#BlogTour ‘This Fragile Earth’ by Susannah Wise

About the book…

Not long from now, in a recognizable yet changed London, Signy and Matthew lead a dull, difficult life. They’ve only really stayed together for the sake of their six year old son, Jed. But they’re surviving, just about. Until the day the technology that runs their world stops working. Unable to use their phones, pay for anything, even open the smart door to their flat, Matthew assumes that this is just a momentary glitch in the computers that now run the world.

But then the electricity and gas are cut off. Even the water stops running. And the pollination drones – vital to the world, ever since the bees all died – are behaving oddly. People are going missing. Soldiers are on the streets. London is no longer safe.

A shocking incident sends Signy and Jed on the run, desperate to flee London and escape to the small village where Signy grew up. Determined to protect her son, Signy will do almost anything to survive as the world falls apart around them. But she has no idea what is waiting for them outside the city…

Huge thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Through My Letterbox and publishers Gollancz who sent me the most lovely package containing a gifted review copy of ‘This Fragile Earth’ which is out from 24th June!

This thriller, set in the not too distant future, places characters Signy, Matthew and son, Jed, in a world which completely relies on technology. Until, one day, on a trip to the park, Jed and Signy notice a ‘tracker drone’, kill itself by smashing itself to pieces, As a piece of modern tech it shouldn’t technically be able to carry out such an action without instructions. This small seemingly irrelevant act precedes the gradual ‘switching off’ of society.

Taps stop flowing. Electricity runs out. Money becomes irrelevant as bank cards cannot be used. Doors won’t open. And then the panic and the riots start…

Signy and Jed go on the run to her mother’s house, using an old fashioned pushbike as none of the cars work anymore. The army have come in, the police are surrounding them and drones are everywhere.

At the heart of this story is the love of a mother for her son who will go to the ends of the earth to protect him. When home is no longer safe, moving to somewhere else is the only option , and Signy is a true apocalyptic heroine in the way she fights her exhaustion, trauma, starvation and stress to fully focus on her child. Jed is an absolute delight to read, children are so tricky to manage in books and can quickly become annoying. However, here, he is a guiding light, a tiny font of wisdom and the beating heart of this book.

We keep going for a hopeful future. We keep going because we want things to be better for our children. However, this is a cautionary tale about how much we, as a society, rely so much on ‘switching on’, that we forget how to ‘switch off’. And unless there is a backup plan, reliance on machinery and gadgetry to make life easier, can have the effect of losing essential skills, discarding manual tools and outsourcing knowledge.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful tale of hope in adversity, commitment to a better way of living and the power of a mother’s love.

About the author…

Susannah Wise is an actor and writer who grew up in London and the Midlands. A childhood spent outdoors inspired her love of nature and tree climbing.

The death of her father three years ago was the catalyst for her first novel. His preoccupation with astronomy and the beauty of the night sky formed the jumping-off point for the story.

Susannah studied at the Faber Academy, graduating in September 2018, during which time she wrote a second, more peculiar novel. Both books have been longlisted for the Mslexia Prize.

She lives in London with her partner and son.

Links-https://www.susannahwise.com/

Twitter @susannahwise @gollancz