Bone China, or Letters Not about Love - Hardcover

by Svetlana Boym (Author)

Bone China, or Letters Not about Love is an unconventional murder mystery that blends suspense with lyrical storytelling.

Its protagonist Mila Freeman is recovering from a broken leg when she receives the news that her old friend--an artist and human rights activist--has been found dead under suspicious circumstances. The death is officially ruled a suicide, but the truth lingers unresolved, seeping into Mila's world despite her friends' vow to avoid the subject.

What unfolds is a witty and haunting meditation on exile, nostalgia, fractured bodies, and lost loves. Through digressive folktales, etymologies, and a chorus of emails woven into the narrative, Bone China explores the tension between silence and revelation, grief and resilience, intimacy and estrangement.

A genre-defying novel, it invites readers into a mystery that is as much about memory and identity as it is about uncovering a death. With sharp wit and emotional depth, Bone China is perfect for readers who crave literary fiction that pushes boundaries while keeping them enthralled by the puzzle at its core.

Author Biography

Svetlana Boym was a prolific writer of literary essays, fiction, and plays, as well as a keen photographer. Her books included The Future of Nostalgia (2001) and Another Freedom: An Alternative History of an Idea (2010). She taught at Harvard University until her death in 2015.