Amanda answers “I am totally confused by the ending of...”

Alice asked this question about How High We Go in the Dark:

I am totally confused by the ending of this book. Can someone explain?

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[The ending of How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu is a complex, multi-layered conclusion that ties together the novel's central themes of grief, loss, and the cyclical nature of existence, culminating in a revelation about the origin of life on Earth.
The narrative begins with a scientist at a research outpost in Siberia, studying an ancient virus released by melting glaciers, which is linked to the death of his daughter, Clara. The novel then unfolds through a series of interconnected stories spanning different times and characters, all grappling with various forms of loss and the aftermath of global catastrophe, including a pandemic and climate change. The final chapters expand the scope dramatically. One story follows a generation starship carrying humanity's survivors on a journey to a new planet, seeking a fresh start after Earth's destruction. The other, a profound revelation, reaches back into the cosmic past to explain Earth's origins.
The key to the ending lies in the final story, which reveals that the planet Earth was created by an ancient, non-human entity. This being, who has lived for eons, is not a visitor but a creator and caretaker of the planet. She fell in love with life on Earth, particularly with a human form she took, and had a daughter named Annie, who died tragically. The virus that later threatens humanity is a consequence of her daughter's death, which occurred because the alien being did not fully understand human biology. This entity has since lived through countless lifetimes, taking on different human forms to try to help humanity and prevent the planet's destruction, driven by her love for Earth and her lost daughter. The character known as Clara in the first chapter is revealed to be this entity in a child's form, having been adopted and living a human life. Her later form, Theresa, is another incarnation, and the locket she carries is a symbol of her enduring connection to her past and her daughter. The final chapter suggests that the entity, having helped humanity escape Earth via the starship, still holds hope for a reunion with her alien daughter in the future.
The novel's refusal to provide a neat closure is intentional. The open-ended nature of the ending, particularly the narrator's ambiguous fate in the first chapter, reflects the book's deeper purpose as an elegy for humanity and the planet. By denying catharsis, the story resists the idea of simply mourning the world's end and instead urges the reader to remain engaged with the possibility of hope and connection, even in the face of inevitable loss. The final stories, while offering a sense of continuity through the starship and the creator's enduring presence, leave the ultimate fate of humanity and the planet unresolved, emphasizing the ongoing struggle against despair. -AI (hide spoiler)]

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How High We Go in the Dark

by Sequoia Nagamatsu (Goodreads Author)

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