In Ascension

Leigh's upbringing in Rotterdam revolved around her fascination with the waterfront, which served as a sanctuary from her troubled family life and an unpredictable father. Her enchantment with the mysterious undersea realm of her youth propelled her to excel in marine biology, taking her on journeys around the world to study ancient organisms. However, her life takes a dramatic turn when an expedition in the Atlantic Ocean uncovers a deep trench. Leigh eagerly joins the exploration team, hoping to uncover evidence of Earth's earliest life forms. Instead, her findings cast doubt upon everything we thought we knew about our origins.

This discovery leads Leigh to the Mojave Desert and an ambitious new space agency. As she delves further into the agency's work, she uncovers a web of interconnected phenomena spanning the globe, hinting at a pattern beyond human comprehension. Leigh faces an excruciating dilemma: continue her work with the agency, forsaking her ailing mother and younger sister, or remain with her family. It's a choice that forces her to weigh the cosmic against the familiar.

"In Ascension" takes readers on a profound journey through the natural world, evoking the same wonder and reverence typically reserved for the stars. It's a compassionate and deeply inquisitive epic that extends its exploration to the grandest existential questions while also illuminating the minutest facets of the human heart. Ultimately, the novel illustrates how, no matter how distant we may be from our origins and how much hope we've lost, our innate longing brings us back to the people and places we call home.