit unimaginable acts, their determination to prevail perfectly matches our own, and that brings great solace.”

Mystery & Suspense

“No matter how terrible the circumstances…Umar Turaki isn’t glossing over the reality of how bad this situation could get―the changing perspectives kick in at exactly the right times to break the tension and allow a little hope back for the reader…It’s a beautiful book, and even more impressive as a debut.”

LOCUS

“Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold is dark and gloomy, but also packed with tiny moments of joy and curious revelations that show life is always worth living. This is a pandemic book that shows the ugliness of the world and the way we can turn against those who need our help the most, but it also shows the power of love and the importance of forging bonds when everything seems lost. Turaki has taken the classic pandemic novel and infused it with his own brand of hope, and that makes this a must-read novel.”

Colleen van Niekerk, author of A Conspiracy of Mothers

“There is an aching beauty woven into the lyrical prose of this novel that lingers with the reader beyond the last page. Against the richly drawn canvas of a landscape rendered vividly and with meticulous detail, a story unfolds of a family and community faced with both outward and inner desolation. Compelled to untangle the difficult questions of what it means to be both human and humane in the face of unspeakable cruelty and horror, one is drawn in and held by their resilience, courage, vulnerability, and tenderness and the inimitable power of the ties that bind.”

Kirthana Ramisetti, author of Dava Shastri’s Last Day

“Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold is a stark, powerful novel about family, resilience, and survival in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. Turaki’s engrossing storytelling will draw you in from the very first page, and the siblings’ determination to escape their grim fates is as harrowing as it is hopeful, reminding us that even when faced with all matters of adversity and tragedy, humanity will still seek a way to forge ahead and prevail.”

T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead

“Grim, beautiful―a stunning novel.”

About the Author

Umar Turaki is a writer and filmmaker whose work has been short-listed for the Miles Morland Scholarship and long-listed for the Short Story Day Africa Prize. For more information, visit www.umarturaki.com.

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