From the author of "Flowers for Algernon", "The Mysterious Story of Billy Milligan", "The Fifth Sally". The novel "Touch" is dedicated to a married couple whose life changed in one second. Sculptor Barney Stark and his wife Karen accidentally caused radiation dust to spread throughout the city. Wherever they went, they brought sickness and death with them. But their physical suffering from the radiation they were exposed to turned out to be incomparable with their mental anguish and inner feelings. The couple faced the alienation of their loved ones, the aggression of the residents, and the unexpected pregnancy of Karen, which they had been dreaming about for several years. The topic is relevant in our time — environmental disasters, pandemics, accidents. The plot is based on a story about radiation pollution. For the author, it is important how the characters experience it, every movement of Barney and Karen's soul, every manifestation of feelings, both positive and negative. An industrial disaster is contrasted with a person's personal disaster, the collapse of his life and hopes.