Celestial Lights // A Novel

A tale of coming of age on Earth and in space,Celestial Lightsis perfect for fans ofOrbitalandNormal People

January 28, 1986: soon after launch theChallengershuttle falls out of the sky and into the sea. At the same time, Oliver Ines, the most renowned astronaut of his time, is born.Celestial Lightsis his story.

His idyllic, if lonely, childhood is spent in a small English village, where he falls in love with Philly, his neighbors niece. During his college years in London and a stint in the Navy, his fascination with the celestial sharpens into a focus often mistaken for aloofness. When the enterprising and elusive billionaire Mark Massey taps him to train as an astronaut and lead a mission to Europa, Oliver makes a choice that will send his whole world spinning.

Celestial Lightsis a portrait of a complicated man whose unparalleled understanding of the universe doesnt always translate into stellar relationships on Earth. It explores the sacrifices required to achieve greatnessbut more importantly, the idea that greatness is not always what it seems. A breathtaking tale of memory, personal choices, and the relationships that define us,Celestial Lightswill make every reader marvel at the night sky while cherishing the connections that make our planet home.

Cecile Pinis a London-based writer.Wandering Souls, her first novel, was long-listed for the Womens Prize for Fiction, the Carnegie Medal, the Prix Femina Etranger, and short-listed for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. She has won the Fragonard Prize for Foreign Literature, a Somerset Maugham Award, and a London Writers’ Award. In 2025, she was selected as one ofForbes 30 Under 30 Europe.

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Publish Date: March 24, 2026
• Pages: 240
• Language: English
• Type: Hardback
• EAN/UPC: 9781250863492
• Dimensions: 209.6 X 136.5 X 1.0 mm | 0.75 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Popular Fiction, Literary Fiction