Not Alone

An exhilarating debut novel tracing the harrowing journey of a mother and son fighting for survival and a future in a world ravaged by environmental disaster Not Alone kept me breathless with tension… [A] gripping adventure story.”—Emma Donoghue New York Times bestselling author of Room and HavenFive years ago a microplastic storm wiped out most of the population. No infrastructure. No safe havens. No goodbyes.Since then Katie and Harry have lived in isolation in their small flat outside London. Katie forages hunts the surviving animal population and provides for Harry who was born after the storm and who has never left their little home. After years without human contact Katie and Harry are shocked by the arrival of a threatening newcomer just as Katie’s persistent cough seems to have taken a turn for the worse. But this proof of life beyond their familiar environment spurs Katie to undertake a previously unthinkable journey in search of her fiancé Jack who never came home the day of the storm and a different kind of life for Harry.Outside of their protected bubble Katie and Harry encounter an altered world full of new dangers other survivors—both friend and foe—and many surprises. Katie's resources energy and parenting abilities are pushed to the brink as Harry's life and safety waver in the balance knowing that the further they get from their flat the harder it will be to return if things go wrong. Sarah K. Jackson combines beautiful language palm-sweating adventure and a deep true-to-life parent-child bond that transcends its post-apocalyptic setting in a debut that emphasizes the importance of resilience hope and sustainability today.