Maja Lunde

From the author of the number-one international bestseller The History of Bees, a captivating story of the power of nature and the human spirit that explores the threat of a devastating worldwide drought, witnessed through the lives of a father, a daughter, and a woman who will risk her life to save the future. In 2019, seventy-year-old Signe sets sail alone on a hazardous voyage across the ocean in a sailboat. On board, a cargo that can change lives. Signe is haunted by memories of the love of her life, whom she'll meet again soon. In 2041, David and his young daughter, Lou, flee from a drought-stricken Southern Europe that has been ravaged by thirst and war. Separated from the rest of their family and desperate to find them, they discover an ancient sailboat in a dried-out garden, miles away from the nearest shore. Signe's sailboat. As David and Lou discover Signe's personal effects, her long ago journey becomes inexorably linked to their own. An evocative tale of the search for love and connection, The End of the Ocean is a profoundly moving father daughter story of survival and a clarion call for climate action.

A Novel

The End of the Ocean

i wanted to give 3 stars, but something in it was so boring i cannot bring myself to do it.

Renee Blankenship

I went into Maja Lunde's THE END OF THE OCEAN with an expectation that it would be similar to THE HISTORY OF BEES. With the back and forth story line (past/future) and a narrative based around climate change I felt strongly that I was in for another enlightening and heart wrenching story. 

Unfortunately THE END OF THE OCEAN fell a bit flat for me. Neither storyline gave me a reason to keep turning the pages and I felt a disconnect with each character. Both Signe and David's stories felt like I was starting in the middle- I couldn't grasp either character fully and ended up not really invested in their stories by the end of the book. Whether this is from a lack of character development or simply a dislike for each of them I'm not sure. The ending, while fitting for the story, felt like it had less of an emotional impact because I couldn't quite bring myself to get into the story and care about the characters from the beginning. 

What Lunde did really well in THE END OF THE OCEAN is tell a story about a dry and empty planet, devoid of water. What that lack of water feels like on a daily basis to the point that I could almost feel the dirt in my mouth as I was breathing. Or the heat of the sun on my skin. David's chapters of drought contrasted nicely with Signe's chapters of water, of the ocean and the salt and the importance of preserving these things to the best of our ability. This is what I will take away from THE END OF THE OCEAN. And its what I keep finding myself thinking about- what would I do in a world where the water was all gone?

From the author of the number one international bestseller The History of Bees, a captivating new novel about the threat of a worldwide water shortage as seen through the eyes of a father and daughter. 'The story of a present-day Norwegian eco-campaigner alternates with that of a French family in the overheated future. They are in a camp for refugees from eco-disaster – but it’s not all doom and gloom. They find friendship, love and an unexpected gift from the past' Wendy Holden, Daily Mail 2019: seventy-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of her life, and is driven by a singular and all-consuming mission to make it back to him. 2041: David flees with his young daughter, Lou, from a war-torn Southern Europe plagued by drought. They are on a desperate search to reunite with their family when they find Signe’s abandoned sailboat in a parched French garden, miles away from the nearest shore. As David and Lou discover personal effects from Signe’s travels, their journey of survival and hope weaves together with Signe’s, forming a heartbreaking, inspiring story about the power of nature and the human spirit. Praise for The History of Bees: ‘Fans of Cloud Atlas and Never Let Me Go will love The History of Bees’ Good Housekeeping ‘Dystopian and electric, this book is set to blow minds everywhere' Stylist 'Haunting and poignant ... an important and wonderful book' Dave Goulson, bestselling author of Bee Quest ‘Spectacular and deeply moving. Lunde has elegantly woven together a tale of science and science fiction, dystopia and hope, and the trials of the individual and the strengths of family’ Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author ‘Such is the genius of debut novelist Maja Lunde that her tale of three eras... is strung on the fragile hope of the survival of bees’ Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author ‘As a lover of honeybees and a fan of speculative fiction, I was doubly smitten by The History of Bees. Maja Lunde’s novel is an urgent reminder of how much our survival depends on those remarkable insects. It is also a gripping account of how—despite the cruelest losses—humanity may abide and individual families can heal’ Jean Hegland, author of Into the Forest ‘By turns devastating and hopeful, The History of Bees resonates powerfully with our most pressing environmental concerns’ Bryn Greenwood, New York Times bestselling author ‘Here is a story that is sweeping in scope but intimate in detail’ Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise

Bryan Alexander

The End of the Ocean consists of two parallel stories, each touching on themes of water and personal extremity. In one we follow a contemporary woman who sails from Norway, reflecting on her life and an ecological struggle, in search of her first love. In another, a generation from now, a father and daughter become refugees in drought-stricken France. Each has a somewhat different tone, but thematic overlaps gradually pick up until the two plots join in a single act at the end.

Honestly, the novel didn't do much for me. I felt both plots to be repetitive and the whole thing capable of being condensed to a novella or even a hefty short story. The personal focus in each story begins well, but the nearly total absence of any context or big picture discussion renders the themes psychological and personal rather than structural or even credible by the end.

I started The End of the Ocean as a climate change book, and there are hints of it in the refugee story. At least, there's the implication that global warming fried Europe, but that's not developed. The sailing story is actually about human-made change - not geoengineering, just a small town's business scheme, which makes this an environmental story. I wanted much more.

Ilona Labská 

Jessica Probert

Ibelin Eliis Andersen Guddingsmo

Brian Walborn

From the author of the #1 international bestseller The History of Bees, a captivating new novel about the threat of a worldwide water shortage as seen through the eyes of a father and daughter. In 2019, seventy-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of her life, and is driven by a singular and all-consuming mission to make it back to him. In 2041, David flees with his young daughter, Lou, from a war-torn Southern Europe plagued by drought. They have been separated from their rest of their family and are on a desperate search to reunite with them once again, when they find Signe's abandoned sailboat in a parched French garden, miles away from the nearest shore. As David and Lou discover personal effects from Signe's travels, their journey of survival and hope weaves together with Signe's, forming a heartbreaking, inspiring story about the power of nature and the human spirit in this second novel from the author of the "spectacular and deeply moving" (New York Times bestselling author Lisa See) The History of Bees. Praise for The History of Bees: 'Fans of Cloud Atlas and Never Let Me Go will love The History of Bees' Good Housekeeping 'Dystopian and electric, this book is set to blow minds everywhere' Stylist 'Haunting and poignant ... an important and wonderful book' Dave Goulson, bestselling author of Bee Quest 'Spectacular and deeply moving. Lunde has elegantly woven together a tale of science and science fiction, dystopia and hope, and the trials of the individual and the strengths of family' Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author 'Such is the genius of debut novelist Maja Lunde that her tale of three eras--the long past, the tenuous present and the biologically damned future--is strung on the fragile hope of the survival of bees' Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author 'As a lover of honeybees and a fan of speculative fiction, I was doubly smitten by The History of Bees. Maja Lunde's novel is an urgent reminder of how much our survival depends on those remarkable insects. It is also a gripping account of how--despite the cruelest losses--humanity may abide and individual families can heal' Jean Hegland, author of Into the Forest 'By turns devastating and hopeful, The History of Beesresonates powerfully with our most pressing environmental concerns. Following three separate but interconnected timelines, Lunde shows us the past, the present, and a terrifying future in a riveting story as complex as a honeycomb' Bryn Greenwood, New York Times bestselling author 'Here is a story that is sweeping in scope but intimate in detail' Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise

The End of the Ocean A Novel

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