Download Harmony's Passing djvu

Harmony's Passing by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick is a wild ride that is, well, out of this world. Even if you're not a fan of the science of astronomy, there are many reasons why you may still find this novel intriguing.

Set mostly in a house in Taos, New Mexico, the story follows a combined group of American and British scientists as they try to unravel a great presence that has suddenly invaded our solar system. The story starts a bit slow, but highly mysterious. We're introduced to a cat named Pickles who both starts and ends what becomes a most absorbing story. As events unfold, this team of scientists, including some amateurs, converge at this house to share their ideas and expertise. Eventually, through observation and deduction, we come to find out that a black hole has emerged and is dangerously close to earth

Before engaging this story, I had no idea what an Oort Cloud, the Kuiper Belt, or Hawking Radiation was. I did know some vague facts about black holes, but mostly from movies which tend to take facts and then make up all sorts of fiction around it. But Mr. Kirkpatrick stays with real science, as the reader will come to know at the end of the story. Harmony's Passing has given my knowledge of space science a little boost and I had fun going to Wikipedia throughout the reading to learn more about what was being discussed.

But this story is not just about space phenomena, it's about people. Heavily intertwined throughout are touching tales of both tragedy and friendship. One of the key scientists had suffered a terrible loss when his wife succumbed to illness. Now, raising a daughter by himself, he tries to find purpose and the desire to continue living through his work. But he's having a terrible time. In response to this, the powers at be enabled him to transform his home in Taos, New Mexico, into a full-blown space research observatory. As we go along and characters gather upon this place, we come to know them all personally and enjoy their various and individual personalities, backgrounds and friendship ties.

There are some frightening moments as wonders from space, at one point, begin wreaking havoc on planet earth. How it does this is quite riveting. These mysterious incidents cause a certain amount of panic and death, and our team in Taos works frantically to uncover the truth behind what is happening and to be able to tell others what to expect. The buildup is incredibly suspenseful as we plot along to find out what events are going to happen next. Mr. Kirkpatrick's research is thorough and he goes into incredibly detailed and comprehensive explanations of the science and data gathering techniques the scientists employ as they unravel the mystery from space. Two famous physicists, Professor Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, even make cameos in this story--you'll need to read the novel to find out how.

All in all, Harmony's Passing is a novel that will fascinate many. The many storylines move a little slow at times, but they are stirring and real and worth their conclusion. You may even find a bit of philosophy about life and death in here worth pondering. Read this story to take a journey though not just some of the marvels of outer space, but also through the lives of the humans behind the science.

I would give it more of a 3.5 The reason being it is more of a fiction novel than a SciFi. Kelly has described it nicely, so I will skip this part. Interesting to read. Not as short as most other "free" Kindle books and nice development of the characters. Good enough to take with you on a vacation trip and relax. Still, not a SciFi in my mind

I confess that I am no science geek. In fact, before reading this book I knew as much about black holes as my dogs know about physics. Upon finishing this book, I feel like I've inadvertantly had a high-level astronomy lesson while enjoying a great story. Harmony's Passing is a great mixture of science, suspense, relationships and romance.

Kirkpatrick's research and understanding of his topic, along with his passion, make the hard science fun for even the most science illiterate (like me!). The emotional story behind the science and the interplay between the characters tugged at my heartstrings, offering the perfect balance between the scientific world we live in and the emotions that drive us forward.