We are all awaiting catastrophe. Though our minds may not accept it, we feel it in our bones: the end of our modern way of life is coming. When will it happen? How will it arrive? Will we live through it, or will we all be instantly obliterated? In Ivy Grimes’s novella, disaster comes by way of solar storms that disrupt the electrical grid and drain all the batteries, stripping society of its modern technological conveniences. Luckily for Grimes’s narrator Jane, though, she is visiting her grandmother in the woods at the time, so she is not trapped in the city where she lives. Grandma is a special person, though Jane is still learning exactly how special. The two squabble over typical intergenerational differences, but also over Grandma’s vague but persistent expectations for Jane, who bristles in response. They are both stubborn and contrary, but it’s obvious that a strong bond ties them together.

The story revolves around a small group of neighbors who share resources and offer mutual aid in the wake of the disaster. In addition, though, each household carries its own emotional baggage, which spills open and seeps into the community. Tragedy and dark secrets intermingle. While Grandma looms large, she is often in the background, tending to esoteric duties; however, the sense pervades that she knows most of what goes on and exerts influence over much of it.

With deft subtlety, Grimes weaves supernatural elements into the narrative. Inspired by Russian and Alpine folklore, she cleverly introduces threads from specific tales and pagan myths. As Jane narrates, we feel her experience of moving with one foot in contemporary ‘reality’, while her other foot struggles to find its balance in the world beyond. For Jane, like Grandma, is also special. She has a role to play in a crucial transitory process, should she choose to accept it. We all know catastrophe brings death, and the one in this book is no different. There is a lot of death, but people learn to cope, often in surprising ways. Grimes also has a knack for humor, which tempers the book’s darker themes. It’s a story that, while it seems to exist outside of time, is very much relevant to our present.

Note: Thank you to Violet Lichen Books for sending me a review copy.