The End of Men chronicles an outbreak far more devastating than Covid-19, however. The Stranding also explores the end of life as we know it, but Kate Sawyer’s beautiful tale could not be more different from that of her compatriot. The New Zealand passages trace Nik and Ruth’s relationship as it moves from mutual dependence into partnership and love. The plot may not have the circumstantial immediacy of The End of Men, but it tells a compelling tale whose strength lies as much in what is unsaid as in what is on the page. The Stranding is a novel whose depth and authenticity allowed me to lose myself in its reality, a blend of love, loss and hope from which I was reluctant to emerge.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 01, 2021 01:52 UTC