Silas House

A riveting story of survival and hope, set in the not-too-distant future, about a young man forced to flee the United States and seek refuge across the Atlantic. As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn't find the safe haven he'd hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek? For readers of novels such as Station Eleven, The Dog Stars, and Migrations, Lark Ascending is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship, family, and healing.

Lark Ascending

elizabeth

It’s not often, in my experience, that futuristic speculative fiction feels so sweet. Not that the imagined future is sweet. Or even its characters—although some are. But the story is. There are moments of true suspense, violence, and grief. Actually, those moments take up most of the novel. And yet, it is so touching, so simple in some ways, that I think it will hold a lot of appeal even for people who might find it hard to pick up a generally scary, unpleasant survival story. 

I hesitate to call this dystopian because the societal decline often captured in dystopias has, at least for the intents and purposes of our protagonist, already occurred. This seems more like apocalyptic fiction, but I’m kind of splitting already-unimportant hairs. The point is, this is a society where hope is virtually lost. But hope fuels survival. Trust becomes a necessity. Bigotry and climate change are nearly unstoppable forces. None of these themes felt revolutionary, but they do feel revolutionarily told through the dynamic of the survivors we follow, especially our Beagle friend Seamus. 

After I read this, I cried and tried to memorize the feeling of my dog sleeping next to me.

Lark Ascending

Reviews