Emma Pattee's debut novel is a gripping tale set in a ravaged Portland following a catastrophic earthquake. The story centers on Annie, 34 weeks pregnant, as she traverses the chaotic city landscape in search of her husband after a disastrous shopping trip. Amidst the wreckage of her familiar surroundings, Annie’s flashbacks reveal her relationship struggles while her dialogue with her unborn child adds depth to her perilous journey. The narrative captures both the physical challenges and emotional turmoil of a mother in crisis, compelling readers with vivid descriptions and dark, relatable humor.
In her debut novel, the Portland author follows Annie, clutching a plush caterpillar toy and ignoring a gash in her elbow, as she walks - walks! - in her inadequate Birkenstocks and ridiculous maternity romper through a hellish landscape. She treks all the way from the big Ikea out by the Portland airport to a school in Southeast Portland, where a fellow traveler searches for her daughter in the rubble.
Annie’s journey is not just an individual struggle; it's a chaotic reflection of motherhood set against a world ravaged by disaster, capturing the reader's heart with its visceral detail.
The ruins of the city are all around her, described in telegraphic but deadly detail. Annie is in shock, aching, thirsty, exhausted, burned by the September sun.
As she walks, she carries on a dialog with the boy she is carrying, calling him Bean. Their journey is always one of a twosome, not just a woman.
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