As a woman with no children, the prospect of becoming a mother for the first time is traumatic enough.
But to put myself in the shoes of a woman whose waters have broken during an environmental disaster is quite frankly terrifying.
Hunter’s debut novel makes an explosive start by the woman narrator giving birth to her first child, Z. With an enormous flood wiping out London, the family are forced to leave their home in search of safety.
This is a story of sheer catastrophe, peppered with endearing experiences and milestones of new motherhood.
The element which defines this short piece of dystopian fiction is the unique, elegant writing style. A poet, Hunter ‘tells’ the story in sparse prose, which can be difficult to get on board with.
I was leaving each page somewhat frustrated, wanting more flesh on the bones of the story. This wasn’t helped by characters being referred to by only their initials.
That said, it appeared to make me feel more emotionally involved, and the powerful ending made it apparent why it was done this way.
The End We Start From is beautiful, thought-provoking and most of all, hauntingly believable. It is a tale of hope at a time when the country truly needs it.
A stunning debut.
