4.2

A fascinating trawl through a the accounts of a near dystopian future where 90% of the worlds population of men are wiped out by a virus, ‘The Plague’.

Written just before COVID pounced, reading this is at times almost eerie - certain details like the PM calling for the spirit of the blitz - mirroring a certain UK PM speech during the first lockdown, that and the whole dynamic of the rise and fall of the virus feels achingly familiar.

I adore this kind of book - exploring exactly what would happen in these scenarios, thinking through things to the point of government policy - the workers draft, what we would do without enough electricians, how we’d keep reproducing. And the way this is explored through snapshots of people’s lives is enchanting.

Personally some of the characters felt stronger than others - I think I’d happily read the whole of Toby’s memoir- Dear Frances, and forget one or two of the other characters.

Hope to find more books like this and explore the authors other work.