Instead, she managed to create a book that says something about what makes humanity special: no zombies needed. Luckily for us though, Mandel wrote more than a simple adventure. It even has a villain called The Prophet with a fanatical following. Yes, 'Station Eleven' has conflicts and terrors. While she is only one member of a very large cast, in many ways Kirsten represents the spirit of Mendel’s powerful novel. But despite her losses, Kristen still manages to find joy in the work of the great bard. She’s also had to make some tough and violent decisions to survive, as signaled by the two tattoos of knives on her wrist. Like everyone else in the symphony, Kirsten has lost her family. Her life after the flu has not been an easy one. We first meet Kirsten as a young girl, playing the role of one of King Lear’s daughters in a performance in Toronto right before the pandemic hits. One of the main protagonists in this epic novel is an actress in the symphony. Sometimes the performers are welcomed with open arms and sometimes they are chased off with guns. These scattered settlements are all that remains of the world after a deadly flu wipes out 99 percent of the population.

They are a ragtag caravan that moves along the coast of Lake Michigan performing Shakespeare and Beethoven to the few surviving communities.

Sponsored by the Michigan Humanities Council, the program wants to get everyone from young adult readers to senior citizens excited about reading, and this year’s selection is sure to do that.Īt the heart of 'Station Eleven' is a group of musicians and actors that call themselves the Traveling Symphony. It’s also been selected as the 2015 Great Michigan Read. It was a National Book Award Finalist and one of this year’s Michigan Notable Books. It’s about humanity itself.'Station Eleven' has received praise both from critics and readers. This book is about more than just survival and desperation. John Mandel is also about the end of life as we know it, but don’t let that deter you. Whether it’s a TV show full of zombies or a movie about an alien invasion, you just can’t seem to escape the end of the world. These days, it seems every writer, producer, and director out there wants to say something about the apocalypse.

Station eleven by emily st john mandel