256 pp. October 13, 2026, Europa Editions. Fiction/SF.
It’s the end of the world, and a father and daughter are stuck in an airport. The father’s dreamt for many years—since his daughter was born—of taking her to Paris, the city where he was free and different for a very brief period in his life. He’s desperate to show this to her and in some way leave that to remember him by.
But it’s the end of the world, and that gradually dawns on them both as their flight is delayed over and over again, and then seemingly indefinitely. People keep arriving and the airport fills up as no one leaves. Time becomes an elastic thing, and everything turns surreal as father and daughter realise they’re struggling to recall even the recent past. Something’s happening—or being done—to them, and they become determined to find a way out.
This is a quirky premise, but anyone who’s been stuck in an airport will relate to the feeling of claustrophobia that brings; the novel does this so well in its later pages. Most of it, however, is a study of this father-daughter relationship, mostly from his perspective: the yearning for connection and understanding, the terror and dread of making mistakes, and the many miscommunications that accumulate over decades. But it’s also the deep love, devotion and genuine affection between the two; in other words, the maddening complexity and paradox we experience in such close family relationships. Being stuck in a restricted space at the end of the world just serves to bring everything that’s difficult between them into stark relief.
This novel from Maksik is a dreamy and surreal experience, and a quiet delight. Watch for the fun character at the end.
Thank you to Europa Editions and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Affiliate link: Support independent bookshops and my writing by ordering it from Bookshop here.
Find out more about Passengers from the publisher’s site here (update: it’s on the National Book Award longlist!)
This review first appeared in The Sunday Long Read, October 25, 2026 — Issue #557.
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