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Drawing on recent memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant shelter-in-place orders, the author brings a fresh twist to these themes in his latest novel. Jim Mollet, an ecologist exiled from Vietnam to London because of a worldwide Chimpapox pandemic, struggles with inner and outer obstacles as he navigates his physical and psychological survival. If the annoyance of having only an hour to exercise outdoors isn't bad enough, Jim must contend with an overly zealous landlady who monitors his every move. Add dodging the volunteer Lockdown Patrols that apply their authority to citizens on the streets for shopping and exercise to his daily annoyances. Jim secures a bit of extra freedom with a caretaker permit to tend a vegetable allotment for his uncle and aunt. To complicate matters, Jim meets Lily, an attractive Bohemian woman, while tending the vegetable plot and forges a friendship with her. But Lily is a Wiccan, and her roommates are radical feminists who are highly distrustful of men and protective of her.
Though both protagonists and antagonists are multidimensional (and all amiable in that distinctly British way), most are also somewhat clichéd and predictable in terms of their respective behavior. Nevertheless, Ford manages to bring unique elements into the story, thanks to the characters' viewpoints. Jim and Lily naturally connect due to their shared concern about the Earth and environmental issues, even though his grasp of the matter is scientific, while Lily's is metaphysical, leaning toward a conspiracy theory level. The novel riffs on the varied concerns people had about COVID, including vaccinations, the origins of the virus, and other familiar tropes, effectively moving the story along. Overall, this is an engaging and well-written novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
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