Status
Available
Description
It's November of 2020, and the world is freezing over. Each day colder than the last. There's snow in Israel, the Thames is overflowing, and an iceberg separated from the Fjords in Norway is expected to drift just off the coast of Scotland. As ice water melts into the Atlantic, frenzied London residents evacuate by the thousands for warmer temperatures down south. But not Dylan. Grieving and ready to build life anew, he heads north to bury his mother's and grandmother's ashes on the Scottish islands where they once lived. Hundreds of miles away, twelve-year-old Estella and her survivalist mother, Constance, scrape by in the snowy, mountainous Highlands, preparing for a record-breaking winter. Living out of a caravan, they spend their days digging through landfills, searching for anything with restorative and trading value. When Dylan arrives in their caravan park in the middle of the night, life changes course for Estella and Constance. Though the weather worsens, his presence brings a new light to daily life, and when the ultimate disaster finally strikes, they'll all be ready.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member DanieXJ
I just... When I saw this on ER, this sounded like such an amazing plot, with interesting characters (especially Stella), and a touchstone on current events (next ice age anyone?) I had not read The Panopticon, and so I was entirely unprepared for how the book was crafted.
It just felt way too,
I did not finish the book (I got about a third of the way in) so it doesn't seem fair to give it any sort of numerical rating. And, who knows, perhaps in the future I'll pick up the book again and find that when I pick it up again I'll like it better (it has happened before with other books).
It just felt way too,
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dense, to me. And not in an awesome sorta meaty way, but, in a 'excuse me I just smacked into your nose because we're all stuffed in this elevator' way.I did not finish the book (I got about a third of the way in) so it doesn't seem fair to give it any sort of numerical rating. And, who knows, perhaps in the future I'll pick up the book again and find that when I pick it up again I'll like it better (it has happened before with other books).
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LibraryThing member msf59
“...and all around them winter is looking for victims and everyone is getting crazy. The darkness comes hunting an hour after lunchtime and by 3p.m. they are plunged into twelve hours of night.”
Yes, winter is coming. It is November of 2020 and things have taken a chilly turn. Polar caps are
Enter, Dylan MacRae, a big shambling man, knocked sideways by the losses of two dear family members, flees London and finds new life in a small Scottish village. Here, he meets, a tough, unmarried woman and her daughter, who is struggling with her sexual identity. This unlikely trio, band together to find comfort and survival, against a relentless, climate attack.
This is not always an easy read. It takes awhile to get used to her narrative flow and she may have over-stuffed it a bit, with quirkiness and “colorful' characters but there is joy to be found here, as well. Some sharp writing, interesting characterizations and insightful observations about human nature, the environment and our will to persevere. She will be an author I will continue to keep an eye on.
Yes, winter is coming. It is November of 2020 and things have taken a chilly turn. Polar caps are
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melting. Blizzards in the tropics and people are just hanging on.Enter, Dylan MacRae, a big shambling man, knocked sideways by the losses of two dear family members, flees London and finds new life in a small Scottish village. Here, he meets, a tough, unmarried woman and her daughter, who is struggling with her sexual identity. This unlikely trio, band together to find comfort and survival, against a relentless, climate attack.
This is not always an easy read. It takes awhile to get used to her narrative flow and she may have over-stuffed it a bit, with quirkiness and “colorful' characters but there is joy to be found here, as well. Some sharp writing, interesting characterizations and insightful observations about human nature, the environment and our will to persevere. She will be an author I will continue to keep an eye on.
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LibraryThing member gendeg
The end-of times, climate apocalypse in The Sunlight Pilgrims puts all our climate change anxieties front and center. It’s November 2020 and the beginnings of a new ice age has descended on the plant. Weather patterns have shifted erratically: the Gulf Stream has slowed and cooled, the arctic is
Dylan ran an art-house movie theatre in Soho with his mother and grandmother, who recently passed away. The cinema has lost money and is being foreclosed, and so Dylan decides to pack up his mom and granny (their ashes) and some meager belongings and travel north to Clachan Falls in Scotland to a mobile home community where is mother used to live. It’s a motley crew of people who live there, including Constance and her daughter. Dylan, Constance, and Stella meet and soon bond. The Sunlight Pilgrims moves at glacial but steady pace and switches viewpoints between the three characters. Where the book shines is how the prose is filled with intricate detail reflecting the growing threat of winter. You’ll get some of the best prose describing snow and ice. I read this largely through a heat wave in early August, and it was such a contrasting visceral experience, and I swear I could feel the chill seep into my bones. These characters battle an encroaching doom with poignancy and dignity; they fight for survival, even while keeping a weary watch on the temperature gauge, which keeps dropping and dropping. They battle personal demons too, which provides most of the novel’s drama. Finally, the transgender angle is wonderfully done. Stella is a firecracker and one of the most interesting characters to read. You can’t help but root for her as she grapples with her gender identity, her body’s transformation set flush against the world’s.
The overall tone of The Sunlight Pilgrims is one of melancholy but not despair. It crackles with life and warmth, even as the world freezes over.
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melting and its gargantuan icebergs have broken free (one of them is making its way to Scotland), and all over the world coastal cities are deluged. Jenni Fagan goes the other direction with this reality: rather than focus on the environmental and economic fallout, the recriminations and panic, Fagan gives us a glimpse of the ordinary lives of three people: a survivalist, Constance Fairbairn, and her transgender daughter, Stella, and a London refugee, Dylan McRae.Dylan ran an art-house movie theatre in Soho with his mother and grandmother, who recently passed away. The cinema has lost money and is being foreclosed, and so Dylan decides to pack up his mom and granny (their ashes) and some meager belongings and travel north to Clachan Falls in Scotland to a mobile home community where is mother used to live. It’s a motley crew of people who live there, including Constance and her daughter. Dylan, Constance, and Stella meet and soon bond. The Sunlight Pilgrims moves at glacial but steady pace and switches viewpoints between the three characters. Where the book shines is how the prose is filled with intricate detail reflecting the growing threat of winter. You’ll get some of the best prose describing snow and ice. I read this largely through a heat wave in early August, and it was such a contrasting visceral experience, and I swear I could feel the chill seep into my bones. These characters battle an encroaching doom with poignancy and dignity; they fight for survival, even while keeping a weary watch on the temperature gauge, which keeps dropping and dropping. They battle personal demons too, which provides most of the novel’s drama. Finally, the transgender angle is wonderfully done. Stella is a firecracker and one of the most interesting characters to read. You can’t help but root for her as she grapples with her gender identity, her body’s transformation set flush against the world’s.
The overall tone of The Sunlight Pilgrims is one of melancholy but not despair. It crackles with life and warmth, even as the world freezes over.
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LibraryThing member Wickabod
"It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine)."
That R.E.M. song kept running through my head as I was reading Jenni Fagan's fine second novel, THE SUNLIGHT PILGRIMS. It's an offbeat and tender story of an environmental apocalypse in the near future of 2020. Yes, it's true . . . she's
The special thing about Fagan's dystopian world is the gradual way in which the characters in her small Scottish village adjust to the encroaching Ice Age that threatens the world. As the situation gets worse by the day, Fagan's characters try to face down their mounting dread as they drink wine, read books, listen to TV news, surf the Internet, attend town hall meetings, go to work, play in the snow, and so on. Teenagers are still mean to each other. Neighbors help each other out, and piss each other off. People mostly manage to remain calm, and there's not much panic or violence. Life goes on . . . even as the world may be ending.
IKEA even remains open! "How clever of this store to stay open in these conditions. Great for community relations: it says 'We are here to support your family through the fucking apocalypse, people -- come back here for the rest of your life to buy corner sofas and clever Scandi kitchenware; we are all the extended human race: you, me, everybody!' "
Despite the fear and uncertainty, there is a strangely quiet sense of calm and resignation. This could be problematic in the hands of another novelist (is it realistic?), but Fagan pulls it off. The mood somehow seems just right. "Clachan Fells might become a huge blanket of white snow and ice and they will all go to sleep one night like Pompeii, but frozen instead, with teddies curled up in her arms or her mum with a book by her side."
Fagan's fondness for her characters is obvious, and we can't help liking them too. They're flawed and genuine, hanging onto each other as they try to fight off despair with the only tools they have: decency and affection.
If the world comes to an end, I wouldn't mind drinking Dylan's bootleg gin and watching it all unfold on a rooftop with him, Constance, and Stella.
(Thanks to Hogarth / Crown for an advance copy via a giveaway. Receiving a free copy did not affect the content of my review.)
That R.E.M. song kept running through my head as I was reading Jenni Fagan's fine second novel, THE SUNLIGHT PILGRIMS. It's an offbeat and tender story of an environmental apocalypse in the near future of 2020. Yes, it's true . . . she's
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written a warm novel about the frozen endtimes. But there’s no excess sentimentality here -- it's dark and clever and hilarious. The dialogue is pitch-perfect, and the prose crackles.The special thing about Fagan's dystopian world is the gradual way in which the characters in her small Scottish village adjust to the encroaching Ice Age that threatens the world. As the situation gets worse by the day, Fagan's characters try to face down their mounting dread as they drink wine, read books, listen to TV news, surf the Internet, attend town hall meetings, go to work, play in the snow, and so on. Teenagers are still mean to each other. Neighbors help each other out, and piss each other off. People mostly manage to remain calm, and there's not much panic or violence. Life goes on . . . even as the world may be ending.
IKEA even remains open! "How clever of this store to stay open in these conditions. Great for community relations: it says 'We are here to support your family through the fucking apocalypse, people -- come back here for the rest of your life to buy corner sofas and clever Scandi kitchenware; we are all the extended human race: you, me, everybody!' "
Despite the fear and uncertainty, there is a strangely quiet sense of calm and resignation. This could be problematic in the hands of another novelist (is it realistic?), but Fagan pulls it off. The mood somehow seems just right. "Clachan Fells might become a huge blanket of white snow and ice and they will all go to sleep one night like Pompeii, but frozen instead, with teddies curled up in her arms or her mum with a book by her side."
Fagan's fondness for her characters is obvious, and we can't help liking them too. They're flawed and genuine, hanging onto each other as they try to fight off despair with the only tools they have: decency and affection.
If the world comes to an end, I wouldn't mind drinking Dylan's bootleg gin and watching it all unfold on a rooftop with him, Constance, and Stella.
(Thanks to Hogarth / Crown for an advance copy via a giveaway. Receiving a free copy did not affect the content of my review.)
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LibraryThing member KatyBee
This is a terrific novel, set in 2020 when extreme climate changes are world-wide and are sending the Scottish village of Clachan Fells into a very deep, frozen winter. Author Jenni Fagan has seemingly magicked her characters into existence. Dylan MacRae is a 6'7" giant of a guy who loses his mom
The language and descriptions of nature are gorgeous, the survivalist theme is a page-turner, but in the end, it's the love between the people in this story that's truly captivating. There are other good books with similar themes, but this one is told with so much heart that it seems new and fresh and very unique. Recommended!
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and grandmother within 6 months and then loses the family business, a small art house theatre in Soho. He travels to an inherited caravan (mobile trailer) in Scotland to lay his family's ashes to rest and finds a quirky village of odd, lovable, and strange people. His neighbors are Constance, a beautiful tomboy who juggles love affairs, and Stella, her amazing 12-year trans daughter who is trying to find her way in the world as a girl.The language and descriptions of nature are gorgeous, the survivalist theme is a page-turner, but in the end, it's the love between the people in this story that's truly captivating. There are other good books with similar themes, but this one is told with so much heart that it seems new and fresh and very unique. Recommended!
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LibraryThing member Bookish59
The Sunlight Pilgrims is a novel that reads like poetry. Using Scottish/English mythology and imagery, Fagan describes Clachan Fells and the "ice age" of a winter in 2020/21 both brutally and beautifully.
Book is all about survival. How do you survive the loss of your family and family home? Dylan
Dylan's attraction to Constance and finding his mother's diary in his trailer enables him to slowly grieve. He fears sharing a devastating family secret with Constance will upset her and disrupt their growing relationship.
Stella gets emotional support online, and from her worthiest advocate, her mother, from Dylan and from her own, innate smarts.
The Sunlight Pilgrims is a poem, a survival guide, a romance and a strong read.
Book is all about survival. How do you survive the loss of your family and family home? Dylan
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has to process his grandmother's and mother's death without the comfort of his beloved Babylon Theatre, the family business (and home), now taken over by bank. He heads to his mother's trailer in Clachan Fells with his family's ashes and little else. Wonderful unique characters, Constance and her daughter, Stella live independently in a neighboring trailer. Strong, smart, determined and caring they welcome Dylan and help their elderly neighbor, Barnacle. They too have to learn how to survive the town's disapproval. Dylan's attraction to Constance and finding his mother's diary in his trailer enables him to slowly grieve. He fears sharing a devastating family secret with Constance will upset her and disrupt their growing relationship.
Stella gets emotional support online, and from her worthiest advocate, her mother, from Dylan and from her own, innate smarts.
The Sunlight Pilgrims is a poem, a survival guide, a romance and a strong read.
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LibraryThing member Itzey
(Sunlight Pilgrims-
Prologue)
"There are three suns in the sky and it is the last day of autumn-perhaps forever... Some say it is the end of times...Icicles will grow to the size of narwhal tusks, or the long bony finger of winter herself... Penitents. Blin'-drift. Owerblaw...Snowflakes cartwheel out
The melting of the polar ice has reached its most extreme. Worldwide temperatures are plummeting rapidly. Winter has arrived early and getting worse every day without any uptick. Experts say it might never leave. Temperatures dropping as winter advances -15°F... -30°F ... -70°F. Sea water contaminated with fresh water and frozen as far from shore as can be seen with the naked eye. Snowfall depths are unprecedented worldwide. Many believe a new Ice Age has begun.
A setting this catastrophic would seem to be the focal point of the story when in reality it is only the set dressing; choosing to focus instead on the minutia of humanity and three individuals specifically amid the uncertain future of the planet.
Dylan McRae, 38, mourns the recent deaths of his mother and grandmother. If his heavy grief wasn't burden enough, he learns their home and source of family income, an old London movie theater named Babylon, has gone into bankruptcy. His mother's will contained surprising news of a caravan he now owns in a small Scottish caravan park in the middle of God knows where. She asked that he spread both women's ashes in a remote Scottish village, his grandmother's birth place. Gathering up what belongings he could fit into his mother's old suitcase including Grandmother Gunn in an ice cream container and Mum in a sandwich box he heads north facing the rapidly approaching deep winter. His plans are to sell the caravan after fulfilling his mother's last request and head back south to some where warm like Vietnam or Cambodia.
Upon arriving at caravan #7 on Ash Lane he briefly spots a young girl in the window next door. Later in the night he is awakened to a strange noise and discovers a sleepwalking woman hoovering up the street before entering the caravan next door. Reentering the street with a dust-cloth she reaches up and polishes the moon.
The young girl next door is 12 year old Stella Fairbairn. Precocious, bold, foul mouthed and outspoken, Stella arrives on his doorstep to quiz Dylan about his arrival and relationship to the last visitor to that caravan; Vivienne- his mother. Stella has been a girl for the past thirteen months. Previously she was a boy named Cael. Stella has always felt she was a girl. No doubts. She is bullied at school and obsessed about the changes puberty will bring locking her inside a male body forever.
Constance Fairbairn, Stella's mother and the moon polisher, is a free spirit and a survivalist answering to no one. Stella believes she knows just about everything and should go back to teaching. Was she a teacher? We don't learn if she was but she does have a great deal of trivial knowledge. Constance earns her living removing furniture from the homes of the dead and scouring the town dump for items to be re-purposed. Her life style and romantic choices have made her the central focus of town gossip primarily for maintaining two on-going and simultaneous 20 year affairs... the result of which yielded young Stella...or as her father prefers Cael.
Constance's story is more obscure as she has pretty much found her own voice and is happy with her life. We learn what we know about her past from the conversations between Dylan, Stella and other minor (but very interesting) characters. Dylan finds a sketch book left by his mother and discovers family secrets that shake his world and the reason his mother bought that particular caravan. Stella begins to shed false friends unable to support her transgender status at the same time yearns for love and acceptance often daydreaming of a normal life as a wife and mother.
As Dylan, Constance and Stella's lives are revealed in the light of day, winter shrinks their days and threatens their very survival. When they venture outside, we learn that amidst the approaching apocalypse there is sublime beauty only nature can provide.
Thoughts
• Transgender coverage was very real and will perhaps give many readers a different perspective and hopefully more compassion and empathy. For me personally, I guess I never realized how brave and courageous someone would have to be to present themselves openly and honestly to the world.
• Grief has no time limits. Dylan's story dragged on and on just as it does in real life often stressing friendships and relationships.
• Love. Many unique perspectives of love.
• Survival. Are any of us ready to face a new Ice Age. How would you behave trying to feed your family or keep them warm temperatures at -70°F and with over 10 feet of snow trapped. The world is trapped. Would you survive?
In the end I was glad that I had done some research on the book before I read it. It helped to know that the pace of the book would be very slow. As I expected in a true tragic situation, simple life goes on amid life altering outside influences.
Recommended.
Prologue)
"There are three suns in the sky and it is the last day of autumn-perhaps forever... Some say it is the end of times...Icicles will grow to the size of narwhal tusks, or the long bony finger of winter herself... Penitents. Blin'-drift. Owerblaw...Snowflakes cartwheel out
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of the sky........"The melting of the polar ice has reached its most extreme. Worldwide temperatures are plummeting rapidly. Winter has arrived early and getting worse every day without any uptick. Experts say it might never leave. Temperatures dropping as winter advances -15°F... -30°F ... -70°F. Sea water contaminated with fresh water and frozen as far from shore as can be seen with the naked eye. Snowfall depths are unprecedented worldwide. Many believe a new Ice Age has begun.
A setting this catastrophic would seem to be the focal point of the story when in reality it is only the set dressing; choosing to focus instead on the minutia of humanity and three individuals specifically amid the uncertain future of the planet.
Dylan McRae, 38, mourns the recent deaths of his mother and grandmother. If his heavy grief wasn't burden enough, he learns their home and source of family income, an old London movie theater named Babylon, has gone into bankruptcy. His mother's will contained surprising news of a caravan he now owns in a small Scottish caravan park in the middle of God knows where. She asked that he spread both women's ashes in a remote Scottish village, his grandmother's birth place. Gathering up what belongings he could fit into his mother's old suitcase including Grandmother Gunn in an ice cream container and Mum in a sandwich box he heads north facing the rapidly approaching deep winter. His plans are to sell the caravan after fulfilling his mother's last request and head back south to some where warm like Vietnam or Cambodia.
Upon arriving at caravan #7 on Ash Lane he briefly spots a young girl in the window next door. Later in the night he is awakened to a strange noise and discovers a sleepwalking woman hoovering up the street before entering the caravan next door. Reentering the street with a dust-cloth she reaches up and polishes the moon.
The young girl next door is 12 year old Stella Fairbairn. Precocious, bold, foul mouthed and outspoken, Stella arrives on his doorstep to quiz Dylan about his arrival and relationship to the last visitor to that caravan; Vivienne- his mother. Stella has been a girl for the past thirteen months. Previously she was a boy named Cael. Stella has always felt she was a girl. No doubts. She is bullied at school and obsessed about the changes puberty will bring locking her inside a male body forever.
Constance Fairbairn, Stella's mother and the moon polisher, is a free spirit and a survivalist answering to no one. Stella believes she knows just about everything and should go back to teaching. Was she a teacher? We don't learn if she was but she does have a great deal of trivial knowledge. Constance earns her living removing furniture from the homes of the dead and scouring the town dump for items to be re-purposed. Her life style and romantic choices have made her the central focus of town gossip primarily for maintaining two on-going and simultaneous 20 year affairs... the result of which yielded young Stella...or as her father prefers Cael.
Constance's story is more obscure as she has pretty much found her own voice and is happy with her life. We learn what we know about her past from the conversations between Dylan, Stella and other minor (but very interesting) characters. Dylan finds a sketch book left by his mother and discovers family secrets that shake his world and the reason his mother bought that particular caravan. Stella begins to shed false friends unable to support her transgender status at the same time yearns for love and acceptance often daydreaming of a normal life as a wife and mother.
As Dylan, Constance and Stella's lives are revealed in the light of day, winter shrinks their days and threatens their very survival. When they venture outside, we learn that amidst the approaching apocalypse there is sublime beauty only nature can provide.
Thoughts
• Transgender coverage was very real and will perhaps give many readers a different perspective and hopefully more compassion and empathy. For me personally, I guess I never realized how brave and courageous someone would have to be to present themselves openly and honestly to the world.
• Grief has no time limits. Dylan's story dragged on and on just as it does in real life often stressing friendships and relationships.
• Love. Many unique perspectives of love.
• Survival. Are any of us ready to face a new Ice Age. How would you behave trying to feed your family or keep them warm temperatures at -70°F and with over 10 feet of snow trapped. The world is trapped. Would you survive?
In the end I was glad that I had done some research on the book before I read it. It helped to know that the pace of the book would be very slow. As I expected in a true tragic situation, simple life goes on amid life altering outside influences.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Mooose
This book is sticking with me, especially the ending. Makes me want to have my face group read it JUST so we can discuss the ending.
While it's linear it didn't really feel that way, I think that's because chunks of time are skipped and we're just plopped down into things with little or no
While it's linear it didn't really feel that way, I think that's because chunks of time are skipped and we're just plopped down into things with little or no
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explanation. Ended up with lots of questions that were never answered, hmm, guess that's life. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntmarge64
Although technically an apocalyptic novel, more than anything this is a character study of several people who struggle to survive in a coastal town in Scotland that is about to plunge into an Arctic winter the likes of which hasn't been seen since the last ice age. Melting polar ice is desalinating
A lovely story of friendships made and families formed, of a community facing an enemy for which they have no lasting defenses.
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the seas and ocean currents are failing, and most of the world is about to enter an unknowable period of arctic temperatures and, possibly, glaciation. While this is approaching, a London man whose only family, his mother and grandmother, have just died, takes possession of a Scottish caravan his mother secretly bought for him the previous year. There he meets a 12-year old girl (until the previous year a boy) and her mother, and other odd types who live in the area. He instantly falls in love with the nature of the place and then the woman, even as the whole town (and most of the world) prepare for a future they cannot really estimate. A lovely story of friendships made and families formed, of a community facing an enemy for which they have no lasting defenses.
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LibraryThing member amaryann21
The next Ice Age is upon us. We've destroyed the polar ice caps, the climate is rebelling, and it's -20 degrees at the beginning of November. Dylan moves out to the caravan after his mother and grandmother die and the cinema is repossessed. He discovers a world he never knew, including love,
This book isn't about climate change. It's about people, and survival in the face of daunting circumstances. I found the story pretty slow to start, and by the time I was really invested, it was over. The ending was a little abrupt, but not distressingly so.
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friendship, and lots and lots of snow. This book isn't about climate change. It's about people, and survival in the face of daunting circumstances. I found the story pretty slow to start, and by the time I was really invested, it was over. The ending was a little abrupt, but not distressingly so.
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LibraryThing member snora
It is 2020 and the planet is freezing everywhere. Dylan makes his way from London to a trailer park in a small Scottish harbor town. His neighbors are a survivalist woman and her 12 year old transsexual daughter. Their bonding during these meager circumstances, love, and coming of age make the
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story. The author, Jenni Fagan, eloquently describes the beauty and horror of the frigid landscape. It cooled me off on a hot summer day! I recommend this novel to those of you who do not need a lot of action, but will enjoy a quiet and compassionate story. Show Less
LibraryThing member blueviolent
The Sunlight Pilgrims was so much more than I had anticipated. If you are a fan of prose-y writing, this book will suck you in quickly. The atmosphere is lovely and brilliant and the characters are heartwarming and realistic. I wanted to be there for them and see them through their travails. That's
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the most you can ask for a fictional being I think. I did think the story sometimes hiccuped a bit as it changed perspective from the main characters, but in a way that made it feel like you were hearing from two different people...so both good and bad there. Overall I felt like the book was topical and charming. Show Less
LibraryThing member janerawoof
With all the talk about climate change, this dystopian novel set in the not-too-distant future brought its possibility forcefully home, with this story of nuclear winter presaged by three parhelia in the sky and settling in across the whole world bit by bit--a new Ice Age. The story follows three
I thank LibraryThing for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
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people in Northern Scotland--a survivalist mother, her trans-tween daughter and the Londoner, the grief-stricken Dylan MacRae, who has come there to live in their trailer park, and how they and other villagers cope with this disaster. The sketchbook of Dylan's grandmother reveals a family secret that overshadows the action. The author's strong points were the characterizations of the three protagonists and the vivid nature descriptions. I felt the "sunlight pilgrims", originally a group of monks who "ate light" are a metaphor for this coping.I thank LibraryThing for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
The year is 2020, the world is getting colder, the Thames has frozen solid, snow in places where it doesn't usually snow and a huge glacier is heading towards Scotland. In a Scotland caravan park, Constance, her daughter Stella, though Stella used to be a he, and Dylan, a young man from London
The cold though surrounds a story of a mother and daughter and a young man who will learn things he did not expect. If ever I am in a survival situation I hope I know someone like Constance, she knows exactly what she and her daughter need to survive, from heat, supplies, and ways Tolstoy alive. Stella, has to deal with kids, boys who were once her friends, but now that she is Stella, she is bullied, frowned on by the adults and accepted by only a few. So I guess in foce years not much in the way of acceptance has changed.
Very different story, elegant, beautiful writing. A family story and a story about climate change blended together. Change being the main theme, within and without. Each chapter starts with the temperature and one sees it slowly falling, getting colder. Will these wonderful characters survive this winter? Amazing, unforgettable story.
ARC from publisher and librarything.
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whose mother lived in the park and had recently died, are gearing up for the coldest winter ever. The descriptions of the weather, the snow, the cold and ice, are phenomenal, one can feel this weather inside their bones, the images are that vivid.The cold though surrounds a story of a mother and daughter and a young man who will learn things he did not expect. If ever I am in a survival situation I hope I know someone like Constance, she knows exactly what she and her daughter need to survive, from heat, supplies, and ways Tolstoy alive. Stella, has to deal with kids, boys who were once her friends, but now that she is Stella, she is bullied, frowned on by the adults and accepted by only a few. So I guess in foce years not much in the way of acceptance has changed.
Very different story, elegant, beautiful writing. A family story and a story about climate change blended together. Change being the main theme, within and without. Each chapter starts with the temperature and one sees it slowly falling, getting colder. Will these wonderful characters survive this winter? Amazing, unforgettable story.
ARC from publisher and librarything.
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LibraryThing member KLmesoftly
Would recommend - Part trans girl's coming-of-age novel, part "the apocalypse (ice age) comes to a small British town." Engrossing and peopled with very real feeling characters, but not satisfying in that it feels more like a snapshot from a story than a complete narrative - lots of loose ends, no
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closure. Still a very cool world to get a glimpse of! Show Less
LibraryThing member Topazshell
When I don't understand a novel, it's best to take a deep breath, slow down and relax. Because the first impressions can change for better or worse. I decided not to like a novel after reading a few chapters. The language seemed strange. However, something made me keep on reading and not stop. This
I've read these types of novels but not in a long while. The last one I can think of is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I still like to think of the father and the son, their difficulties and the love shared between the two. The novel I'm writing about this morning is about the melting of ice, etc. It's titled Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan. I have an ARC from Netgalley.
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morning I picked up the book again. A light began to glow. I could relate to a character. The setting seemed very personal and one I would pick for a house. I stopped. There was no need to start from the beginning again. I remembered it. I only needed to follow up on two key words, Dystopian and Survivalist.I've read these types of novels but not in a long while. The last one I can think of is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I still like to think of the father and the son, their difficulties and the love shared between the two. The novel I'm writing about this morning is about the melting of ice, etc. It's titled Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan. I have an ARC from Netgalley.
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LibraryThing member mtrumbo
Slow to start, Sunlight Pilgrims builds to a story with beautiful prose that juxtaposes the effects of global warming with the story of a transgender teenager, her mother, and the residents of a "caravan" community in Scotland. Loved the writing tho the story itself seemed to meander a bit.
LibraryThing member JacobSeifert
While the story and characters had potential, there was no momentum to the story. Reading this was a chore.
LibraryThing member stacypilot
Despite having to look up the meaning of a half dozen words from Scots and British slang, that's the only major negative I have for this bleak survivalist novel of our possible near future due to climate change. The characters, especially Stella, are haunting me a week after reading as I keep
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wondering what their future life will be like. Expecting a true dystopian plot, I was surprised when the transgender plot and revelations in the family dynamics were revealed. This is a novel you need to be patient with to let the atmosphere and pace of life slow you down too with the almost poetical descriptions of the cold and snow. As one who reads a great deal, some novels just blend into basic plots and characters so I don't recall them specifically months or a year later-- The Sunlight Pilgrims is not like that. It's unique, memorable, and one novel I'll reread during some cold winter storm. I received a copy for review from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. Show Less
LibraryThing member LissaJ
It is the year 2020 and as the artic ice melts due to global warming, the temperatures began to drop and the coldest winter on record is expected. Stella and her mother, Constance, live in an isolated caravan park in the northern reaches of Scotland. Stella recently accepted her life as a girl,
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after being known to her small community as a boy her entire life. Her survivalist mother has the skills to survive this ice age if her romantic entanglements don't get in the way. Dylan has recently moved into his deceased mother's caravan and is learning to deal with his grief after the rapid loss of his beloved grandmother and mother. These three individuals are thrown together as they try to stay warm and help Stella become who she is supposed to be. This book is an intriguing mix of speculative fiction and relevant issues and while slow at times, make for a compelling look at a not-too-unbelievable future. I received this book from the LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
It's 2020 and the world is entering another ice age. In Scotland there is a small caravan park in the mountains preparing itself for the coldest winter anyone has ever seen in their lifetimes. Dylan lost his mother, his grandmother, and the family movie theater in London. The only place he has to
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased review.
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go is a small caravan he had no idea even existed, thankfully his mother had the foresight to buy it in cash before her death. Armed only with a suitcase Dylan arrives in the cold, godforsaken, but oddly beautiful park. He is immediately smitten with the young mother next door and her ridiculously cool daughter. Constance and her daughter Stella, are immediately smitten with their new neighbor Dylan, enjoying his tall stature, beard, tattoos, and London stories. They slowly start to invite him into their lives where he discovers that Stella is in the process from transitioning from a boy to a girl and Constance is looked down upon because for years she's always had two lovers. Can this odd trio band together and survive the coming subzero temperatures? Cute, quirky, and honest, this book had me hooked from the beginning. Personally I had a crush on Dylan and would love to have shared his caravan with him. Stella was a breath of fresh air and is wonderfully developed as is her mom who is imperfectly perfect. A fantastic read!I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased review.
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LibraryThing member kgallagher625
This is a coming of age novel with the setting of an apocalyptic novel.
As the earth faces a new Ice Age, caused by global warming, Dylan MacRae, who has recently lost his mother and grandmother, travels to a caravan that his mother had secretly bought, probably for him to retreat to when the city
There he meets a woman and her transgender daughter Stella.
As the three become close, the dangerously cold temperatures and the resulting breakdown of civilization become more distant in the story, and take a backseat to the characters' deepening relationships.
The three characters are interesting and fairly compelling. But I was disappointed by the relegation of the coming Ice Age to the background, since the book was marketed with this slant, and I was expecting more of a dystopian world tale, like Station Eleven.
I don't like or understand why some authors choose to eschew quotation marks in dialogue. This invariably interrupts the narrative flow and pulls me out of the story.
The author's prose is quite beautiful. This somewhat alleviates the frustrations of the extremely slow pace.
Despite some strengths, this book just missed the mark for me.
As the earth faces a new Ice Age, caused by global warming, Dylan MacRae, who has recently lost his mother and grandmother, travels to a caravan that his mother had secretly bought, probably for him to retreat to when the city
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became unlivable.There he meets a woman and her transgender daughter Stella.
As the three become close, the dangerously cold temperatures and the resulting breakdown of civilization become more distant in the story, and take a backseat to the characters' deepening relationships.
The three characters are interesting and fairly compelling. But I was disappointed by the relegation of the coming Ice Age to the background, since the book was marketed with this slant, and I was expecting more of a dystopian world tale, like Station Eleven.
I don't like or understand why some authors choose to eschew quotation marks in dialogue. This invariably interrupts the narrative flow and pulls me out of the story.
The author's prose is quite beautiful. This somewhat alleviates the frustrations of the extremely slow pace.
Despite some strengths, this book just missed the mark for me.
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LibraryThing member Jammies
I got this book from the Early Reads giveaway page at Library Thing, and it was such an amazing gift from the author! I enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction, and while this was set while the apocalypse was building, I enjoyed it as much or more than any of the many books I've read in the genre.
Not only
Not only
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is the language both lovely and accessible, but the subject of global warming is very timely and believable. So are the characters, including a trans teen who is one of the viewpoint characters. I'm going to go look for Ms. Fagan's first novel, and I'll be keeping my eyes open for more from her going forward. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
In a novel in which there is not much in the way of action or adventure, the success of the story hinges on an author’s ability to put readers into the minds and hearts of her characters. Literary elements like setting, style and tone also become important in character-driven novels. Thankfully,
The timing of the release of The Sunlight Pilgrims is quite intriguing. On the one hand, it is difficult to imagine a world turning into a frozen wasteland at the same time we are experiencing record temperatures and massive heat waves across the globe. On the other hand, what better way to cool down than with a book that takes place in unimaginably frigid temperatures. Along the same lines, given the fact that the freezing temperatures in the novel are a direct result of global warming and the melting of polar ice, the timing of the novel’s publication makes sense. For, every day our global temperatures are hotter than normal and every minute more polar ice melts and impacts the oceans’ currents, it brings us closer to this fictional scenario.
Speaking of that, the fictional world of Ms. Fagan’s is simultaneously brutal and gorgeous. Snow and cold temperatures always bring a sparkling clarity to the atmosphere, something Ms. Fagan is able to capture in her descriptions of the Scottish highlands. She brings to the reader the same sense of wonder and awe that fills a child at the first snowfall of the year. At the same time, there is the constant threat of death by hypothermia that forces you to respect Mother Nature. It brings an added tension to the novel as the characters fight for their very survival.
While The Sunlight Pilgrims is undoubtedly a warning about the damage we are doing to our environment, the story is at heart one about relationships. Ms. Fagan, through her characters, explores every type of relationship with delicacy and without criticism. Parent-to-child, child-to-parent, friends, lovers, neighbors, relationships to self, to the thing we call identity and to places we call home – they all drive these characters and the story as they prepare for the worst. The emotional connections among them, as well as the characters themselves are exquisitely written.
The Sunlight Pilgrims is a very quiet novel. The world, and subsequently Estella, Constance, and Dylan, are preparing for the brutal winter and doing everything to make sure they survive. Yet, they are also going about their lives. Bonfire Night still occurs. There are get-togethers and work and chores and the general mundacity of living. There is grief and love, laughter and tears. There is life, and there is death. The pending disaster simply adds a layer of urgency to their lives and an undercurrent of tension to the story. It is an extremely well-written novel as well, bringing a vibrancy to the harsh landscape and a sense of hope to each of the characters. It is a novel that may not be garnering a lot of attention right now but will impress those readers who find it with its bleak and beautiful story.
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Ms. Fagan has a wonderful way with words and is more than capable of creating an intellectual and compelling story. She proved herself in her debut novel and does so again in The Sunlight Pilgrims.The timing of the release of The Sunlight Pilgrims is quite intriguing. On the one hand, it is difficult to imagine a world turning into a frozen wasteland at the same time we are experiencing record temperatures and massive heat waves across the globe. On the other hand, what better way to cool down than with a book that takes place in unimaginably frigid temperatures. Along the same lines, given the fact that the freezing temperatures in the novel are a direct result of global warming and the melting of polar ice, the timing of the novel’s publication makes sense. For, every day our global temperatures are hotter than normal and every minute more polar ice melts and impacts the oceans’ currents, it brings us closer to this fictional scenario.
Speaking of that, the fictional world of Ms. Fagan’s is simultaneously brutal and gorgeous. Snow and cold temperatures always bring a sparkling clarity to the atmosphere, something Ms. Fagan is able to capture in her descriptions of the Scottish highlands. She brings to the reader the same sense of wonder and awe that fills a child at the first snowfall of the year. At the same time, there is the constant threat of death by hypothermia that forces you to respect Mother Nature. It brings an added tension to the novel as the characters fight for their very survival.
While The Sunlight Pilgrims is undoubtedly a warning about the damage we are doing to our environment, the story is at heart one about relationships. Ms. Fagan, through her characters, explores every type of relationship with delicacy and without criticism. Parent-to-child, child-to-parent, friends, lovers, neighbors, relationships to self, to the thing we call identity and to places we call home – they all drive these characters and the story as they prepare for the worst. The emotional connections among them, as well as the characters themselves are exquisitely written.
The Sunlight Pilgrims is a very quiet novel. The world, and subsequently Estella, Constance, and Dylan, are preparing for the brutal winter and doing everything to make sure they survive. Yet, they are also going about their lives. Bonfire Night still occurs. There are get-togethers and work and chores and the general mundacity of living. There is grief and love, laughter and tears. There is life, and there is death. The pending disaster simply adds a layer of urgency to their lives and an undercurrent of tension to the story. It is an extremely well-written novel as well, bringing a vibrancy to the harsh landscape and a sense of hope to each of the characters. It is a novel that may not be garnering a lot of attention right now but will impress those readers who find it with its bleak and beautiful story.
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LibraryThing member Rena613
After reading this author's first book, I was interested to see what she wrote next. This is a different type of story from her first book, but similar in that it's written with a lot of emotion.
This takes place in the fall of 2020, when there is a severe world-wide winter predicted. We have a
But the ending was too sudden for me. Winter storms are getting worse each day. Their supply of canned food is running low. There doesn't seem to be a worry about the future. Even if they survive this insane winter, what about food for later? Will farmers be able to grow enough food for everyone with such a short growing season? The experts predicted winter could last until May at least. That doesn't leave time for crops to be planted, grown, harvested before the next winter. How will society recover from this? Our little group doesn't worry about any of that and just settles in to wait out the latest storm. So even though there's a hopeful element for each person's story, there's no real conclusion about the bigger picture.
Received from librarything.com for review.
This takes place in the fall of 2020, when there is a severe world-wide winter predicted. We have a
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small cast of characters, Dylan (who's new in town and grieving mom and grandma's deaths), Constance (a prepper who can do anything), and her daughter Stella who's too smart for school. These characters are so real and their voices so authentic. I really felt for them. The ominous winter approaches quickly but these people don't seem to worry about living so far north. Even Africa got snow, so it's really bad. The people face a lot of (mostly personal) obstacles, but things are starting to look up for them. Even Stella's situation seems to improve and there's hope for her. But the ending was too sudden for me. Winter storms are getting worse each day. Their supply of canned food is running low. There doesn't seem to be a worry about the future. Even if they survive this insane winter, what about food for later? Will farmers be able to grow enough food for everyone with such a short growing season? The experts predicted winter could last until May at least. That doesn't leave time for crops to be planted, grown, harvested before the next winter. How will society recover from this? Our little group doesn't worry about any of that and just settles in to wait out the latest storm. So even though there's a hopeful element for each person's story, there's no real conclusion about the bigger picture.
Received from librarything.com for review.
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Awards
British Science Fiction Association Award (Shortlist — 2016)
Scotland's National Book Awards (Shortlist — Fiction — 2016)
Encore Award (Shortlist — 2017)
NPR: Books We Love (2016)