Sunbirth by An Yu
In the desert town of Five Poems Lake, a young woman tries to live a peaceful life of routine despite her circumstances. Twelve years ago, her parents disappeared one by one: only her father’s body was found. Her loss was overshadowed when the sun began to disappear from the sky a sliver at a time.
Since then, the locals who remain have acclimated to the colder weather and a perpetual sense of dread. The rest have packed their bags in search of sunnier skies. The young woman’s sister wants them to leave together. But the sisters’ departure is delayed when an encounter with a Beacon—a new phenomenon in which a person’s head is engulfed by sunlight—and a discovery about their policeman father’s final case come between them.
An Yu’s prose is full of thoughtfully rendered details that add realism to an otherwise surreal novel. Like the townsfolk of Five Poems Lake, a reader might momentarily forget about the apocalypse—before Sunbirth’s propulsive pacing draws you back in.
Reviewed by Emma Radosevich, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive February 2026 issue.)