‘A psychological thriller, a flawed love story, a study of authenticity in emotions, a commentary on America's relations with itself and the world, humanity and ecology... undoubtedly magnificent’ The Times

On a winter night, Mark Schluter’s truck turns over in a near-fatal accident. His sister, Karin, returns reluctantly to their hometown to look after him. But when he finally awakes from his coma, Mark believes that Karin – who looks, acts, and sounds just like his sister – is really an identical impostor.

Shattered by her brother’s behaviour, Karin contacts neuroscientist Dr Gerald Weber. But what Weber discovers in Mark begins to undermine even his own sense of self. Meanwhile, Mark, armed only with a note left by an anonymous witness, attempts to learn what really happened. The truth of that evening will change the lives of all three beyond recognition.

"Among his most stunning yet: profound and heartbreaking" - Financial Times

"A psychological thriller, a flawed love story, a study of authenticity in emotions, a commentary on America's relations with itself and the world, humanity and ecology ... undoubtedly magnificent" - The Times

"An exhilarating narrative feat ... He is a formidable talent, and this is a lucid, fiercely entertaining novel" - Washington Post

"Powers's most accessible novel ... a novel of richness and complexity, never dry or condescending, always weaving its way towards an unsettling emotional climax" - Guardian

"An eloquent style, a strongly localised setting and a wealth of arcane and intricately researched detail ... the novel is full of character, in cast and locale, and it impressively manages to be both meditative and compelling" - Sunday Times