Playground

In this expansive novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Powers, four diverse lives intersect in a story set against the backdrop of a historic island in French Polynesia. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu's life takes a dramatic turn as she encounters an innovative aqualung, while art becomes a refuge for Ina Aroita, who navigates naval bases across the Pacific. Their paths merge with those of Rafi Young and Todd Keane in an elite Chicago high school, leading them to a pivotal vote that could reshape their community and humanity's relationship with the ocean. Combining lyrical prose with thoughtful themes of technology, environment, and shared humanity, this novel invites listeners on a contemplative journey into our future.