The author of Good Morning, Midnight and The Light Pirate, Lily Brooks-Dalton’s books have been translated into over 20 languages and into film.
On March 30 at Library Shop Mission Hills, Brooks-Dalton presents her latest novel, in-conversation with author and journalist Julia Dixon-Evans. In Ruins, an archaeologist with academic promise becomes dangerously obsessed with a hidden civilization’s mysteries. How far will curiosity and determination take her? Recommended by Jeff VanDerMeer and Geraldine Brooks, this story is one for the ages!
This special, pre-publication book event includes a discussion, Q&A, and signing line with the author. Registration is required, and pre-ordering the book is encouraged. Readers with a copy of Ruins will receive priority seating if the event fills up early, and early-bird readers purchase with Library Shop online by 3⁄12 will receive a 10% discount. Because this is a pre-publication event, your book order will be available for pick-up at Library Shop Mission Hills during check-in on March 30. Proceeds from all book sales support the San Diego Public Library.
- RSVP REQUIRED: Register early to reserve a seat, and pre-order order your book by 3⁄12 to receive a 10% discount.
- BOOK PICK-UP: Pick up your book during event check-in at Library Shop Mission Hills on Monday, March 30.
ABOUT THE BOOK
From critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Light Pirate comes a powerful, deeply resonant novel about an ambitious archaeologist in pursuit of a rare artifact from an ancient civilization that would not only change her life, but potentially society at large.
Professor Ember Agni is a rising star, trying to balance an unfulfilling career in academia and a crumbling marriage, all while pursuing her true passion: unearthing a lost empire that no one else believes existed. Just as she’s about to give up on the ambitious expedition she spent a decade trying to fund, a message arrives from overseas. A former student claims to have found something extraordinary — an artifact that hints at the forgotten world lying beneath history’s tidy surface.
With vindication finally within reach, Ember risks everything for the sake of discovery and undertakes an odyssey that will either make her name or ruin her.
“Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novels are rich literary feasts. They’re also page turners with breathtaking twists. As we follow her complicated, flawed protagonist on the hunt for an artifact that will change history, the ground of our own understanding constantly shifts and re-forms itself. Ruins is a quest novel and a story of obsession: what is knowledge worth, and what should you sacrifice to get it?” —Geraldine Brooks
“A stunning mystery wedded to an adventurous journey, Ruins is a unique and beautiful novel from a major talent who goes from strength to strength. Highly recommended.” —Jeff VanderMeer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lily Brooks-Dalton is the author of the national bestseller The Light Pirate, which was the runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a #1 Indie Next title, and a New York Times Editors’ Pick. Her previous novel, Good Morning, Midnight, was the inspiration for the film adaptation The Midnight Sky and her memoir, Motorcycles I’ve Loved, was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her work has been translated into 20 languages and she is a recipient of the PEN America L’Engle/Rahman Prize for mentorship.
JULIA DIXON EVANS hosts KPBS’ arts and culture podcast, The Finest, writes the KPBS Arts newsletter, produces and edits the KPBS/Arts Calendar and works with the KPBS team to cover San Diego’s diverse arts scene. Previously, Julia wrote the weekly Culture Report for Voice of San Diego and has reported on arts, culture, books, music, television, dining, the outdoors and more for The A.V. Club, Literary Hub and San Diego CityBeat. She studied literature at UCSD (where she was an oboist in the La Jolla Symphony), and is a published novelist and short fiction writer. She is the founder of Last Exit, a local reading series and literary journal, and she won the 2019 National Magazine Award for Fiction. You can find her book, How to Set Yourself on Fire, at Library Shop SD.
