The Year of the Flood
CBC Books | | Posted: February 8, 2017 8:46 PM | Last Updated: September 5, 2019
Margaret Atwood
The Year of the Flood is the second novel in Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam Trilogy, which deals with a dystopic future and the aftermath of environmental degradation. In a world driven by shadowy, corrupt corporations and the uncontrolled development of new, gene-spliced life forms, a man-made pandemic occurs, obliterating human life. Two people have unexpectedly survived: Ren, a young dancer locked inside a high-end sex club, and Toby, who has barricaded herself alone inside a luxurious spa. But they can't stay hidden forever...
The Year of the Flood was defended by Stephen Lewis for Canada Reads 2014.
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From the book
In the early morning Toby climbs up to the rooftop to watch the sunrise. She uses a mop handle for balance: the elevator stopped working some time ago and the back stairs are slick with damp, so if she slips and topples there won't be anyone to pick her up.
As the first heat hits, mist rises from among the swatch of trees between her and the derelict city. The air smells faintly of burning, a smell of caramel and tar and rancid barbecues, and the ashy but greasy smell of a garbage-dump fire after it's been raining. The abandoned towers in the distance are like the coral of an ancient reef — bleached and colourless, devoid of life.
From The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood ©2009. Published by Vintage Publishing.