Celestial Lights: A Novel

by Cecile Pin, Dane Williams (Narrator), Leah Marks (Narrator)

One of Vogue’s Best Books of 2026

"Dane Williams’ performance as Ollie is suitably quiet and introspective as he considers, through journal entries, pivotal milestones and relationships." — Kirkus

A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about ambition, love, and space from the award-winning author of Wandering Souls

January 28, 1986: Soon after launch, the Challenger shuttle falls out of the sky and into the sea. At the same time, Oliver Ines is born. Celestial Lights is his story.

Ollie spends his childhood in an English village where his bedroom is covered in glow-in-the-dark wallpaper bearing the planets and stars. Decades later, he has become one of the most renowned astronauts of his time. When an enterprising billionaire taps him to lead a landmark mission to the distant moon Europa, Ollie makes a choice that will send his whole world spinning.

As the mission advances deeper into unchartered territory, Ollie finds himself retreating into the his university days in London and years in the navy, relationships found and lost, becoming a husband and father. But will the world he remembers still be waiting for him ten years later when he returns?

A portrait of a complicated man and a breathtaking tale of memory, personal choices, and the relationships that define us, Celestial Lights is an unforgettable story that questions what we owe ourselves and our loved ones when our ambitions and loyalties collide.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Space, Audiobook, Contemporary

7 pages, Audible Audio

First published March 24, 2026

About the author

Cecile Pin grew up in Paris and New York City. She moved to London at eighteen to study philosophy at University College London and received an MA at King’s College London. She writes for Bad Form Review, was long-listed for their Young Writers’ Prize, and is a 2021 London Writers Award winner. Wandering Souls is her first novel.

Reviews

[ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES! YES! YES! i love SPACE!!!! i love ASTRONAUT STORIES!! this was phenomenal i genuinely could not put it down. no notes

[Terrie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver Ines was born on January 28, 1986, the day the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in the skies over the Atlantic Ocean seventy-three seconds after it launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Ollie, as he is known to his family and friends, grows up in a small English village, studies engineering at university in London, becomes a submariner in the Royal Navy, marries and has a son. Several years later, he is recruited by a tech billionaire to train as an astronaut and chosen to lead a ten-year mission to the distant moon Europa...

Celestial Lights is told in the first-person voice of Ollie through his memories and his logbook entries onboard the spacecraft, Talos. He dreams big, studies hard to achieve them, and faces difficult choices between his career and his love for his family.

As an emotional reader, I was conflicted about Ollie's decision to leave his family behind for 10 years to pursue his dreams. Ollie is a complicated character, and as the story progressed, I grew to care about him, but I found him aloof and selfish. This story is an eye-opening tale of memory, personal choices, and the relationships that define us.

An immersive reading experience: the audiobook is narrated by Dane Williams and Leah Marks, who make a wonderful pairing as the voices of Ollie and his wife, as well as the various other characters.

Celestial Lights is a beautifully written literary fiction and character-driven story, under 250 pages, it travels at the speed of light!🚀💫✨

3.75⭐

[Léa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celestial Lights is a poignant novel following our protagonist's ambition to become an astronaut and the sacrifices, devastation and vulnerability that pair with it. I absolutely ADORE the way Cecile Pin writes, she is an author who I will without a doubt be reading everything from in future. Her prose is so eloquent, thorough and raw in a way that makes each character jump off of the page.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2026 and as much as I enjoyed it in its entirety I simultaneously feel slightly conflicted. Our narrative follows several timelines, often jumping back and forth between past, present and future and whilst this allows a bingeable / fast paced experience, I do think it led to a slight disconnect. As the novel progressed it felt slightly fragmented and I truly would've loved the book to be even 100 pages longer to fill in the gaps. With that being said I loved the characterisation and following a protagonist who was driven by ambition was fascinating, particularly seeing the morally grey corruption that led from it.

A book PERFECT for fans of Atmosphere and Project Hail Mary!

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I suspect that the answer lies partly in feelings: in an urge I had to push the boundaries of what I thought would be available to me. An insatiable curiosity to see how far I could go, how much I could achieve.”

Commander Oliver Ines’ personal log while on the spaceship Talos around 2032 on the way to Europa, Jupiter’s moon alternates with reflections on his past years on earth. Born on the day of The Challenger crash, an obsession for the stars - was it fate that he would become an astronaut and take this ten year mission? The heart of the story is not about space exploration, but about self exploration. The novel raises thought provoking questions about ambition, desire to become something bigger, better than where you came from, but for whom and at what cost?

“Perhaps our whole lives were just a series of letting go-of certain values and beliefs, of people and memories. We let go of certain things, quietly or with a thud, in the hope of reaching greater, better ones, while the rest wilts away.”

Ollie is a complex character and I can’t say that I liked him nor can I say that I totally disliked him . At times I understood why he made the decisions that he did but I wondered how he could leave behind a loving wife, a young son and a dying mother . Ultimately a well written and sad story reflecting on the choices people make.

I received a copy of this book from Henry Holt/Macmillan through Edelweiss

[Tini · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stellar, quietly breathtaking novel about ambition, responsibility, and the cost of reaching for the stars.

Happy publication day to this absolutely stellar novel!🪐 💫 🌙

"Sometimes, when I've done my tasks for the day and Talos is quiet, I try and imagine my life had I followed her path. But then, I look out of the viewing port. I see the crescent moon and the faint shimmers of Venus and Mars. I see the deepest dark that surrounds us infinitely, awash with stars and the misty hues of nebulas, their rich purples, their vibrant reds. I see the Milky Way in all its glory, untainted by city lights, and the sun rising over Earth's atmosphere. I see them all, those celestial lights, and I know that no other path would have shown them to me."

In a slightly varied timeline, mankind has already gone to Mars and is planning to build the first colonies on the moon when, sometime around the year 2030, Oliver Ines is leading a mission aboard the Talos, a spaceship making a ten-year journey to Jupiter's moon, Europa. Born on the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster - a symbolic beginning for a life shaped by the pull of the stars - and raised in an English village with a bedroom lit by glow-in-the-dark constellations, Ollie has grown into one of the world's most renowned astronauts. By the time we meet him aboard the Talos, he is reflecting on his journey to space while facing the realities of life onboard.

Even though Oliver is traveling through space, Celestial Lights is not, at its core, a story about space exploration. Instead, Cecile Pin has written an eloquent and elegant novel filled with lyrical prose and thoughtful observations about responsibility and duty, dreams and ambition, and the weight of the paths we choose.

Interspersed with logbook entries from the Talos, the novel unfolds through Oliver's memories - his university years, his time in the navy, the relationships that shaped him, and the family he built along the way. It becomes a deeply introspective portrait of a man reckoning with the choices that led him here, and what those choices have cost him.

There is, obviously, a sci-fi aspect to the story, but it takes a backseat to Oliver's reflections, focusing less on the mechanics of space and more on the emotional cost of getting there. Like Orbital (which I also loved!), the novel is far more concerned with the emotional and philosophical gravity of space travel than the technical details.

This is also a fairly short novel, and I personally would have loved spending more time in Oliver's orbit - so gorgeous is the prose. That said, the length works beautifully. It keeps the story poignant and impactful without becoming overextended, reflective without losing momentum.

There is an undercurrent of heartbreak running throughout. Ollie is a complicated man - driven and thoughtful, yet marked by a quiet emotional distance. His story is not just about reaching for the stars, but about what that pursuit asks of him in return. The novel gently but persistently asks what we are willing to sacrifice for our ambitions - and whether those sacrifices are ever truly worth it.

The audiobook, narrated by Dane Williams and Leah Marks, is a beautiful companion to the text. Both narrators capture the introspective tone of the novel, bringing warmth and emotional nuance to Oliver and Philly's reflections and enhancing the story without overpowering it.

Heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and deeply immersive, Celestial Lights is a marvel - a story about a man drawn to the furthest reaches of the universe, and the life he leaves behind in the process. Quite simply, unforgettable.

One of the best books of the year.

Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company | Henry Holt and Co. and Macmillan Audio for providing me with ARCs of the book and the audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"Celestial Lights" published today, March 24, 2026, and is available now.

[JanB · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Ollie is born on the same day of the Challenger explosion in 1986. He is fascinated by space and his bedroom is filled with glow in the dark planets & stars.

Decades later he becomes a celebrated astronaut and leads a privately funded 10 year mission to Europa.

The story is told through journal entries from his time in space, and reflections on the past and the life he left behind. Despite his beginnings, this is not a sci-fi story nor is it a tale of space exploration. I’d characterize it as character-driven literary fiction.

This is a thoughtful often heartbreaking exploration of the cost to Ollie and those he loves when he decides to pursue his dreams. He left behind a wife and child, as well as a sick parent for 10 years. Were the sacrifices worth it? Were his choices for the greater good of humanity or was it selfish ambition?

Ollie is not an entirely likable character. He’s complicated and the answers to the questions I posed above are left up to the reader to decide. It certainly gives the reader a different viewpoint on space exploration and the wealthy who fund it.

As an aside, my son was born 2 days before the Challenger explosion and I remember holding my newborn as I watched in horror as the Challenger exploded. He too grew up with glow-in-the-dark planets and stars on his bedroom ceiling (as did most kids of the era). Thankfully his life took a far different turn than Ollie’s but if it had I wouldn’t have been quite as understanding.

This is a short beautifully written novel but I felt detached and not as emotionally invested as I would have expected, given the storyline. I wanted to know more about the people he left behind. The book is filled with thought-provoking and quotable passages, but I prefer a book that also makes me FEEL more for the characters. This is a me thing, not a criticism of the book.

Yet, I still find myself still thinking about it, so for that reason alone, I’m rounding up to 4 stars.

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm)]

I was deeply moved by Cecile Pin's debut, Wandering Souls, so I had high hopes for Celestial Lights. However, 50 pages in, I find that I'm not invested in the characters. Further, the story (which doesn't focus on Ollie's four-year journey to Europa as much as anticipated) is too quiet for my needs at this time, so I'm setting this book aside.

[Kaleigh Belz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pin’s Celestial Lights was well written and had an interesting story and characters, but I never grew attached to any of them. I was left feeling slightly bored, and while there was nothing wrong with the work, I can’t imagine picking it up or recommending it to a friend.

[Bagus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celestial Lights feels like a surprising shift from Cecile Pin’s debut, Wandering Souls, which explored migration and displacement after the fall of Saigon. Here she moves into something closer to semi-science-fiction. The novel follows Ollie, an astronaut on a ten-year mission to explore Europa, one of the satellites orbiting Jupiter. Yet despite the cosmic setting, the story feels deeply personal. The novel is less about space exploration itself and more about the emotional cost of pursuing such a mission.

At the centre of the story is Ollie’s constant need to prove himself. Through a series of flashbacks we see how he moves from being an unremarkable boy in a rural village to studying engineering at Imperial College London. Later he joins the Royal Navy and serves on submarines, spending months underwater. In a way, the transition from submarines to spacecraft feels natural. Both involve isolation, discipline, and the willingness to endure long stretches away from ordinary life.

But Ollie is never entirely certain that the journey is worth it. The mission requires him to leave almost everything behind. His wife Philly grows to resent him. He misses the chance to see his son Tommy growing up. Even more painfully, he cannot be present when his mother dies during the third year of the mission. The dream of reaching the stars slowly becomes intertwined with a growing sense of loss.

The mission itself is also marked by tragedy. One of Ollie’s fellow crew members, Shane, dies during the journey. In front of the media, Ollie insists that Shane did not die in vain. Yet there are moments where it becomes clear that he is not entirely convinced by his own words. At times he even lies to others about whether Shane had been happy during the mission, perhaps because admitting doubt would undermine the entire narrative of sacrifice.

Throughout the story, the narrative keeps returning to the same tension: the desire to accomplish something extraordinary and the cost of leaving ordinary life behind. In that sense, it feels less like a story about space travel and more like a meditation on the choices people make when they pursue their dreams, and the people they inevitably leave behind in the process.

[DrBreeseReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down.

I thought this was a very interesting idea and the contrast between the two narratives worked excellently. I am always a fan of unreliable narrators when done well and I actually think Pin could have trusted the reader a bit more to work Ollie out. I just wasn’t enormously moved by the novel for some reason which is why I haven’t given it more stars.

[Sembray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having adored Cecile Pin's debut Wandering Souls, I was surprised and delighted to be sent an advance copy of this follow-up. It's even better than its predecessor and confirms her status as one of my favourite authors working today.

Celestial Lights tells the story of Ollie, an astronaut on a decade-long mission to Jupiter's moon Europa. It intersperses his mission logs with reminiscences on his life as he ponders what led him to leave behind his wife, child and family to embark on a dangerous and isolating journey through the cosmos. While there's plenty of sci-fi goodness, the novel's beating heart is the genius way in which Pin captures our personalities and relationships. I don't tend to be interested in family stories or romances, but I was gripped by this side of Celestial Lights just as much as the spacefaring, if not even more so. The tale of Ollie and Philly's childhood, how they drifted apart before being reunited and finally falling for each other, is one of the most compelling and realistic depictions of love I've ever encountered. It also makes Ollie's inevitable departure even more tragically moving.

Each of the minor characters is also expertly drawn (Shane being my favourite) and they all add something to the story as well as being a joy to spend time with. The novel's deeper themes are also wonderfully developed, ranging from the ethics of space exploration to the role of chance in our lives and the dichotomy between what you are and what you do with yourself and which is more important in shaping you as an individual. This is all delivered in Pin's spare but masterful writing style; she distils each line of description or dialogue down to its bare essence and ensures the reader connects with every character on an almost spiritual level.

After the astoundingly accomplished debut that was Wandering Souls, it's such a joy to see Cecile Pin delivering another brilliant work. Celestial Lights stands as a humane and immersive masterpiece. Pin may have only written two books so far but given the consistently high standard of her oeuvre I can only eagerly await many more. She's a unique talent and joins the fabled ranks of authors whose every word I will obsess over.

[Viktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got an ARC of this through the bookshop where I work!

Between experiential descriptions and tangible senses, Celestial Lights explores the cost of hubris, even when acted upon under the guise of “best intentions.” How could someone expect to land among the stars in their infinitude when that's where they came from in the first place? Reconciling what's important to us with what we feel our life’s work is for is a sisyphean task and evolves alongside us; this book questions what we recall and what we choose to remember when faced with the questions “Was everything I did in my life worth it?” and “Am I enough?” This book feels like a modern classic to me, and I imagine it'll make me cry for different reasons each time I revisit it.

[Chrissie Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

“It's funny. In my head, these events are perfectly clear—their hidden corners, their pervading emotions, heightened and tangible. But when I try to recall my actual memories, I see they're much more slippery.”

Not all sacrifices are equal.

Celestial Lights does something I don’t always love — it leaves space, opens up questions, and lets ideas hang without neatly answering them — but here, it works. The subtext is so focused and quietly intentional, that the openness feels like a necessary part of the design rather than something missing.

And let’s be honest: almost anything described as “deeply human” is going to work for me. This is exactly that: an excavation of self — Ollie’s ambition, love, responsibility — all filtered through the lens of something extraordinary happening to someone who is, at his core, entirely ordinary.

Ollie is born on the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, and from there, his life unfolds in this slip-sliding, interwoven narrative moving between and around a ten-year mission to Europa and the memories that surface alongside it. Ollie’s story moves the way memory does — not cleanly, and not linearly, but through emotion, association, and perspective. Childhood, friendship, early adulthood, love, family — all of it layered in and out of his present moments.

There’s a certain emotional distance in Ollie’s voice that might not work for everyone, but for me it felt exactly right. It matches the scale of what he’s doing — this long, quiet, almost unfathomable journey — and the way he processes it by turning inward, sifting through the life that led him there.

And that’s where the beauty of the book really shines. Not just in what Ollie remembers, and thus understanding him, but in how Pin shapes those memories — lyrical but not flowery. It’s a story about a man doing something most of us will (or would) never do, but when you strip that layer away, what’s underneath is the exposed tender flesh that is what we’re all made of. He’s out searching for evidence of water and life on Europa, and what surfaces inside him is proof of a life lived. It’s the same struggles, the same questions, the same divide between who we are and what we choose. Ollie’s life may be extraordinary in scope, but the heart of it — the joy, the loss, the uncertainty — is deeply, unmistakably human.

[suzannah ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

so different from wandering stars but just as beautiful! cecile pin has become an auto read author for me.

[Sarah Ferencz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. It was an easy read while still being complex and heartbreaking. I enjoyed the prose from the main character's time on earth mixed with his commander's log while on the spaceship.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story about an astronaut who travels to Europa. It’s a ten year journey so you can only imagine all the social and emotional repercussions. Additionally, it touches on the benefits and consequences of private support relative to government leadership. It was fascinating and compelling and I am grateful to the author for writing it and to NetGalley for providing a complementary copy.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cecile Pin can do what few writers can do, similar to Lily King, which is write an epic novel, in less than 300 pages.

My main issue: I need more Cecile Pin books.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine story, whatever, but I have to know, does anyone know how to tell a linear story anymore? I'm just so damn tired of alternating chapters between NOW and WHAT LED TO NOW. Pin wasn't more egregious than others but for some reason it just pissed me off to the point of distraction. Yet another story where we have to stop the progress of the story to jump back months/years, for crying out loud. Just TELL a STORY, for the love of God.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately all I can really think of to say about this book is that it is a giant nothing burger. It is not particularly well written, and it has nothing novel to say about any of its themes. I was very frustrated and bored.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not as I expected, but in this case that's a good thing. First and foremost: the bulk of this book is not actually about space, but rather the life story of Ollie Ines recounted in the large volume of time he has available during a long journey in space.

While I did enjoy the chronicling of the space travel, and the impact it had on the greater story, my favorite part was undoubtedly the narrator's life outside of the mission. The author, Cecile Pin, does a really nice job telling a cozy and calm story that manages to retain interest, and it was easy to return to multiple times a day to read. Especially closer to the end of the book, I found myself upset with the main character for the decisions he made — but these decisions enabled Pin to explore some highly emotional and complicated interactions between characters which not only allow for Ollie's reflection but for the reader as well. It definitely forced me to think through aspects of my own life, and how I believe I'd act if placed into the same circumstances he was.

Philly, who you're introduced to early in the story, is my favorite character. She reminds me of several friends of mine growing up, none of which I'm in contact with anymore but nevertheless recall for the same "strange" mannerisms they had. She would definitely have been made fun of at the schools I attended, but she could easily have been a great friend. Ollie and Philly interacting with one another was the source of the most emotion for me in reading this, and that contains both pleasant and difficult feelings. I know they aren't real, of course, but I feel for Philly nonetheless.

On the flipside, Mark is my least favorite character. He's written well — well enough to instantly make me think of irritating tech billionaires indulging themselves throughout their lives by throwing money around to get whatever (and whomever) they want - and he reminds me a lot of a specific billionaire who is particularly infuriating and owns a very similar start-up to Mark's. (Hint: his last name is the same length, and both starts and ends with the same letters, as the fictional character's first name. Was that intentional?)

While it's not particularly lengthy, Celestial Lights is a worthwhile read and I can easily recommend it to other readers. Think of this as a "realistic fiction — science fiction hybrid" title, if you will.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to enjoy this book's ARC ahead of release. My review is my honest opinion of the book and is not affected by my selection to receive an early copy. All opinions expressed herein are my own. I will likely purchase a print copy of Celestial Lights when it officially releases.

[Justyna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Celestial Lights was a miss for me. The description and buzz made it sound adventurous, emotional, and dramatic—something that would explore the tension between space exploration and the people left behind. Instead, it read like a quiet, day‑to‑day chronicle of someone’s life, without the momentum or thematic depth I was hoping for.
The narrator was fine, but didn’t elevate the material. Honestly, I’m not sure anything could have, because the story itself never delivered on the premise. I expected more focus on the space mission and its emotional fallout, but most of the book centered on the main character’s upbringing, which wasn’t what I signed up for. It wasn’t bad, just… not compelling, and definitely not the dramatic, high‑stakes narrative I was excpecting.
Maybe this one simply wasn’t for me—but if you’re looking for something introspective and slow‑moving, it might land better for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty depressing and the main character is about as interesting as a dish rag.

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my more surprising reads of the year. I put Celestial Lights on hold at the library without much context for the book, but was immediately enthralled. It kind of reminded me of Mitch Albom's Twice or Virginia Evan's The Correspondent, with the simple prose and storyline, but deep messaging. It gave me the warm fuzzies that Project Hail Mary did (what better way to have self revelations than spend 10 years alone in space?), but I'm obviously in my space/alien girl era. Making big choices to follow your dreams is never usually easy or simple, and never without sacrifices. That is what Celestial Lights is really about.

Moral of the story? Your life is your own and you make your own choices....and never trust a billionaire trying to send people to space

[cecilia ☕︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5💫

[Ben Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautiful. With the backdrop of Commander Oliver Ines on his mission to Europa, we absorb his life, the relationships formed and lost, the selfish coldness required to be deemed 'special' to the world, the sacrifices both forced on him and chosen by him. Rather than a sci-fi with human relationships, this is a story about human relationships with a sci-fi backdrop. This book beautifully evoked being a child in the UK, it also captured the coldness and warmth of humanity. I just ate this up!

[G ✨🫶🏻 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had such high hopes for this because I loved wandering souls but this was a steamer. Oliver you SUCK and they should have left you up there.

[Kelsey Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone put the ARC in my neighborhood free library and I am so glad I picked it up. I was drawn to the approachable length and the way the cover art made me feel and luckily what was on the pages exceeded expectations. This book about space is really about Earth - the people we love, the choices we make, and the quiet costs that come with them. By the end, I felt nostalgic for a life I never actually lived—beautifully sad and subtly moving. 5⭐️

[goldenlikedaylight · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a fantastic read and one of my favourites for this year
i picked this up on a whim (the beautiful cover surely played a role in this decision) and i’m so glad i did
beautiful and poignant, i feel like the story was quite unique and unlike anything i’ve read before, the writing style made this so easy to read and the ending left me in tears

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character was deeply unloveable for me.

[Ali Nurmikko · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected a lot more from this book. The description was very intriguing and left me with an excitement to dig into this book. However, I felt like this book missed its opportunity to be remarkable. Instead the book follows the main character, Ollie, who you had no real emotional investment to. He was not groundbreaking or emotionally deep, nor did he have any defining qualities to make you care for him. With that, looking back on his life as it reflects on his choice to go on a ten-year mission left me bored. It felt like he was one-foot in and one-foot out for everything he did in life.

This book had a chance to be powerful, emotional, and beautiful, but left me wanting so much more. Even the space aspect had much to be desired.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!