New novel set in Minneapolis imagines compassion during climate disaster
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One January night, in the future, four out-of-season tornadoes converge on Minneapolis and flatten whole blocks in minutes. That's the opening of Kawai Strong Washburn's propulsive new novel “The Names of the New World.” That storm throws together three strangers whose lives will become entangled over the next 25 years.
Washburn, who grew up in Hawaii and now lives in Minneapolis, has seen the predictive models that show the places he loves in Hawaii stand a good chance of being destroyed as the planet warms.
As the opening chapter of his new book shows, no place is climate-proof. But if the thought of supercharged storms, bleached coral reefs, and flooding Pacific islands makes you want to crawl under the bed, don't let that fear keep you from this book.
The writing is electric, the characters quickly make you feel invested, and, despite the backdrop, Washburn has zero interest in imagining a dystopia.
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In his vision of the future, the human tendency toward compassion and mutual aid drive characters’ decisions, even as Mother Nature serves up harrowing challenges.
“More than anything, I'm hoping this book being out in the world gives people a vision of the future that feels worth fighting for,” Washburn said. “A vision of the future that makes people want to ask, ‘Why not? Why can we not do that? What's stopping us from doing that?’ And in their own ways, answers that move them closer to being part of the solution.”
Washburn got national attention for his first novel, "Sharks in the Time of Saviors." The family saga hit "Best Book of 2020" lists for a dozen major publications, and its awards include the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and a Minnesota Book Award. Former president Barack Obama named it one of his favorite books of the year.
The book comes out Oct. 6 and Washburn will read from "Names of the New World" at an event hosted by Milkweed Books and Rain Taxi at Open Book in Minneapolis with local poet Claire Wahmanholm.
