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The New Wilderness

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2020
By Diane Cook
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3.67 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 16,045 ratings, 2,092 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The New Wilderness by Diane Cook is a gripping tale set in a dystopian world where the only unpolluted wilderness becomes a sanctuary for those fleeing the environmental degradation of city life. The story follows a mother and daughter as they navigate the challenges of this wild landscape, exploring the complex relationship between humanity and nature, and the personal sacrifices required for survival.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2299
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to stories exploring the tension between human civilisation and nature, as it delves into the complexities of a mother and daughter surviving in a pristine wilderness. The narrative beautifully intertwines themes of family, survival, and the environment, providing a thought-provoking and immersive experience.

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A passionate, tender and terrifying story of a mother's fight to protect her daughter 

A passionate, tender and terrifying story of a mother's fight to protect her daughter

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

'THE ENVIRONMENTAL NOVEL OF OUR TIMES.' – Lemn Sissay, Booker Prize judge

From an acclaimed Guardian First Book Award finalist comes a debut novel described as 'brutal and beautiful in equal measure' (Emily St. John Mandel).

Bea's five-year-old daughter, Agnes, is slowly wasting away. The smog and pollution of the overdeveloped, overpopulated metropolis they call home is ravaging her lungs. Bea knows she cannot stay in the City, but there is only one alternative: The Wilderness State. Mankind has never been allowed to venture into this vast expanse of untamed land. Until now.

Bea and Agnes join eighteen other volunteers who agree to take part in a radical experiment. They must slowly learn how to live in the unpredictable, often dangerous Wilderness, leaving no trace on their surroundings in their quest to survive. But as Agnes embraces this new existence, Bea realises that saving her daughter's life might mean losing her in ways she hadn't foreseen.

At once a blazing lament of our contempt for nature and a deeply humane portrayal of motherhood, The New Wilderness is an extraordinary, urgent novel from a celebrated new literary voice.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

General sentiments about The New Wilderness praise it as both brutal and beautiful, featuring compelling protagonists with a focus on a mother-daughter relationship under stress. Critics appreciate its imaginative and terrifying dystopian narrative that explores humanity's relationship with nature, making it timely and relevant. The writing is described as urgent, inventive, and rich in detail, capturing the complexity of survival and showcasing Diane Cook's notable talent for world-building.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780861540013

Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 June 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Oneworld Publications

Edition: MMP

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 416

Collections

Diane Cook Dystopian Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction

About the Author

Diane Cook is a novelist and short story writer. Her collection, Man v. Nature (Oneworld, 2015), was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and the L.A. Times Book Prize. Her stories have appeared in Harper's, Tin House and Granta, and been anthologised in Best American Short Stories. The New Wilderness is her debut novel. She lives in Brooklyn.

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