Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Every year I look forward to the Waterloo Region One Book One Community (OBOC) selection announced in April.  This is where a book is selected by a committee that will hopefully appeal to a wide audience.  Generally the book should create a lot of discussion.  Always the author pays a visit to the Region in the fall and there is opportunities to meet with the author.  Check out their website for more information.

This year Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is the selection for all of Waterloo Region to read in 2015.  A really great selection as I believe it will appeal to wide audience and it can certainly create some conversation.  

Station Eleven begins with the death of famous actor Arthur Leander dying during a performance of King Lear.  The theatre is in Toronto and if you've ever been to Toronto the setting will be familiar.  Arthur's death is shocking.  His ex-wife, son and best friend arrange to fly to Toronto for the funeral.  But suddenly the world is struck by the Georgia Flu and everyone is dying.  Few survive. 

But what does the world look like with only a small percentage of the world still alive?  How do they function?  What was once a prized position, may soon feel meaningless.  What if the most exciting thing just happened and you couldn't tweet about it?  Would it still be exciting?

This was a book that really gets you thinking.  I would encourage everyone to read Station Eleven and try and go out for an event in the fall.