Description
As the Great War rages across Europe, Rand Brandt, an idealistic young forester in the northwoods of Wisconsin, discovers a remarkable gift: his touch can grow any plant in minutes. Overjoyed, he dreams of devoting his life to conservation, restoring to its former glory a landscape devastated by lumbering. At night, Rand tests his powers, pushing his physical limits and revealing his secret only to his lover, Gabriel. But his frequent absences from camp don't go unnoticed, and it isn't long before Rand is drafted to grow timber for the war effort. Along with Gabriel, he's shipped to France-though the army is a dangerous place for two men in love.
While at camp, Rand also realizes the true price of his gift: everything he grows withers and dies, leaving the soil empty of all living matter. Horrified, he throws himself into ever more self-destructive trials, buckling under the pressure of so many secrets. In order to survive, he must confront the terrifying possibility that his gift is actually a curse, upending everything he believes about nature, love, and himself.
About the Author
B. Pladek is an associate professor of English at Marquette University in Milwaukee. His short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Slate FutureTense Fiction, The Offing, and elsewhere.
Reviews
B. Pladek's Dry Land is a quest narrative, seeking forms of renewal for ravaged ecosystems and fraught human relationships. With quiet grace and a fearless gaze toward the entanglement of preservation and destruction, this meditative novel questions both the romance of landscape and the landscape of romance." - Sofia Samatar, author of The White Mosque and A Stranger in Olondria
"A gorgeously imagined, deeply personal story of love and war, of the places we make and the places that make us. But most movingly, Pladek has written an ode to the ordinary magic of our extraordinary world." - Karen Joy Fowler, author of Booth
"In precise, elegant prose, B. Pladek has given us a story set over a hundred years ago but with startling resonance for today. Dry Land is a deeply original novel that deserves attention. I can't remember reading anything quite like it." - Ken Harvey, author of The Book of Casey Adair
Book Information
ISBN 9780299343941
Author B. Pladek
Format Paperback
Page Count 264
Imprint University of Wisconsin Press
Publisher University of Wisconsin Press
Weight(grams) 272g
While at camp, Rand also realizes the true price of his gift: everything he grows withers and dies, leaving the soil empty of all living matter. Horrified, he throws himself into ever more self-destructive trials, buckling under the pressure of so many secrets. In order to survive, he must confront the terrifying possibility that his gift is actually a curse, upending everything he believes about nature, love, and himself.
About the Author
B. Pladek is an associate professor of English at Marquette University in Milwaukee. His short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Slate FutureTense Fiction, The Offing, and elsewhere.
Reviews
B. Pladek's Dry Land is a quest narrative, seeking forms of renewal for ravaged ecosystems and fraught human relationships. With quiet grace and a fearless gaze toward the entanglement of preservation and destruction, this meditative novel questions both the romance of landscape and the landscape of romance." - Sofia Samatar, author of The White Mosque and A Stranger in Olondria
"A gorgeously imagined, deeply personal story of love and war, of the places we make and the places that make us. But most movingly, Pladek has written an ode to the ordinary magic of our extraordinary world." - Karen Joy Fowler, author of Booth
"In precise, elegant prose, B. Pladek has given us a story set over a hundred years ago but with startling resonance for today. Dry Land is a deeply original novel that deserves attention. I can't remember reading anything quite like it." - Ken Harvey, author of The Book of Casey Adair
Book Information
ISBN 9780299343941
Author B. Pladek
Format Paperback
Page Count 264
Imprint University of Wisconsin Press
Publisher University of Wisconsin Press
Weight(grams) 272g
