Bright Objects

Sylvia Knight is a young widow still reeling from the hit-and-run death of her husband, and she cannot let go of her need for answers. As she works in a funeral home and lives with grief, suspicion, and suicidal thoughts, she becomes increasingly fixated on uncovering who was responsible.

Her world shifts when a rare comet is discovered and is soon due to blaze over her small Australian town. Sylvia is drawn toward Theo, the astronomer who found it, while also encountering Joseph, a local mystic whose interpretation of the comet turns spiritual and increasingly cult-like. The comet becomes a focus for the town’s hopes, fears, and projections.

As the comet brightens and the town’s fervor intensifies, Sylvia is forced to navigate competing claims about truth, meaning, and belief. Her search for justice, her attraction to Theo, and the growing pressure of the comet-driven movement all converge toward revelations and consequences that reshape her life.