Born in the United States, Harrison Shepher is reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico. One fateful day, he finds himself mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution.

Hailed as a virtuosa storyteller, garnering comparisons ranging from Borges to Murakami, Rivka Galchen has received a level of ebullient acclaim rarely bestowed on debut novelists. Exploring the nature of love, identity, truth, and reality itself, Atmospheric Disturbances is equally funny and fantastical, yet grounded in colorful details capturing the conflicts of daily life.