The Stranding

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What to expect

HER WORLD FELL TO PIECES.

FROM THE BONES SHE BUILT A NEW LIFE.

A heartbreaking novel of love, loss and hope about a woman who hides from the end of the world in the belly of a whale.

Ruth lives in the heart of the city. Working, drinking, falling in love: the rhythm of her vivid and complicated life is set against a background hum of darkening news reports from which she deliberately turns away.

When a new romance becomes claustrophobic, Ruth chooses to leave behind the failing relationship, but also her beloved friends and family, and travels to the other side of the world in pursuit of her dream life working with whales in New Zealand.

But when Ruth arrives, the news cycle she has been ignoring for so long is now the new reality. Far from home and with no real hope of survival, she finds herself climbing into the mouth of a beached whale alongside a stranger. When she emerges, it is to a landscape that bears no relation to the world they knew before.

When all has been razed to the ground, what does it mean to build a life?

The Stranding is a story about the hope that can remain even when the world is changed beyond recognition.

(P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critics Review

It's GORGEOUS and original and captivating . . . Beautiful writing and characters I cared for as if they were my own family
Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Grown Ups
Brilliant and original, THE STRANDING illuminates the beauty and fragility of humanity with a story so immersive and tender; I was surprised to find myself still in familiar surroundings when I surfaced from it. Kate Sawyer masterfully weaves a gripping narrative between a world disappeared and a world that must begin anew in this ultimately hopeful tale of love, loss and survival in the face of overwhelming odds. With characters you'll be thinking about long after the end, THE STRANDING is an absolute must read! Get one for yourself and one for a friend
Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary Wonder
The Stranding is the perfect book, both intellectually stimulating and a page-turner. Kate Sawyer's writing awakened all of my senses, transported me into other worlds. I could not put it down
Olia Hercules, author of Summer Kitchens
What a fabulous piece of storytelling. So original and compelling and Kate Sawyer writes like a dream
Julie Owen Moylan, author
The Stranding is a breathtaking book about relationships, love and human resilience at the end of the world; it's beautifully written and I know I'll be thinking about it for a very long time!
Lex Croucher, author of Reputation
Powerful, atmospheric and utterly transfixing
Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
An extremely powerful, bold but unassuming book about connection, the planet, sexuality and family
Alice Ash, author of Paradise Block
Sensitive, gripping, thought-provoking and edifying, THE STRANDING is a book of our times, and reminds us that no life lives forever; how precious our moments are
Laura Carlin, author of The Wicked Cometh and Requiem for a Knave
A beautiful, heart-wrenching, moving novel. The depth of love, passion and authentic feeling amongst the backdrop of a bleak post-apocalyptic world is quite extraordinary
Susannah Wise, author of This Fragile Earth
The Stranding is an original, compelling and brilliantly written story. I loved the dual timelines of 'before' and 'after' and could not put it down. It's a thought-provoking and timely read, about hope, survival and the human spirit
Aliya Ali-Afzal, author of Would I Lie To You
A truly unique and gripping read
Marianne Cronin, author The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
It is extraordinary, and quietly revolutionary, for a novel centred around the end of the world to feel so affirming, so luminous, so hopeful. In both the Before and After times, Ruth's seeking of what it is that matters is moving, complex, and vividly drawn. I've not stopped thinking about The Stranding since I put it down
Kate Young, author of The Little Library Cookbook
Kate Sawyer has created a dystopia so unerringly familiar that it can make you laugh and shiver simultaneously. Sensual and hopeful, this is a pacey and surprisingly relatable read
Gemma Reeves, author of Victoria Park
Post-apocalyptic fiction that's beautiful, moving and strangely uplifting
Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man
Haunting and hopeful. Eerie and evocative
Jacqueline Bublitz, author of Before You Knew My Name
A tender, affirming, luminous debut
Melinda Salisbury, author of Hold Back the Tide
A beautiful exploration of motherhood, stripped back to its barest, most fragile bones
Polly Crosby, author of THE ILLUSTRATED CHILD
I didn't want this book to end. It blew me away, and moved me beyond belief. I want to read it again and again and again
Bryony Gordon, author of Mad Girl
A stunning, unforgettable novel that I can't stop thinking about. A truly brilliant debut
Katherine Webber, author of Only Love Can Break Your Heart
This book is quite devastating but still left me with a gorgeous feeling of hope. The perfect blend of love, life and apocalypse
Emer McLysaght, author Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling
Original, visceral, rich with themes of refuge and redemption, it's a beautifully imagined story about the hiding places in our hearts and minds
Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters.
The Stranding is a soaring, lyrical and contemplative vision of the end of humanity. A beautiful story about learning to love yourself and others, and of experiencing the end of the world at the ends of the earth
Bethany Clift, author of Last One At The Party
Beautiful and harrowing but also optimistic and extremely moving . . . a truly arresting depiction of an unlikely relationship
Clover Stroud, author of The Wild Other
Wholly original, haunting and beautiful, this is a novel about life and survival, death and grief plus everything in between
Neema Shah, author of Kololo Hill
This book absolutely captivated me. Ruth's story is full of love and hope, but is also brutally honest about mistakes, regrets and missteps, and how they impact our lives. The Stranding felt completely real, while being almost unimaginable. A unique, imaginative story that's brilliantly told. And a book that will stay with me for a very long time.
Jamie Fewery, author of Our Life in a Day
A quiet, piercing contemplation on what really matters when it comes to the end of the world. Strange and beautiful
Abigail Dean, author of Girl A
Kate Sawyer brings her settings to life - both the Before and After - with vivid detail. Peopled with characters that challenge stereotypes and linger in the mind long after reading, this is a moving story of love, loss and, despite all, hope. I loved it
Elizabeth Lee author of Cunning Women
Beautifully written, it's truly something special
Stylist
Incredibly moving, totally gripping and (considering it's about the end of the world and living in a dead whale) strangely relatable
Ellie Taylor, author of My Child and Other Mistakes
A truly original and moving debut
Charlotte Northedge, author of The House Guest
An exceptional debut
Yorkshire Times
A terrific debut. Brave, unexpected . . . transfixing and captivation . . . full of hope, resilience and love
The Sunday Times
A captivating read . . . [a] beautiful, surprising novel
Fabulous Magazine
Captivating and strangely hopeful
Waitrose Weekend Magazine
A captivating read
Sun
A compelling tale of what it means to be alive. It breaks your heart while filling it with hope. Kate's writing is beautiful
Grazia’s Book Club
Sawyer's debut is an assured and intriguing character drama
SFX
Sawyer has done an especially brilliant job . . . a spellbinding fantasy of trading past mistakes for a clean start
Daily Mirror

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