Clade

This book is brilliant, disturbing and, as all good books should do, it makes you think.

It is a novel about climate change, about the damage we have done to the planet. Following three generations of the same family, Clade moves through the coming decades as they get caught up in the massive changes brought about by an out of control climate. It is a sobering look at what might happen. But it is the human characters that ground the story and make it work.

Adam Leith, a scientist, and Ellie, an artist, begin a relationship and, after numerous IVF treatments, are blessed with a daughter - Summer. But the world is changing. The poles are melting rapidly, causing floods; huge superstorms devastate the land. Things begin to break down and the Leiths are caught up in it. Summer, a headstrong child, becomes a resentful adult and leaves for England. Adam eventually finds her and the grandson, Noah, he never knew he had, just as Britain is ravaged by an apocalyptic storm. Meanwhile his estranged wife Ellie becomes fascinated by a refugee beekeeper....

Author Bradley has written a moving, devastating novel of the near future, where mankind reaps the whirlwind of its own negligence. Societal breakdown, economic collapse, pandemics - it's all here. Based on solid scientific theories, Clade is a timely tale. It's a page turner too, written in clear, precise prose.

In the end it's a tale of man's resilience in the face of catastrophe. We are survivors. So there is a note of hope running through this story, even if, at the end, the future is still far from certain.

A great novel. One of the best books of recent years. Read it.