Paul West's Gala … is a kind of sequel to his much acclaimed and extraordinarily sensitive Words for a Deaf Daughter, a nonfiction work about his brain-injured child. Gala is a kind of wish fulfillment of a hoped-for but unrealized summer visit by his daughter. It is notable for many reasons, one of which is its rich use of scientific facts and metaphor in the development of the story. Major ideas in astronomy and in the genetic code are woven skillfully into the text both overtly and subtly…. (p. 28)

Carl Sagan, "Carl Sagan on Science," in The New Republic (reprinted by permission of The New Republic; © 1976 The New Republic, Inc.), Vol. 175, No. 21, November 20, 1976, pp. 26-30.