From the author of 'Flowers for Algernon,' 'The Curious Case of Billy Milligan,' and 'Fifth Sally'...

The novel 'Touch' is dedicated to a married couple whose lives changed in an instant. Sculptor Barney Stark and his wife, Karen, accidentally spread radioactive dust throughout the city. Wherever they went, they brought illness and death with them. But their physical suffering from the radiation they were exposed to was incomparable to their mental anguish and inner turmoil. The couple faced alienation from family and friends, aggression from local residents, and Karen's unexpected pregnancy, which they had dreamed of for several years.

The theme is relevant in our time—ecological disasters, pandemics, and accidents. The plot is based on the story of radiation contamination. The author focuses on how the characters experience it, every movement of Barney and Karen's souls, every expression of emotion, both positive and negative. An industrial disaster is juxtaposed with a person's personal catastrophe, the collapse of their life and hopes.