A young woman in 2016 searches for her missing, off-the-grid mathematician father by following cryptic clues that lead her into a web of secrets connecting her to a circle of mathematicians in 1930s Vienna, where the rise of fascism, a rumored time-traveling music box, and a queer love story intertwine. Exploring themes of memory, the rewriting of history, identity, and the erasure of marginalized voices, the novel blends historical fiction, speculative science, and mystery in a layered, intellectually rich narrative.

Reader Review Summary

Set across two main timelines—2016 California and 1930s Vienna—the novel follows Hase, a young woman living off the grid and searching for her missing mathematician father, and a group of mathematicians and intellectuals in pre-WWII Austria, including Anton Moritz and Josef Zedlacher. Hase’s quest is triggered by her father’s disappearance and a cryptic set of instructions involving a library book and Wikipedia edits. In Vienna, Anton, a closeted gay professor, becomes entangled with the Engelhardt Circle, a group of intellectuals threatened by the rise of fascism, while Josef, a failed academic, harbors resentment and ambition. A rumored time-travel device—a music box—links the two eras, as does the theme of how history is written, erased, and revised. The narrative weaves together themes of family, queerness, memory, the erasure of women, and the impact of political extremism, with the story unfolding through multiple points of view and timelines that eventually converge.

Readers praised the book’s prose, describing it as beautiful, crisp, and artful, with many highlighting the author’s ability to balance intellect and emotional depth. The characters, particularly Hase, Anton, and Josef, were noted as distinct, complex, and compelling, with Anton and Haskell’s queer romance singled out for its poignancy and centrality to the plot. The Vienna sections, with their detailed depiction of the intellectual and political climate of the 1930s, were frequently cited as engrossing and well-researched. Many readers enjoyed the puzzle-like structure, the integration of Wikipedia editing as both theme and plot device, and the way the narrative threads and timelines ultimately came together. Several reviewers also appreciated the inclusion of mathematical puzzles and the exploration of how personal and historical narratives are constructed and revised.

Some readers found the book confusing, especially in the early sections, due to the multiple points of view, shifting timelines, and initially unclear connections between characters. The pacing was described as slow by several reviewers, with a significant amount of exposition and a narrative that required close attention. A number of readers felt the time travel element was underdeveloped or served more as a thematic device than a plot driver, leading to disappointment for those expecting a more traditional science fiction approach. Others struggled to connect with the characters, found the ending abstract or lacking in concrete resolution, or felt the book was too intellectual or challenging to follow. The similarity between Anton and Josef in the early chapters was also mentioned as a source of confusion.

The book has been compared to works like 'Cloud Cuckoo Land,' 'Sea of Tranquility,' and 'Cloud Atlas' for its structure and thematic ambition. The cover art and the Wikipedia motif were frequently mentioned as both eye-catching and integral to the story. The narrative incorporates real historical context, referencing the Vienna Circle and the rise of fascism, and draws inspiration from the author’s own family history. The book has received a mix of ratings, with an average of 3.96 out of 5 from 141 readers and 58 full reviews, and is described as genre-blending, combining elements of historical fiction, science fiction, mystery, and literary fiction.