Kindle
$14.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$28.99
Paperback
$18.99
Kindle Price: $14.99

Save $4.00 (21%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $17.32

Save: $4.33 (25%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Olaf Olafsson
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Touch: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Olaf Olafsson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 259 ratings
See all formats and editions

Soon to be a film directed, written and produced by Baltasar Kormákur, co-written by Olaf Olafsson. Only In Theaters July 12.

"Delicate, absorbing...as satisfying as it is moving." — Vogue

A mesmerizing, panoramic story of one man’s search to find a lover who suddenly disappeared decades before

When the pandemic hits, Kristofer is forced to shutter his successful restaurant in Reykjavik, sending him into a spiral of uncertainty, even as his memory seems to be failing. But an uncanny bolt from the blue—a message from Miko Nakamura, a woman whom he’d known in the sixties when they were students in London—both inspires and rattles him, as he is drawn inexorably back into a love story that has marked him for life. Even as the pandemic upends his world, Kristofer finds himself pulled toward an answer to the mystery of Miko’s sudden departure decades before, compelling him to travel to London and Japan as the virus threatens to shut everything down.

A heart-wrenching love story and an absorbing mystery, Touch delves into the secrets of the past to explore the hidden lives that we all possess, the pain and beauty of our past loves and friendships that continue to leave their mark on us. Searching and lyrically rendered by acclaimed author Olaf Olafsson, Touch is a stunning tribute to the weight of history and the complexities of the human heart. 

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Ecco
  5. Publication date
    August 16, 2022
  6. File size
    3703 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

From the Publisher

1

2

3

Banner
The Sacrament One Station Away Restoration
The Sacrament One Station Away Restoration
Customer Reviews
4.1 out of 5 stars
536
3.6 out of 5 stars
495
4.1 out of 5 stars
175
Price $12.99 $16.99 $14.99
✓ ✓ ✓

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The gratifying ending is hopeful. [Touch] adds up to an affecting story about the sway one’s past can hold on the present.” — Publishers Weekly

"Olafsson’s treatment of the vast cultural chasm between Icelander Kristófer, and Miko...brings suspense and heartache to the reader." — Library Journal

"Delicate, absorbing...Touch is weighted with questions about love, memory, and intergenerational trauma--reaching a denouement as satisfying as it is moving." — Vogue

"Olafsson is writing at the top of his game here — any reader with a taste for novels that gently explore the internal world will find much to love in this remarkable book." — Minneapolis Star Tribune

About the Author

OLAF OLAFSSON was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1962. As a Wien scholar, he studied physics at Brandeis University. He is the author of several previous novels and lives in New York City with his wife and three children.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09LYVVKTP
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ecco (August 16, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3703 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0063226987
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 259 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Olaf Olafsson

Olaf Olafsson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
259 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Diane Whitney
5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful Olaf Olaffson book
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
Writing simple, like precious velvet is simple. And interesting, complex characters who you care about, and an intriguing story whose ending you don't anticipate. This author never disappoints, and this newest book is no exception.
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kmkaranza
4.0 out of 5 stars liked it
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
I was looking for something a little more at the end, but it was a good solid ending. Moved at a great pace. Clever storytelling. I’d recommend it to anyone.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Roger H
5.0 out of 5 stars Touching love story
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
A wonderful story about love, growing old, and how world events and different cultures can come between lovers. But don't rule out the power of love, even after decades.
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Could not put it down
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
Beautifully written and captivating. Haven't read a book this good in years! I was very sad to reach the end.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
kathleen g
4.0 out of 5 stars for fans of literary fiction
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2022
Yes it's set in and framed by the pandemic but it's not about COVID but rather the reflections of a 74 year old man about his life and his lost love. Kristofer is more than a little surprised to receive a Facebook message from Mike, the Japanese woman he loved and lost while living in the UK in 1969. Mike and her father, survivors of Hiroshima, vanished without a trace but now she's reached out because she's hospitalized with COVID. He closes his restaurant (already pretty much done for) and heads out to Japan, stopping in London where he contemplates it all. How reliable is he as a narrator? He's supposed to have tests but does that matter now? This is melancholy and mellow, with a measured approach to what could have been much more drama. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kristy
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying ending
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Fast, easy read. Engaging characters. Ending is really satisfying. Definitely worth it!
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Larkin
5.0 out of 5 stars Culturally unique.
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
Icelandic man, Japanese woman. I doubt there’s any other book with that combination of main characters. I found the cultural mélange to be a fascinating backdrop to an interesting, contemporary novel. Life during the Covid pandemic which alters the future of both characters. Highly recommend.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars True love over time
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023
A complex story from the the perspective of a man who has had a full life, but lost a love when young. That year with love and learning from her father reshaped who he had planned to be. Now at retirement....
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Flavia Nogueira de Sa
5.0 out of 5 stars Linda história sobre o poder do amir
Reviewed in Brazil on September 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
Livro mostra mais uma dessas histórias que um amor de verdade dura para sempre, uma vida inteira no meio não irá apagá-lo.
Olafsson usa o artifício de usar a narrativa do passado e presente para ajudar a contextualização da história e é bastante feliz com isso.
Livro indicado para quem acredita em amor e quer conhecer uma história que pode ser real.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report