England, 2073. The UK has been cut off from the rest of the world and ravaged by environmental disasters. Small pockets of survivors live in isolated communities with no electricity, communications or transportation, eating only what they can hunt and grow.
Evie is a herbalist, living in a future that’s more like the past, and she’s fighting for her life. The young people of this post-apocalyptic world have cobbled together a new religion, based on medieval superstitions, and they are convinced she’s a witch. Their leader? Evie’s own grandson.
Weaving between Evie’s current world and her activist past, her tumultuous relationships and the terrifying events that led to the demise of civilised life, Remember Tomorrow is a beautifully written, disturbing and deeply moving portrait of an all-too-possible dystopian world, with a chilling warning at its heart.
Remember Tomorrow by Amanda Saint was published by Retreat West on 21 March 2019. I'm delighted to share my thoughts about this book as part of the #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour today.
Before I begin, I have to talk about the exquisite cover of Remember Tomorrow, I remember when I saw it first, when it popped into my inbox. I was absolutely stunned by its beauty, and continue to look at it in awe. And now, having actually read the story beneath the cover, I can see exactly where the illustration fits.
The story begins in the year 2073. The world has changed, and it doesn't seem as though it's for the better. It's certainly not better for Evie who is suffering at the hands of a zealous group of people who've labelled her a witch. She's hungry and she's an outcast, and the most hurtful thing is that the people who hate and detest her so much are led by her own grandson Jonah.
Tales of a dystopian future are not new at all, and like many women, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is one of my all time favourite books; a novel that has stayed with me for the 30 years since I read it first. That book ignited my interest in novels such as this and I'm always delighted to discover something new.
Amanda Saint has created a world that is neither brave, nor new. We may be reading about the future, but it's blighted with the same problems that have beset mankind since the beginnings of time. Humans have destroyed the planet, and new religions have emerged. The need for power and control is paramount and the destruction of the environment, and of community is central to the plot.
The reader learns about Evie, the outcast and is then taken back to learn about her life before the huge change. We grow to know more about her, and her character; she has her flaws and makes mistakes but is basically a good woman.
There's a lot to ponder when reading this story. It's often disturbing, and that's because the reader knows that it's probably possible. Whilst it's the author's fiction, it's also very possible.
I enjoyed every page of Remember Tomorrow. The writing is beautifully emotive and the characters are wonderfully created. It's a world that we hope won't happen, but it's also a world that may not be too far away. Compelling, gripping and at times, deeply unsettling. Remember Tomorrow is a must read and is highly recommended by me
Amanda Saint is a novelist and short story writer. Her debut novel, As If I Were A River, was a NetGalley Top 10 Book of the Month, longlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker Prize, and a Top 20 Book of 2016 on the Book Magnet Blog.
Her prize-winning short stories have been widely published in anthologies and literary magazines. Amanda runs her own creative writing business, Retreat West, through which she runs writing retreats, courses and competitions; and an independent publishing house, Retreat West Books.
Find out more on her websites: http://amandasaint.net and http://retreatwest.co.uk
Twitter : @saintlywriter
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