Earth Abides

Have you ever come home from a vacation and saw things that once were not there?  It takes you a moment to realize that something does not feel right; but when you finally discover what it is, there is a sense of relief that blankets you: Because now you aren't worried what it is that was different. But, what if you don't know what happened? You don't know why things are different. Can you imagine coming home after a camping trip and no one else is there? All of humanity, except for some special few, have disappeared for unknown reasons.  There are only a couple people left on the earth; and that includes you. You don't know what catastrophe occurred to wipe out your peers, your acquaintances, your friends, your pets, or your family.  All you know is that they're gone.  All of the people who used to live next to you have died off.  Can you imagine that?

Isherwood Williams, or Ish, doesn't have to.  The feeling of no one being there has actually come true for him.  After a strenuous camping trip out in the middle of nowhere, Ish comes home to discover that he and a few others are the only people left to fend for themselves.  Losing hope for the future, he comes upon a women named Em who brings hope back into his life.  Once Em came into the picture was my favorite part.  The way that she was able to help Ish become a little more comfortable with where the situation stands and how she made him feel.  Not just by bringing back bits of hope for humanity, but by giving him a friend.

George R. Stewart wrote the book to change how you perceive what you are lucky enough to have.  We, as a pretty wealthy society compared to some, take for granted what we have.  We don't think about how life would be different if we didn't have all that we own today.  Ish used to have it -- and then, he doesn't.  It made me question what I would do in that situation.  Where would I go if suddenly to human race had just disappeared?  Would I go to other countries and seek life there?  How do you imagine life without the things that make up your life?

As one who likes to think outside of the box and try and make the "impossibles" into the "possibles," this story intrigued me and inspired me to enjoy what I have while I have it.  Ish's journey and experiences throughout the novel made the unreal, real.  It's difficult to picture coming home to no family or friends or even next door neighbors.  But it sure is fun, and quite fascinating, to take Ish's situation and put yourself in his shoes.  Exploring this nation in order to find another person who survived a catastrophe so large to take out the human race, and then luckily meeting Em to change your thoughts about the future into positives instead of negatives takes more courage and strength to embrace than most people would think of embracing.

Earth Abides is a story that challenges the mind to think beyond the breaking point.  It challenges your fears to dare and to be fearless.  It encourages you to be the optimist instead of the pessimist.  "In spite of recurrent discouragement, Ish still kept trying ..."