Finalist, 2017 Indie Book Awards for Adult Fiction, Foreword Reviews In his fiction debut, Heat-Moon (
Blue Highways) stages philosophical and spiritual debates in
an elegant story of one man's search for meaning in the cosmos. . . . This thought-provoking novel is rife with relatable and complex musings. Charming illustrations and quotes from songs and plays abound, rounding out the package.
–Publishers Weekly "Philosophically rich story line. . . . An entrancing journey toward deeper insight into the cosmos, an exploration readers will share and savor with every masterfully crafted sentence. Highly recommended for fans of Heat-Moon and readers who enjoy philosophical fiction."
–ALA Booklist The author of the best-selling travel memoir
Blue Highways makes his fiction debut with this erudite novel that touches on a multitude of areas, including science, theology, philosophy, and psychiatry. . . . Definitely for fans of philosophical novels and Least Heat-Moon's nonfiction." –
–Library Journal A road trip of souls. . . . William Least-Heat Moon has taken a story of people making choices incompatible with their own desires and natures and given us a travelogue of the spirit. The trajectories of these three people, each one trying to find their place in a cosmos crowded with distraction and uncertainty, reveal the geography of the self and the gravity of choice. In the end we're offered a map of roads oft-traveled and too little remarked on the journey to hope."
–The Proximal Eye "Engaging, employing nonfictional devices to build a story that crosses the traditional boundaries of 'rationality and spirituality', Celestial Mechanics is a unique and extraordinary novel that is as entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. As mysterious and stirring as a midnight snowfall, Celestial Mechanics invites the reader to ponder their role in the Universe along with the truth-seeking protagonist. Author William Least Heat-Moon is a novelist with a genuine flair for original and deftly crafted storytelling."
–Midwest Review of Books "A haunting love story that oscillates between dream and reality."
–Stay Thirsty Media "Heat-Moon's facility with language remains impressive and undiminished."
–St. Louis Post Dispatch "A complex and layered story. . . . The writing is lively and rewards the thoughtful, deliberate reader."
–Missouri Life "A tour de force . . . Many readers will experience what I have experienced – expanding the mind to grasp what the author is teaching through his fiction." –Columbia Daily Tribune
[Celestial Mechanics] focuses on disconnecting from modern technology and thinking about larger ideas.
–NPR (KBIA) "A sprawling, fantastical work about a man's spiritual journey, Celestial Mechanics is the first novel by William Least Heat-Moon, who is well-known for his best-selling
Blue Highways. CELESTIAL MECHANICS is imaginative work about a man's quest for true connection."
–Foreword Reviews "Both a journey and the musings of a philosophical mind."
–Kirkus Reviews
