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A book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: Babel by RF Kuang, Yellow Face by RF Kuang A book that’s been published recently or is coming soon: Maybe You Should Talk To Someone - Lori Gottlieb The Stranding begins with the end: a Doomsday-type apocalypse that our protagonist, Ruth, survives by climbing inside the mouth of whale. Yep. I know. But read up on your whale facts, folks. FASCINATING.
The Stranding by Kate Sawyer | Hachette UK
I loved the domesticity of this novel, the preparations for the wedding felt so visual - I had such a clear picture of the garden and the tables… The rural setting was strongly evoked - the rurality, the pigs in the fields, market days, the way everyone knows everyone! The author has a real talent for observing relationships and imagining dialogues between her characters. The difficult and self absorbed grandmother with her inappropriate comments was beautifully done. The writing is lyrical and the observation of family life insightful and intuitive. GORGEOUS and original and captivating' - Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Grown Ups The switching timeframes, with chapters alternating between before and after, made for an unsettling and harrowing read but one I just couldn't put down. It's an end of the world story, unlike any I have read before and in which, I was invested the whole way through. A timely reminder of just how precious our time is. I really, really enjoyed it! The Stranding’ by Kate Sawyer is out now Here's what our Grazia Book Club thought about The Stranding, by Kate Sawyer I'm sure all readers of This Family will have differing opinions on which characters they liked, and which characters they disliked, especially when considering the three sisters (Emma, Phoebe, and Rosie), based on their own personalities and preferences.This book absolutely blew me away, I read it basically all in one (very unplanned) sitting after I had to try the prologue a few times before I really got hooked. It's so hard to sum up this book neatly without either making it sound grim or twee, but it's not really either: it's about life and death (before and) after the end of the world. I found it a really intense read, despite how hopeful it manages to be, and really gripping, despite how mundane a lot of it is. The special mention is to Jas Treadwell and his debut novel "The Infernal Riddle of Thomas Peach." A stunning debut which was close to competing for a place in my final three. It wasn't to be though, and I'm so looking forward to continuing my journey with these stunning female authors. This is a triumph. I couldn’t put it down and the story of hope in a hopeless place is something we could all do with during these strange times.’ Chloe Original, visceral, rich with themes of refuge and redemption, it's a beautifully imagined story about the hiding places in our hearts and minds * Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters. *
BBC Sounds - The Stranding by Kate Sawyer - Available Episodes
A stunning, unforgettable novel that I can't stop thinking about. A truly brilliant debut * Katherine Webber, author of Only Love Can Break Your Heart * Haunting and hopeful. Eerie and evocative * Jacqueline Bublitz, author of Before You Knew My Name *With so much skill in both narrative structure and prose, the fact that this is Kate Sawyers debut novel boggles my mind. Their were so many ways this novel could have stranded (pardon the pun) along the way: the transverse timelines could have been confusing, the story incohesive and the survival elements could have been at risk of being overly romanticized. Yet Sawyer navigated it all so skilfully that the end result is a debut novel very close to perfection. I deeply hope to see more of her work in the future.
Castaway: Review of The Stranding by Kate A Brand New Kind of Castaway: Review of The Stranding by Kate
The way Sawyer reveals the answers to some of the questions I had was quite clever, and the showing not telling aspect of the book, which can be rather hard to do when writing novel, was fantastic as I often felt a small bit of closure when I understood how certain events had taken place.
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There’s much to be gained from reading The Stranding in this light and, in particular, as a companion text to The Road. Both grapple with the same fundamental issue: the protagonists are tasked not merely with survival but learning how to keep hope alive for the next generation. “We’re carrying the fire,” says the nameless man to the nameless boy of The Road. It’s what keeps them safe, it’s what makes them “the good guys”. Sawyer taps into the same imagery in The Stranding when Ruth and fellow survivor Nik teach their children to “always leave the fire alight” in the hope the smoke will signal to other survivors—in the hope there are other survivors. It’s this tradition of hope that carries the boy of The Road and Frankie and Māia of The Stranding through the eventual loss of their parents and into the uncertain future. While we never find out what the event is that happens in The Stranding, I felt it was another brilliant reminder for us to be more mindful and to take greater care of our planet which we are so careless with. A compelling tale of what it means to be alive. It breaks your heart while filling it with hope. Kate’s writing is beautiful.’ Fiona A terrific debut. Brave, unexpected... transfixing and captivation... full of hope, resilience and love.' THE SUNDAY TIMES A quiet, piercing contemplation on what really matters when it comes to the end of the world. Strange and beautiful * Abigail Dean, author of Girl A *
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