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The Stranding

An immersive end-of-the-world story full of hope and imagination' THE GUARDIAN

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The Stranding

By: Kate Sawyer
Narrated by: Kate Sawyer
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HER WORLD FELL TO PIECES.

FROM THE BONES SHE BUILT A NEW LIFE.

A heartbreaking novel of love, loss and hope about a woman who hides from the end of the world in the belly of a whale.

Ruth lives in the heart of the city. Working, drinking, falling in love: the rhythm of her vivid and complicated life is set against a background hum of darkening news reports from which she deliberately turns away.

When a new romance becomes claustrophobic, Ruth chooses to leave behind the failing relationship, but also her beloved friends and family, and travels to the other side of the world in pursuit of her dream life working with whales in New Zealand.

But when Ruth arrives, the news cycle she has been ignoring for so long is now the new reality. Far from home and with no real hope of survival, she finds herself climbing into the mouth of a beached whale alongside a stranger. When she emerges, it is to a landscape that bears no relation to the world they knew before.

When all has been razed to the ground, what does it mean to build a life?

The Stranding is a story about the hope that can remain even when the world is changed beyond recognition.

(P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2021 Kate Sawyer
Dystopian Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Women's Fiction
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Critic Reviews

It's GORGEOUS and original and captivating . . . Beautiful writing and characters I cared for as if they were my own family
Brilliant and original, THE STRANDING illuminates the beauty and fragility of humanity with a story so immersive and tender; I was surprised to find myself still in familiar surroundings when I surfaced from it. Kate Sawyer masterfully weaves a gripping narrative between a world disappeared and a world that must begin anew in this ultimately hopeful tale of love, loss and survival in the face of overwhelming odds. With characters you'll be thinking about long after the end, THE STRANDING is an absolute must read! Get one for yourself and one for a friend
The Stranding is the perfect book, both intellectually stimulating and a page-turner. Kate Sawyer's writing awakened all of my senses, transported me into other worlds. I could not put it down
What a fabulous piece of storytelling. So original and compelling and Kate Sawyer writes like a dream
The Stranding is a breathtaking book about relationships, love and human resilience at the end of the world; it's beautifully written and I know I'll be thinking about it for a very long time!
Powerful, atmospheric and utterly transfixing
An extremely powerful, bold but unassuming book about connection, the planet, sexuality and family
Sensitive, gripping, thought-provoking and edifying, THE STRANDING is a book of our times, and reminds us that no life lives forever; how precious our moments are
A beautiful, heart-wrenching, moving novel. The depth of love, passion and authentic feeling amongst the backdrop of a bleak post-apocalyptic world is quite extraordinary
The Stranding is an original, compelling and brilliantly written story. I loved the dual timelines of 'before' and 'after' and could not put it down. It's a thought-provoking and timely read, about hope, survival and the human spirit
A truly unique and gripping read
It is extraordinary, and quietly revolutionary, for a novel centred around the end of the world to feel so affirming, so luminous, so hopeful. In both the Before and After times, Ruth's seeking of what it is that matters is moving, complex, and vividly drawn. I've not stopped thinking about The Stranding since I put it down
Kate Sawyer has created a dystopia so unerringly familiar that it can make you laugh and shiver simultaneously. Sensual and hopeful, this is a pacey and surprisingly relatable read
Post-apocalyptic fiction that's beautiful, moving and strangely uplifting
Haunting and hopeful. Eerie and evocative
A tender, affirming, luminous debut
A beautiful exploration of motherhood, stripped back to its barest, most fragile bones
I didn't want this book to end. It blew me away, and moved me beyond belief. I want to read it again and again and again
A stunning, unforgettable novel that I can't stop thinking about. A truly brilliant debut
This book is quite devastating but still left me with a gorgeous feeling of hope. The perfect blend of love, life and apocalypse
All stars
Most relevant
Beautifully written and read, a great journey with lots of descriptive moments. Left feeling grateful about particulars of modern life we take for granted daily, and reflective on what it brings to our future.

Beautiful and heart opening

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A quite beautiful story of relationships nature and survival after the apocalypse. Nicely told alternating between Ruth’s life before and leading up to the event and her life after. A bit like The Road it is a bittersweet story of love in desperate times. There is a message for those who would risk the world: No-one will care who you were or why you did it.

Warm Hearted Story of Survival Post Apocalypse

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I am always looking for post apocalyptic reads and I really enjoyed this book - as in other reviews it is similar to The Road & Station Eleven

Great Post Apocalyptic Read

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This is an incredible book narrated beautifully by the author. Scarily realistic - lots to think about after reading this one!

Brutal and real and amazing narration by the author

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