Light Years from Home

Chen (We Could Be Heroes) delivers an emotional blend of space opera and family drama. Fifteen years ago, Jakob Shao joined the war efforts of the alien coalition that abducted him from Earth. Now, dire circumstances force him to return home and face the family left behind. Jakob’s disappearance devastated the Shao family, sending sisters Evie and Kassie on divergent paths: Evie spent those 15 years researching possible alien sightings, while Kassie has always believed that Jakob simply ran away—and that Evie has abandoned her responsibilities to chase a delusion. Chen captures both the love and the friction of their sibling relationship when Jakob returns with a cover story about backpacking through Europe, confirming Kassie’s theory. An element of doubt creeps in, however, when the FBI shows up wanting to question Jakob as part of a domestic terrorism investigation. Kassie and Evie agree to help, but Evie breaks her promise when given the opportunity to prove that Jakob was abducted. Chen adroitly explores the contradictory emotions typical of sibling dynamics and the holding pattern of familial roles against the distant backdrop of UFO investigation and intergalactic battle. The result is sure to keep readers turning pages. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary. (Jan.)