Celestial Lights A Novel

By: Cecile Pin

Published by Henry Holt and Company, 2026-03-24

A tale of coming of age on Earth and in space, Celestial Lights is perfect for fans of Orbital and Normal People

January 28, 1986: soon after launch the Challenger shuttle 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 Lights is his story.

His idyllic, if lonely, childhood is spent in a small English village, where he falls in love with Philly, his neighbor’s 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 Lights is a portrait of a complicated man whose unparalleled understanding of the universe doesn’t always translate into stellar relationships on Earth. It explores the sacrifices required to achieve greatness—but 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 Lights will make every reader marvel at the night sky while cherishing the connections that make our planet home.