The New Wilderness by Diane Cook

Book Review

Does anyone else take their books for walks?? Just me? Ok cool 🤪

This was one of my most anticipated reads going into 2021. While I did feel this debut novel was very well done and proposes an interesting question about what makes life worth living, I didn’t love it as much as I anticipated. Nevertheless, it was still a very fascinating read - one that forces you to think about the consequences of human existence on the natural world.

The book takes place in a time when global warming and pollution have decimated the earth. The cities are overrun with people, buildings and industry cover nearly ever inch of land and the air quality is so polluted, many children die before having the chance to live. Amidst this chaotic world exists a plot of land called The New Wilderness - the last uninhabited and undeveloped land left on earth.

When her daughter becomes gravely ill, Bea and her husband Glenn make the difficult decision to leave their life in the city and join “The Community.” Brought together for the purpose of a study, The Community is a group of 20 individuals who have committed to living out their lives without any modern comforts in The New Wilderness state. As a nomadic people, The Community lives as hunter gatherers and are guided by a set of rules laid out in The Manuel - which states (among other things) that they cannot set up a permanent settlement, must keep moving and leave behind no trace of their existence on the virgin land.

The story takes place over many years, during which we see members of The Community meet their demise due to various accidents, inclement weather and illness. We also watch as Bea’s daughter, Agnes, grows into a healthy young woman of the wild.

While I found the storyline very intriguing, I found some chapters a bit slow. I also had a hard time with the idea of living indefinitely in the wild. If I’m being honest, I think I would rather risk extinction in civilization than spend the rest of my days wandering around and fighting to survive in the harsh and unforgiving wilderness. Especially if doing so meant leaving behind everyone and everything I love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Would you live in The New Wilderness??