The End of the Ocean

Description

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. 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

Maja Lunde is a Norwegian author and screenwriter. Lunde has written ten books for children and young adults. She has also written scripts for Norwegian television, including for the children's series Barnas supershow ("The Children's Super Show"), the drama series Hjem ("Home") and the comedy series Side om Side ("Side by Side"). She lives with her husband and three children in Oslo.

" As the water crisis gets worse, the desperation echoes the extremities of Emily St. John Mandel's postapocalyptic Station Eleven (2014). In a gripping narrative, Lunde portrays the profit-motivated decisions that created and are now exacerbating David's horrific existence. This is another brilliant call to arms from a vital contemporary novelist."--ALA Booklist “Two stories on the impact of climate change intersect in this thoughtful and suspenseful novel... Both halves of the story are convincingly detailed and quietly wrenching, and Lunde gradually and subtly draws them together to powerful effect." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Two stories on the impact of climate change intersect in this thoughtful and suspenseful novel... Both halves of the story are convincingly detailed and quietly wrenching, and Lunde gradually and subtly draws them together to powerful effect."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "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 Still Time and Into the Forest, on The History of Bees "By turns devastating and hopeful, The History of Bees resonates 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, on The History of Bees "If we somehow manage to save the planet from ourselves, it will be because of big-hearted beautiful books like this one, that make us feel the devastating cost of our current climate inaction. Not just the planet-wide consequences, but the human-scale ones as well. Gripping and powerful."--Sam J. Miller, Nebula Award Winning author of Blackfish City "Imagine The Leftovers, but with honey."--Elle on The History of Bees "Lyrical, atmospheric, and eerily prescient, The End of the Ocean is my favorite kind of speculative fiction. Lunde expertly weaves together both a warning and a gorgeous literary work of love and survival that will leave you wishing for rain."--Christina Dalcher, national bestselling author of Vox "Without ever banging an apocalyptic drum, Lunde paints an achingly pure picture of what happens if we fail to protect the bees, our biospheric conscience, our fragile, sacred spinners of gold."--Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author, on The History of Bees