Description

Will Collins is going West in a rusty pick-up, pulled by two mules. What was once America has been reclaimed by nature in surprising ways, with herds of roaming wild camels and crocodiles that glow neon green lurking in the rivers. But Will carries an urgent and precious cargo: a potential cure for the latest in a series of lethal viruses that have ravaged humanity.

Will has survived this long as the de facto caretaker of a Buddhist monastery in Colorado, living alone, haunted by dreams of the woman he once loved. Now, with menacing thugs on his tail and armed militias on patrol, the only way this pacifist will make it is with the help of a clever raven, an opinionated part Maine Coon cat and a tough teenage girl who also learned to survive on her own.

A highly original contribution to the canon of dystopian literature, The Way is a thrilling and imaginative novel, full of warmth and wisdom, that reflects our world in unsettling, uncanny and even hopeful ways.

Publisher Review

Part survival story, part grimoire, The Way is a magical book. Cary Groner is a master storyteller. His glorious, enchanting prose cast a spell on me from the bleak beginnings of his post-apocalyptic tale until its symphonic conclusion. In the end, The Way tells us that the only way to survive this world we’ve destroyed is to make better friends with the animals who remain — DOMENICA RUTA Not many writers could match the marvellous imaginative achievement of Cary Groner’s The Way. Groner creates a post-apocalyptic world that is frighteningly believable, and populates it with finely-drawn characters – both gracious and wicked – whose capacity for love, hope, and cruelty mirrors what we encounter in our real, present world. Part page-turner, part love story, partly a plea for respect of both human and animal life, The Way heightened my appreciation for what I too often take for granted — ROLAND MERULLO A thrilling, life-affirming adventure, The Way is a bold blend of a post-apocalyptic scorched earth, ancient Buddhism and interspecies relationships – all packed into a tightly woven story of horror, hope and love — KATIE HAFNER This epic journey through a near-future, postapocalyptic landscape blends extreme suspense with serene meditation. . . . Groner offers a contemplative take on the postapocalyptic genre that leaves room for hope but doesn’t stint on realism. This novel reads like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road meets Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance * * Library Journal (starred review) * * The novel blends action with deep philosophical reflections, offering a hopeful perspective on life after disaster. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and Oryx and Crake, The Way is a triumphant success * * Booklist * * Groner paints a persuasive picture of his dystopian world, peopled with strong characters and driven by cinematic action. This reinvigorates an overworked genre * * Publishers Weekly * * Cary Groner’s The Way, with its post-frontier Buddhism and thrilling quest, is everything that apocalyptic doomer novels should be: entertaining, unsparing and spiritual. This is an invigorating addition to the vital literature that bears witness to what we can’t afford to ignore: our collective patterns of self-destruction. I loved it * * CLAIRE VAYE WATKINS, author of I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness * * An ultimately hopeful vision of the aftermath of disaster . . . An engaging window into a strange new world * * Kirkus * * Praise for Exiles: Even the most jaded reader will be on the edge of their seats as the author carries the story home. A fast-paced but emotionally resonant story about the bonds that hold fast when we’re far from home * * Kirkus * * Exhilarating . . . Exiles vividly reveals the difficulty of making moral decisions, and the importance of bonds between people, in a complex world few Americans see — JAMES A. LEVINE