A town under quarantine during the 1918 flu epidemic must reckon with
forces beyond their control in a powerful, sweeping novel of morality in
a time of upheaval
"An American variation on Albert Camus' The Plague."--Chicago
Tribune
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY USA TODAY AND CHICAGO
TRIBUNE - WINNER OF THE JAMES FENIMORE COOPER PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL
FICTION
Deep in the mist-shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest is a small
mill town called Commonwealth, conceived as a haven for workers weary of
exploitation. For Philip Worthy, the adopted son of the town's founder,
it is a haven in another sense--as the first place in his life he's had
a loving family to call his own.
And yet, the ideals that define this outpost are being threatened from
all sides. A world war is raging, and with the fear of spies rampant,
the loyalty of all Americans is coming under scrutiny. Meanwhile,
another shadow has fallen across the region in the form of a deadly
virus striking down vast swaths of surrounding communities.
When Commonwealth votes to quarantine itself against contagion, guards
are posted at the single road leading in and out of town, and Philip
Worthy is among them. He will be unlucky enough to be on duty when a
cold, hungry, tired--and apparently ill--soldier presents himself at the
town's doorstep begging for sanctuary. The encounter that ensues, and
the shots that are fired, will have deafening reverberations throughout
Commonwealth, escalating until every human value--love, patriotism,
community, family, friendship--not to mention the town's very survival,
is imperiled.
Inspired by a little-known historical footnote regarding towns that
quarantined themselves during the 1918 epidemic, The Last Town on
Earth is a remarkably moving and accomplished debut.
