The novel centers on Silvia, a young girl in the near future who lives with her mother and aunt in The Morningside, a deteriorating high rise in a semi-abandoned city.

In 2020, a short story by Obreht called "The Morningside" was published by The New York Times Magazine.

[2] The novel was released in the United States on March 19, 2024 in hardcover format along with a large print paperback edition.

[5] Writing in The New York Times, author Jessamine Chan noted the "subtle beauty and precision of Obreht’s prose" and praised the novel for "forcing us to reckon with the ruined world that future generations will inherit".

[6] In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called the novel, "a captivating blend of science fiction and magical realism with a wonderfully engaging protagonist.