The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
HarperCollins Publishers: 6/5/18
eBook review copy; 496 pages
ISBN-13:
9780062669605
The Book of M by Peng Shepherd is a very highly recommended, unique dystopian novel. This is a noteworthy debut.
An epidemic called the Forgetting first starts in India when Hemu
Joshi lost his shadow. Soon it spreads and a large part of the
population succumbs to the phenomenon. What happens is that people lose
their shadows and their memories follow. Once shadowless people forget,
they are susceptible to misremembering the world and magically can
create new things. They can also forget someone exists and then... they
don't.
"Why had it turned out to be that shadows were the parts of bodies where
memories were stored? Why did it happen to some and not others? Once it
finally did happen, why did some people forget things after two weeks
and some hang on much longer? And when they finally did forget, why did
the earth itself seem to forget, too? The image of the strange creature
in the woods outside came to him again. Why when a shadowless forgot
that deer didn’t have wings on their heads, did it become true?"
The Book of M follows a number of characters, starting with Ory
and
his wife Max. They escaped the Forgetting by hiding in a hotel in the
woods outside Arlington, Virginia, and putting into place a set of
protective rules. Now Max has lost her shadow. Ory has given her a tape
recorder for her to record her memories and tell her story as a way for
her to remember who she is and who Ory is. Then Ory leaves to scavenge
for food in the city and Max leaves to keep Ory safe. Ory returns and
begins his search for her.
The narrative follows Max, Ory and several other characters. Everyone
heads to the south where they have all heard rumors about someone
called, among other names, "The
One Who Gathers" in New Orleans who may have a cure for the
Forgetting.
The Book of M is an exceptional captivating and compelling novel
that held my undivided attention from start to finish. The writing is
incredible; it is hard to believe this is a debut novel. The concept
that our shadows hold our memories paired with the importance of our
memories on who we are, what we do, and how we relate to others and the
world, becomes insightful and mind-bending in the narrative. Adding to
the complex, absorbing plot are the dynamic characters Shepherd has
created and placed in this changed world. The ending was surprising,
nothing I would have predicted, yet it works in this intricate,
ingenious novel.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers.
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