Station Eleven

Author: Emily St. John Mandel (aka – the longest name ever)

One-sentence summary: After a world-wide apocalyptic event, how do people survive and what is essential for survival?

B.A.D. Girls Book Rating: 8

Our favorite thing about it: This was just a fantastic, engaging story about humanity – we loved all of it.

Our least favorite thing about it: The bleak setting.

Main Topics of Discussion: Hope, Survival, Art, Humanity, Loss

Our favorite quote: “Survival is insufficient.”

Notes: We all really loved this book. The story was just so enthralling and we wanted to know how everything worked out. The ending is, of course, not neat and tidy, but there is a fair amount of closure on most things. Our other thoughts:

1. The book focuses on hope as inevitable. We loved this and loved how it was shown in various ways.

2. We also loved how the author pointed out that pain is also inevitable. Not just after the apocalypse, but before it too.

3. We thought the apocalyptic event described in the book was believable, and we appreciated that. We also thought all the details about an event like that and the aftermath were very interesting. What exactly would happen – electricity, water, transportation, etc. Apocalyptic events are often described in general terms, or books take place only in the “after” with no discussion of the actual breakdown of society. As sobering as that discussion was, it was the details that really sold the story.

4. There was a general atmosphere of haunting and eeriness – which was essential to the story (the author nailed it) and unsettling.

5. We liked the discussion in the book (and our own) of whether it would be better to forget the “before” or not.

6. We talked about our before/after events – like 9/11, having kids, etc.

7. We loved the theme of art moving humanity forward and sustaining them through creation and hope. The music, plays, and even the comic books were stars of the story in their own right.

Memorable Meeting Moments: This was Lindsay’s birthday month. We also go to use Rachel’s new pool for the first time at a meeting. We got in the hot tub and ate our meal outside.

What We Ate: Beef and Bean Stew and salad. Spice cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert.