The Collections

(Paperback)

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Description

'Killer. That's the accusation they flung at me and days later I still felt debased by it, and besmirched. This is where my story begins. Where the seeds of uncertainty that I'd so long shut my eyes to, began to take root.' So begins Claris Millar's account of her struggles to first abide by the law . . . and then to break it. It's 2041. The population bomb has exploded. The climate is in crisis. Only extreme measures will save our species. And in an attempt to restore balance, the government has legalised Collections. Unimaginable. Understandable. Unavoidable Claris works in a government Collections Depot but after her beloved husband is taken there to die - a sacrifice he makes willingly to help reduce population pressure - she finds her job increasingly abhorrent. Plagued by unease and indecision, she tries to reconcile her morals with reality. Written with grace and a luminous intensity, 'The Collections' delivers a startling story about taking control of one's fate. Patricia Donovan has created a haunting and compelling narrative that explores the fragility of our social fabric and, ultimately, our humanity.

Reviews

'A gritty and hypnotic read.' - Norman Bilbrough; 'The Collections offers a vivid glimpse into an unnerving but not implausible dystopic future with intimations of Smith's Dream and Fahrenheit 451.' - Harry Ricketts

Author Bio

PATRICIA DONOVAN grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, and graduated from the University of Canterbury with an MA (Hons) in English Literature. After graduation she worked in corporate communications in Australia and New Zealand and is the author of a best practice guide to the profession. She is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors and of the New Zealand Writers Guild. 'The Collections' is her third novel.