Atmospheric Disturbances - Rivka Galchen

At once a moving love story, a dark comedy, a psychological thriller, and a deeply disturbing portrait of a fracturing mind, this highly inventive debut explores the mysterious nature of human relationships. n nA New York Times Notable Book of the Year nA Salon.com Top Ten Book of the Year nA Plain Dealer (Cleveland) Best Book of the Year nA Slate Best Book of the Year n nRivka Galchen's Atmospheric Disturbances is a witty, tender, and conceptually dazzling (Booklist) novel about the mysterious nature of human relationships. n nWhen Dr. Leo Liebenstein's wife disappears, she leaves behind a single confounding clue: a woman who looks, talks, and behaves exactly like her. A simulatcrum. But Leo is not fooled, and he knows better than to trust his senses in matters of the heart. Certain that the real Rema is alive and in hiding, he embarks on a quixotic journey to reclaim her. With the help of his psychiatric patient Harvey--who believes himself to be a secret agent able to control the weather--his investigation leads him from the streets of New York City to the southernmost reaches of Patagonia, in search of the woman he loves.n