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A review by stevereadthatbook
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
5.0
Lily Brooks-Dalton has written a truly beautiful and deeply affecting novel about family, loss and resilience, amidst the backdrop of a global catastrophe.
The story follows Wanda over the course of her life. Born as a powerful hurricane (after which she is named) slams into her home in Florida, we watch her grow as the state begins to crumble under the devastating effects of climate change, quickly losing ground to the ocean. When relocation allowances run out, the government announces the state’s closure, releasing Florida back into the wild. The story then follows Wanda as she grows up in the continuously changing, untamed Florida landscape.
The Light Pirate is told in four parts—power, water, light, and time—reflecting the cycles of the elements and the breakdown of the world as we know it. It is a moving meditation on a future we don't want to face, and the inevitable return to the natural beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness.
While this may sound dark and grim, trust me, it’s not. Rather, it is a hopeful imagining of what happens next. While we are brought low with what climate destruction could look like, we then rise with Wanda to see the new possibilities. It is gut-wrenching, but at the same time, inspiring. While it’s early, I’m confident that The Light Pirate will be one of my favorite books of the year.
The story follows Wanda over the course of her life. Born as a powerful hurricane (after which she is named) slams into her home in Florida, we watch her grow as the state begins to crumble under the devastating effects of climate change, quickly losing ground to the ocean. When relocation allowances run out, the government announces the state’s closure, releasing Florida back into the wild. The story then follows Wanda as she grows up in the continuously changing, untamed Florida landscape.
The Light Pirate is told in four parts—power, water, light, and time—reflecting the cycles of the elements and the breakdown of the world as we know it. It is a moving meditation on a future we don't want to face, and the inevitable return to the natural beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness.
While this may sound dark and grim, trust me, it’s not. Rather, it is a hopeful imagining of what happens next. While we are brought low with what climate destruction could look like, we then rise with Wanda to see the new possibilities. It is gut-wrenching, but at the same time, inspiring. While it’s early, I’m confident that The Light Pirate will be one of my favorite books of the year.