A captivating performance by Rosemary Benson highlights this arresting dystopian story of a woman’s struggle to survive in a dying world. Rising water levels; monster storms; and blistering, deadly heat have left Florida and its population devastated. Born during a massive storm, Wanda grew up watching her surroundings deteriorate and learning how to survive. In this post apocalyptic Florida, Wanda’s life depends upon her ability to adapt. Benson delivers tension as thick as the swampy air, and adds color and brightness to the more hopeful moments. Wanda’s encounters with other survivors are sometimes dangerously brutal, sometimes tenuously friendly. Author Brooks-Dalton achieves a disturbing look at the effects of climate change, and Benson’s exceptionally perceptive narration makes Wanda’s plight personal. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
The Light Pirate
Narrated by Rosemary Benson
Lily Brooks-DaltonUnabridged — 11 hours, 19 minutes
The Light Pirate
Narrated by Rosemary Benson
Lily Brooks-DaltonUnabridged — 11 hours, 19 minutes
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Overview
Florida is slipping away. As devastating weather patterns and rising sea levels wreak gradual havoc on the state's infrastructure, a powerful hurricane approaches a small town on the southeastern coast. Kirby Lowe, an electrical line worker, his pregnant wife, Frida, and their two sons, Flip and Lucas, prepare for the worst. When the boys go missing just before the hurricane hits, Kirby heads out into the high winds in search of his children. Left alone, Frida goes into premature labor and gives birth to an unusual child, Wanda, whom she names after the catastrophic storm that ushers her into a society closer to collapse than ever before.
As Florida continues to unravel, Wanda grows. Moving from childhood to adulthood, adapting not only to the changing landscape, but also to the people who stayed behind in a place abandoned by civilization, Wanda loses family, gains community, and ultimately, seeks adventure, love, and purpose in a place remade by nature.
Told in four parts-power, water, light, and time-The Light Pirate mirrors the rhythms of the elements and the sometimes quick, sometimes slow dissolution of the world as we know it. It is a meditation on the changes we would rather not see, the future we would rather not greet, and a call back to the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness.
Editorial Reviews
10/24/2022
Brooks-Dalton (Good Morning, Midnight) tells the gripping if underdeveloped story of a Florida family devastated by a hurricane, with hints of magic and a transformed landscape as the timeline stretches into the near future. Kirby Lowe, a divorced electrical lineman on call to make storm damage repairs, shares custody of his two unruly sons, Lucas, 12, and Flip, eight, while his pregnant second wife, Frida, has a premonition about Wanda, the coming hurricane. During the storm, Frida gives birth, names their daughter after the hurricane, then dies shortly after Kirby returns. Flip also perished in the storm, and a neighbor, a retired teacher named Phyllis, takes baby Wanda under her wing. Later, after Wanda starts school and learns biology from Phyllis, she discovers a magical ability: when she touches the ocean’s water, she attracts bioluminescence. Meanwhile, Lucas joins Kirby on line duty as they make repairs after lesser storms and wait for the next big one. Murmurs abound on the compromised Hoover Dike, which, if damaged by another major storm, could unleash catastrophic flooding from Lake Okeechobee. By the end, Brooks-Dalton’s vision for what might be includes a radically changed state of Florida. Though the magical elements are unexplained and extraneous, the author sustains a steady pace from one storm to the next. Climate fiction aficionados will eat this up. (Dec.)
"Brooks-Dalton has a different sort of vision for the post-apocalypse, one that’s not so dystopian . . . It’s good to read an alternate and more hopeful story of how life might be experienced on a planet that is partly dying but also evolving, even if fewer humans remain."—New York Times
"A formidable young woman’s coming-of-age . . . Brooks-Dalton creates an all-too-believable picture of nature reclaiming Florida from its human inhabitants, and her complex and engaging characters make climate disaster a vividly individual experience rather than an abstract subject of debate."
—Kirkus, Starred Review“Brooks-Dalton paints a luminous and wrenching portrait of a frighteningly possible future.”—Booklist, Starred Review
"A reverent observation of nature’s power . . . The novel rewards readers with peace and solace after persevering through a series of tragedies that feel too close to home. The Light Pirate is a symphony of beauty and heartbreak, survival and loneliness. Combined, it’s a haunting melody of nature."—Associated Press
“Harrowing and hopeful, Pirate reveals an all-too-possible future.”—People
"Gripping . . . sustains a steady pace from one storm to the next. Climate fiction aficionados will eat this up."—Publishers Weekly
"A devastatingly beautiful, yet heavy story that pictures a dystopian American in the midst of climate change disaster . . . Wanda’s deep connection to her home and a special ability keep her tethered to a place she loves, with people she loves, even if disaster has diminished the community."—Buzzfeed
“There is a luminescence here, a force that takes on a quality of the intelligence of the universe. In the glow of that light, hope and exhilaration bloom. And in these moments before the new, violent storm hits its readers, the world of this novel is unforgettable.”—New York Journal of Books
“A symphony of beauty and heartbreak, survival and loneliness. Combined, it’s a haunting melody of nature.”—Winnipeg Free Press
“This is one of the most daring, deeply imagined and moving novels I have read. The writer asks us to consider a near-apocalyptic future, but, in prose that is beautiful and precise, Brooks-Dalton offers us hope that we are capable of remaking this world as a gentler and more generous-hearted place. Readers will not forget this beautiful book.”—Meredith Hall, Author of Beneficence
"I read this book in a whirlwind, voracious as the hurricanes at its heart. Lily Brooks-Dalton writes with the kind of intricate sensitivity that leaves one grateful to be—faultily, flimsily, adaptably, temporarily—human. Harrowing, tender, and urgent, The Light Pirate is a novel of global scope and exquisite intimacy."—Rachel Lyon, Author of Self-Portrait With Boy
"Lily Brooks-Dalton is an audacious, exquisite writer whose work pulses with humanity and hope. In The Light Pirate, her mesmerizing new novel, Brooks-Dalton achieves the impossible: she leaves us feeling grateful to be alive even as she describes, with pinpoint precision, the end of the world as we know it. Gripping, poetic, and wholly original, this book changed how I see the future. I’ll never forget it."—Jillian Medoff, Author of When We Were Bright and Beautiful
"This is fiction of rare and riveting achievement: it is equal parts prophecy, elegy, and revelation. The Light Pirate describes a world much like ours, one of rising seas and changing coastlines, and peers around the corner into the future to show us what awaits. How will human beings endure such loss? How will we mourn, and how will we persist? Lily Brooks-Dalton has captured the fragile beauty of our world, and our lives, with a tenderness that is both moving and galvanizing." —Anna Pitoniak, Author of Our American Friend
PRAISE FOR GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT: "Lily Brooks-Dalton is an uncanny chronicler of desolate spaces, whether it’s the cold expanse of the universe or the deepest recesses of the human heart.”—Colson Whitehead, New York Times bestselling author
"Fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora will appreciate Brooks-Dalton’s exquisite exploration of relationships in extreme environments."—Washington Post
"Brooks-Dalton writes beautifully about ambition, loss, grief, and, most compellingly, what it means to love and be loved."—Fredricksburg Free Lance-Star
"A truly original novel, otherworldly and profoundly human . . . This beautiful story reminds us of our deep longing for connection—with those we love, with strangers, with ourselves. We come to understand that, across time and distance, in the face of isolation and emptiness, it is tenderness and communication that keep us tethered to each other."—Keith Scribner, Author of Old Newgate Road
PRAISE FOR MOTORCYCLES I'VE LOVED: "Lily Brooks-Dalton is wonderful, fresh on the scene with a big heart, a fierce spirit, a writer's eye, and a lovely sense of humor.”—Anne Lamott, New York Times bestselling author
"Lily Brooks-Dalton has blazed a trail all her own."—Rosie Schaap, author of Drinking with Men
Lily Brooks-Dalton is wonderful, fresh on the scene with a big heart, a fierce spirit, a writer's eye, and a lovely sense of humor.
Fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora will appreciate Brooks-Dalton’s exquisite exploration of relationships in extreme environments.
A truly original novel, otherworldly and profoundly human . . . This beautiful story reminds us of our deep longing for connection—with those we love, with strangers, with ourselves. We come to understand that, across time and distance, in the face of isolation and emptiness, it is tenderness and communication that keep us tethered to each other.
I read this book in a whirlwind, voracious as the hurricanes at its heart. Lily Brooks-Dalton writes with the kind of intricate sensitivity that leaves one grateful to be—faultily, flimsily, adaptably, temporarily—human. Harrowing, tender, and urgent, The Light Pirate is a novel of global scope and exquisite intimacy.
Lily Brooks-Dalton has blazed a trail all her own.
This is one of the most daring, deeply imagined and moving novels I have read. The writer asks us to consider a near-apocalyptic future, but, in prose that is beautiful and precise, Brooks-Dalton offers us hope that we are capable of remaking this world as a gentler and more generous-hearted place. Readers will not forget this beautiful book.
This is fiction of rare and riveting achievement: it is equal parts prophecy, elegy, and revelation. The Light Pirate describes a world much like ours, one of rising seas and changing coastlines, and peers around the corner into the future to show us what awaits. How will human beings endure such loss? How will we mourn, and how will we persist? Lily Brooks-Dalton has captured the fragile beauty of our world, and our lives, with a tenderness that is both moving and galvanizing.
Brooks-Dalton writes beautifully about ambition, loss, grief, and, most compellingly, what it means to love and be loved.
Lily Brooks-Dalton is an uncanny chronicler of desolate spaces, whether it’s the cold expanse of the universe or the deepest recesses of the human heart.
Lily Brooks-Dalton is an audacious, exquisite writer whose work pulses with humanity and hope. In The Light Pirate, her mesmerizing new novel, Brooks-Dalton achieves the impossible: she leaves us feeling grateful to be alive even as she describes, with pinpoint precision, the end of the world as we know it. Gripping, poetic, and wholly original, this book changed how I see the future. I’ll never forget it.
★ 11/01/2022
In this latest from Brooks-Dalton (Good Morning, Midnight), a massive hurricane bears down on a Florida town nestled south of Lake Okeechobee. For nine-months-pregnant Frida, the sounds and smells of the approaching storm trigger memories of her mother's death in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria. Husband Kirby, a county lineman, promises that the shutters and sandbags will provide protection while he's working, but she knows better. The contractions, too soon, too strong, immobilize Frida. When Kirby arrives, Frida is dead, and the baby, still attached to her mother's pulsing cord, whimpers on the kitchen floor. Inauspiciously named for the conflagration that upended her family, Wanda grows in the vortex of her father's guilt and sorrow. Waters rise, infrastructure fails, residents who doubted global warming abandon their homes, but retired biology professor Phyllis saves Wanda from loneliness. VERDICT Writing as if she too had lived alone in Florida's mangrove swamps, fishing by night, sleeping through the heat of the day, Brooks-Dalton turns a devastating dystopian vision on its head in this redemptive tale by asking whether life is sustainable without human connection. This exquisite novel will appeal to a diverse group of readers, from fans of environmental writers Alan Weisman and Elizabeth Kolbert to admirers of Lydia Millet's A Children's Bible and Delia Owens's hero Kya Clark.—Sally Bissell
A captivating performance by Rosemary Benson highlights this arresting dystopian story of a woman’s struggle to survive in a dying world. Rising water levels; monster storms; and blistering, deadly heat have left Florida and its population devastated. Born during a massive storm, Wanda grew up watching her surroundings deteriorate and learning how to survive. In this post apocalyptic Florida, Wanda’s life depends upon her ability to adapt. Benson delivers tension as thick as the swampy air, and adds color and brightness to the more hopeful moments. Wanda’s encounters with other survivors are sometimes dangerously brutal, sometimes tenuously friendly. Author Brooks-Dalton achieves a disturbing look at the effects of climate change, and Benson’s exceptionally perceptive narration makes Wanda’s plight personal. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
★ 2022-09-28
Climate apocalypse is the setting for a formidable young woman’s coming-of-age.
Kirby Lowe is a lineman for the utility company in the small town of Rudder in southeast Florida. With a huge hurricane heading in, he’s called to work before it arrives. He hates leaving his pregnant wife and his two young sons at home, but they’re prepared, or so they think. The first part of this novel is a harrowing description of that storm and the destruction it wreaks; the second part picks up 10 years later with Kirby and his surviving family: grown son Lucas and 10-year-old daughter Wanda, named for the hurricane during which she was born. In a convincingly portrayed near-future Florida, climate change has accelerated. The hurricanes come faster and fiercer, and the barrier island communities are already slipping under the sea. Kirby and Lucas, now also a lineman, have so much work that Wanda is often on her own, and her adventurous streak worries her father. He finds her an after-school caretaker, a retired biology professor named Phyllis, who turns out to be the perfect choice. Soon the pair are conducting field studies of the local flora and fauna, and Phyllis, who as a biologist and former park ranger has seen climate disaster coming for years, starts teaching the girl how to grow a garden, keep chickens, forage, and use other survival skills. As Wanda grows up, the waters rise higher and the summers blaze hotter, and climate refugees begin to flee the state. Before long, mostly depopulated towns shut down, then even big cities are abandoned. “Eventually,” the author writes, “the federal government announced the widespread closure of Florida as a whole, as if it were a rundown theme park with a roller coaster that was no longer safe to ride.” Those who remain—Wanda and Phyllis among them—are on their own. Brooks-Dalton creates an all-too-believable picture of nature reclaiming Florida from its human inhabitants, and her complex and engaging characters make climate disaster a vividly individual experience rather than an abstract subject of debate.
Catastrophic climate change seems all too real through the eyes of a Florida girl.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940175481946 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 12/06/2022 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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