Held

Spanning a century, Held weaves moments of war, science and love into fragments of human connection. Michaels employs evocative imagery over strict chronology, allowing emotional truths to surface in flashes and silences. The novel moves between characters and eras, binding them through shared experiences of trauma and transcendence. Judges felt transported by its lyrical craft and thematic depth. It’s a meditation on what—and whom—we hold onto across time. An elegiac, atmospheric work that lingers in the mind long after reading.