The Stranding

In a bid to leave her claustrophobic relationship, Ruth makes the decision to leave London, her friends and family, to travel to New Zealand and pursue her lifelong dream of working with whales. There she finds the increasingly ominous global news cycle is now the new reality. Far from home and with no hope of survival, she climbs into the mouth of a beached whale alongside a stranger. When they emerge, it's to an unrecognisable landscape. When all's been razed to the ground, what does it mean to build a life? Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award.