“The foragers took almost everything. Holding back tears and exhaustion, I left the lake and got back onto the trail. With Milo back in the bag, sleeping, I began to feel his weight. It hit me all at once, just as the water did. I didn’t know how much further I could go. I had to sit. In the tall grass, staring, I left my body until buzzing sounded. I was beginning to despise the noise. Buzzing meant death. A pile of bones were tossed carelessly in a pile. I reached for my axe. If we came upon any sinister scavengers on our path, I would show them no mercy. I was hurting, starving, void. But I was done caring about pain. Done with feelings. The only one who mattered was Milo.”
—Elizabeth Anne Martins, DRY LANDS, Flame Tree Press
Coming May 14, 2024
From Kirkus:
In Martins’ speculative novel, a newly widowed mother must survive a post-apocalyptic wilderness with her toddler in tow. Civilization collapsed when a phenomenon known as the Shift caused massive earthquakes and floods that irreparably altered the planet. Now, the United States government no longer exists, power grids are irrelevant, and the idea that humanity is inherently good seems incomprehensible as people fight for power or their next meal. Marauders hunt the “dry lands” for other survivors whom they can oppress—or even consume. In this dangerous landscape, Liv Vela fights to survive and protect her 3-year-old son, Milo. Her husband, Felipe, died during their desperate escape from the East Coast, leaving the mother and child alone during their travels to Felipe’s grandmother’s house in the mountains of Tennessee, where they hope to find relative safety. Evoking Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006), Martins sets her protagonist on a treacherous journey through an apocalyptic wasteland that forces her to rethink her worldview, ethics, and parental philosophy. The narrative thrives when it focuses on Liv’s perspective as a desperate and determined parent. As Liv tackles each new threat to her and Milo’s survival, the novel positions her as a symbol of single motherhood and the apocalypse as a metaphor for the struggles such mothers encounter without hope for assistance. It’s made clear that Milo’s future rests solely on Liv’s shoulders—whether the problem is finding his next meal or explaining the concept of death to him. There’s a stark beauty throughout Liv’s observations, as when she acknowledges “the indifferent moon” above them, and this makes this dystopian novel stand out from a crowded field. A testament to the power of hope and motherhood in the worst of situations.
DRY LANDS is coming soon from Flame Tree Press
Elizabeth Anne Martins 