by Emily St. John Mandel
Listened to audiobook finished on 06 May 2020
This was a weird one to listen to in the spring of 2020. The premise is a worldwide pandemic similar to but much more aggressive than the Covid-19 situation we are currently experiencing. Time jumps forward and back as you gradually learn more about the characters’ pre- and post-pandemic lives. There are common dystopian elements; no electricity, no internet, no sophisticated medical support, no advanced communication or transportation. Obviously totally different from modern life as we know it. I like these kinds of novels as it makes me think about what is important in a society. It allows the author to explore the behaviors that are inherent in human interaction and postulate about how we would organize ourselves and move forward. The book is, overall, grim and perhaps even terrifying but there are also threads of hope, humanity and resilience.