The Half Life of Valery K

Name: The Half Life of Valery K
Brand: Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9781408885239
Price: 32.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

THE TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH

By Natasha Pulley

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Summary

Set in 1963 Siberia, The Half Life of Valery K follows former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov as he transitions from a gulag prisoner to a researcher in a mysterious, secretive town ravaged by radiation. Tasked with studying the effects of radiation on local wildlife, Valery confronts unsettling truths about the town and the hidden dangers within, all while grappling with the uncertainty of his own survival.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$32⁹⁹

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The Half Life of Valery K

$32⁹⁹

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Ideal for readers who enjoy atmospheric historical fiction blending mystery and science, with a taste for evocative Soviet-era settings and thought-provoking plots.

Description

SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022

The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month

The truth must come out.

In 1963, in a Siberian gulag, former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov has mastered what it takes to survive: the right connections to the guards for access to food and cigarettes, the right pair of warm boots to avoid frostbite, and the right attitude toward the small pleasures of life. But on one ordinary day, all that changes: Valery’s university mentor steps in and sweeps Valery from the frozen prison camp to a mysterious unnamed town hidden within a forest so damaged it looks like the trees have rusted from within.

Here, Valery is Dr. Kolkhanov once more, and he’s expected to serve out his prison term studying the effect of radiation on local animals. But as Valery begins his work, he is struck by the questions his research raises: what, exactly, is being hidden from the thousands who live in the town? And if he keeps looking for answers, will he live to serve out his sentence?

Based on real events in a surreal Soviet city, and told with bestselling author Natasha Pulley’s inimitable style, The Half Life of Valery K is a sweeping historical adventure.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408885239

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 384

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Natasha Pulley

About the Author

Natasha Pulley’s first novel The Watchmaker of Filigree Street was a Sunday Times bestseller, won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award. Her second novel, The Bedlam Stacks was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore Award and longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize, while subsequent novels The Lost Future of Pepperharrow and The Kingdoms were published to widespread critical acclaim, cementing Natasha’s reputation as one of the most original and exciting new young writers at work. She lives in Bristol.

@natasha_pulley