Mark Johnson tells a timeless tale of the struggle to find truth in
belief, faith in fact, and friendship in times of fear. It is a new
survival story, one that takes place post-climate apocalypse where our
main character, Elon, thirty-seven, alone, hungry, and desperate to hear
just another voice, is determined to discover what is next for a world
sunken and on fire. When Elon discovers a hidden retreat deep in the
woods of Northern Michigan, he soon finds himself on the verge of
regeneration, as a pack of loners band together amidst a society turned
hostile and an environment turned violent. No longer must he travel
alone with his shopping cart, his jug of gasoline, and rotten
crabapples. Now, he has the chance to rediscover friendship and
intimacy. Johnson's novel asks the question--what would it take to start
over?--and readers walk away from Elon's story pondering their own
responsibility to the climate-challenged world outside their own front
yards. The chapters read like campfire tales, and Johnson's lyrical
voice heightens Elon's perceptions of shame, guilt, and accountability.
The setting of this treacherous world creates an intriguing backdrop as
each night the new residents of the Kenneally Retreat Center slowly
reveal stories from their lives before. These stories are admissions of
guilt, secrets, failures, and grief, and they challenge our ability to
forgive. Johnson uses the art of story-telling to critique the
categorizing nature of the American identity.
