A Trip to the Stars

A Novel

By Nicholas Christopher | Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

About the book

“A large, lavishly inventive novel . . . an American descendant of The Arabian Nights . . . erudite and artful entertainment.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
At a Manhattan planetarium in 1965, ten-year-old Enzo is whisked away from his young adoptive aunt, Mala. His abductor turns out to be a blood relative: his great-uncle Junius Samax, a wealthy former gambler who lives in a converted Las Vegas hotel surrounded by a priceless art collection and a host of fascinating, idiosyncratic guests. In Samax’s magical world, Enzo receives a unique education and pieces together the mystery of his mother’s life and the complicated history of his adoption. Back in New York, Mala only knows that Enzo has disappeared. After a yearlong search proves fruitless, she enlists in the Navy Nursing Corps and on a hospital ship off Vietnam falls in love with a wounded B-52 navigator, who disappears on his next mission. Devastated again, Mala embarks on a restless, adventurous journey around the world, hoping to overcome the losses that have transformed her life.
 
Fusing imagination, scholarship, and suspense with remarkable narrative skill, Nicholas Christopher builds a story of tremendous scope, an epic tale of love and destiny, as he traces the intricate latticework of Mala’s and Enzo’s lives. Each remains separate from each other but tied in ways they cannot imagine—until the final miraculous chapter of this extraordinary novel.
 
“A writer of remarkable gifts.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
“This labyrinthine novel . . . is animated by an encompassing lust for beauty.”—The New Yorker
 
“[Nicholas] Christopher is North America’s García Márquez; Borges with emotional weight. . . . This is one of those rare books that, by connecting the stars, catches you in its web.”—The Globe and Mail

Includes an excerpt of Nicholas Christopher’s Tiger Rag

Editions of A Trip to the Stars

Hardcover
ISBN 9780385318044
Paperback
ISBN 9780812984798
EBook
ISBN 9780307799883

Read an Excerpt

“A large, lavishly inventive novel . . . an American descendant of The Arabian Nights . . . erudite and artful entertainment.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
At a Manhattan planetarium in 1965, ten-year-old Enzo is whisked away from his young adoptive aunt, Mala. His abductor turns out to be a blood relative: his great-uncle Junius Samax, a wealthy former gambler who lives in a converted Las Vegas hotel surrounded by a priceless art collection and a host of fascinating, idiosyncratic guests. In Samax’s magical world, Enzo receives a unique education and pieces together the mystery of his mother’s life and the complicated history of his adoption. Back in New York, Mala only knows that Enzo has disappeared. After a yearlong search proves fruitless, she enlists in the Navy Nursing Corps and on a hospital ship off Vietnam falls in love with a wounded B-52 navigator, who disappears on his next mission. Devastated again, Mala embarks on a restless, adventurous journey around the world, hoping to overcome the losses that have transformed her life.
 
Fusing imagination, scholarship, and suspense with remarkable narrative skill, Nicholas Christopher builds a story of tremendous scope, an epic tale of love and destiny, as he traces the intricate latticework of Mala’s and Enzo’s lives. Each remains separate from each other but tied in ways they cannot imagine—until the final miraculous chapter of this extraordinary novel.
 
“A writer of remarkable gifts.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
“This labyrinthine novel . . . is animated by an encompassing lust for beauty.”—The New Yorker
 
“[Nicholas] Christopher is North America’s García Márquez; Borges with emotional weight. . . . This is one of those rare books that, by connecting the stars, catches you in its web.”—The Globe and Mail

Includes an excerpt of Nicholas Christopher’s Tiger Rag

Frequently Asked Questions

What is A Trip to the Stars about?

“A large, lavishly inventive novel . . . an American descendant of The Arabian Nights . . . erudite and artful entertainment.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
At a Manhattan planetarium in 1965, ten-year-old Enzo is whisked away from his young adoptive aunt, Mala. His abductor turns out to be a blood relative: his great-uncle Junius Samax, a wealthy former gambler who lives in a converted Las Vegas hotel surrounded by a priceless art collection and a host of fascinating, idiosyncratic guests. In Samax’s magical world, Enzo receives a unique education and pieces together the mystery of his mother’s life and the complicated history of his adoption. Back in New York, Mala only knows that Enzo has disappeared. After a yearlong search proves fruitless, she enlists in the Navy Nursing Corps and on a hospital ship off Vietnam falls in love with a wounded B-52 navigator, who disappears on his next mission. Devastated again, Mala embarks on a restless, adventurous journey around the world, hoping to overcome the losses that have transformed her life.
 
Fusing imagination, scholarship, and suspense with remarkable narrative skill, Nicholas Christopher builds a story of tremendous scope, an epic tale of love and destiny, as he traces the intricate latticework of Mala’s and Enzo’s lives. Each remains separate from each other but tied in ways they cannot imagine—until the final miraculous chapter of this extraordinary novel.
 
“A writer of remarkable gifts.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
“This labyrinthine novel . . . is animated by an encompassing lust for beauty.”—The New Yorker
 
“[Nicholas] Christopher is North America’s García Márquez; Borges with emotional weight. . . . This is one of those rare books that, by connecting the stars, catches you in its web.”—The Globe and Mail

Includes an excerpt of Nicholas Christopher’s Tiger Rag

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in A Trip to the Stars?

Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre

Where can I read a sample of A Trip to the Stars?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780385318044

Who is/are the Author/s of the book A Trip to the Stars?

Nicholas Christopher

Who is the Publisher of the book A Trip to the Stars?

Random House Publishing Group

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

A Trip to the Stars is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780385318044) and paperback(ISBN 9780812984798) and ebook(ISBN 9780307799883)

Where can I buy A Trip to the Stars online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy A Trip to the Stars from below

Where can I buy A Trip to the Stars?