This richly imaginative, immersive, and “electrifyingly relevant” (William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author) debut novel follows a shocking disappearance amid the climate crisis of our near future—perfect for fans of Station Eleven and The Last Thing He Told Me.
Emi Vargas, whose parents helped save the world, is tired of being told how lucky she is to have been born after the climate crisis. But following the public assassination of a dozen climate criminals, Emi’s mother, Kristina, disappears as a possible suspect, and Emi’s illusions of utopia are shattered. A determined Emi and her father, Larch, journey from their home in Nuuk, Greenland to New York City, now a lightly populated storm-surge outpost built from the ruins of the former metropolis. But they aren’t the only ones looking for Kristina.
Thirty years earlier, Larch first came to New York with a team of volunteers to save the city from rising waters and torrential storms. Kristina was on the frontlines of a different battle, fighting massive wildfires that ravaged the western United States. They became part of a movement that changed the world—The Great Transition—forging a new society and finding each other in process.
Alternating between Emi’s desperate search for her mother and a meticulously rendered, heart-stopping account of her parents’ experiences during The Great Transition, this novel beautifully shows how our actions today determine our fate tomorrow. A triumphant debut, The Great Transition is “a book for the present and the future—read this and you will be changed” (Michelle Min Sterling, New York Times bestselling author).
Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels 2023, The Washington Post
Goodreads Choice Awards 2023 Nominee, Best Science Fiction
“The Great Transition sets itself apart through its visionary scope and possibility for change…Urgent but hopeful…an important read for those ready to advocate for future generations.” —Chicago Review of Books
“A page-turner chock full of optimistic ideas for how we can reimagine our collective future, The Great Transition is a necessary antidote to climate doom and nihilism.” —Lit Hub
“Emotionally compelling and humane.” —The Washington Post
“Hopeful, bold, imaginative, and heartbreaking, The Great Transition lucidly shows the incredible capacity of utopian thinking to inspire and change lives, while addressing the devastating costs of climate inaction. I can’t stop thinking about this visionary novel and its singular characters. Nick Fuller Googins has written a book for the present and the future — read this and you will be changed.” —Michelle Min Sterling, New York Times bestselling author of Camp Zero
