Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in a cradle forever.

About

“Konstantin” is the third book by English author and polymath Tom Bullough. The story is based on the biography and discoveries of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the nearly deaf ‘father’ of Russian space travel and a pioneer in his field. “His groundbreaking ideas included the use of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen as rocket fuel, multi-stage rockets, space stations, space elevators, gyro instruments for orientation control, and biological life support systems for space colonies.” (Author’s note)

Plot

Konstantin, called Kostya for short, is a curious and talented child from a poor Russian family in the 19th century. The boy shows great enthusiasm for technology and the natural sciences in general and is driven by a fascination for space. A bout of scarlet fever leaves the child nearly deaf, but Kostya is not discouraged and builds himself a hearing tube with the help of instructions from one of his books. After the death of his mother, the father tries to find an apprenticeship for Kostya. He eventually sends him to Moscow with nothing but a letter of recommendation from a technology professor to study there. The letter is lost before Kostya’s arrival, and so he has no choice but to share a shabby rented room with other stranded individuals and take his education into his own hands. The achievements of Russian space travel show that this ambitious project was crowned with success despite all adversities.

All our knowledge – past, present, and future – is nothing compared to what we will never know.

Opinion

The story is written with remarkable density, the characters are lovingly depicted and captivate from the start. The language constructs a touching atmosphere without unnecessary embellishments and is characterized by simple, honest poetry. One feels truly transported back to the cold Russian winters of the 19th century and the impoverished conditions under which Kostya and his many siblings were raised with much parental love and care. Konstantin—as described by Bullough—was a remarkable person who, despite all obstacles, pursued his dreams with unyielding enthusiasm and did not let his disability prevent him from embracing great ideas and insights.

For readers…

…who look for a touching story with an immensely likable protagonist about great obstacles, great dreams, and great ambitions.