Sally Strange reviewed After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
Trying hard to choose both; realizing that the choice is between growth and retreat
4 stars
Myra is surviving the climate apocalypse by fishing and trading for non-fish stuff with her daughter Pearl. Things are going alright; they're getting by. But when a chance encounter with a would-be raider reveals the possible location of Myra's first daughter Rowena, who was stolen away by her husband years ago, she drops everything to try to find her. It's a brutal world out there and she wants to save the older girl from the "breeding ships." Amidst the swashbuckling and knife-fighting, there's a constant thread of meditation on grief and loss. Is Myra really hell-bent on finding Row for Row's sake? Or does she want to confront her husband for his selfishness and cowardice? Does she love Row more than Pearl because Row is absent and thus capable of being perfect, at least in her memory? How many of the crewmates and friends she makes along the way will …
Myra is surviving the climate apocalypse by fishing and trading for non-fish stuff with her daughter Pearl. Things are going alright; they're getting by. But when a chance encounter with a would-be raider reveals the possible location of Myra's first daughter Rowena, who was stolen away by her husband years ago, she drops everything to try to find her. It's a brutal world out there and she wants to save the older girl from the "breeding ships." Amidst the swashbuckling and knife-fighting, there's a constant thread of meditation on grief and loss. Is Myra really hell-bent on finding Row for Row's sake? Or does she want to confront her husband for his selfishness and cowardice? Does she love Row more than Pearl because Row is absent and thus capable of being perfect, at least in her memory? How many of the crewmates and friends she makes along the way will she sacrifice for her goals?
I thought the author did an admirable job talking about the horrors without dwelling on them, and also of depicting Myra's bad decisions in a way that leaves the reader frustrated but still sympathetic. There was a great deal of suspense that was rather artfully resolved. This book will stick with me for a while. Why not five stars? I dunno, it was very good but it wasn't perfect? There were parts where the frustration threatened to overwhelm my enjoyment of the story. I might rethink my rating if I reread it. (In order to get me to reread, a book has to be basically perfect.)