ABOUT
THE BOOK

2020 Longlist

What would it really mean to live forever?

Rachel’s current troubles are only the latest in a litany spanning dozens of countries, scores of marriages, hundreds of children and 2,000 years. Only one person shares her immortality: an illicit lover who pursues her through the ages. But when her children develop technologies that could change her fate, Rachel must find a way out. From ancient religion to the scientific frontier, Dara Horn pits our efforts to make life last against the deeper challenge of making life worth living.

About the Author

Dara Horn was born in New Jersey and received her Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University. Her novels include In the Image , The World to Come , All Other Nights and A Guide for the Perplexed. She is a two-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction.

Librarian’s Comments

At its heart, External Life is a philosophical exploration of what it means to be human, to live in the world, to witness and be witnessed. Hartford Public Library, USA