Literature & Fiction
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Lark Ascending
"This beautiful book is shot through with such tenderness and humanity, such love and courage and beauty and hope, that it feels almost like a prayer." -Margaret Renkl, author of Late Migrations
A timely, powerful story of survival set in the not-too-distant future, reminding us to always hold on to hope, even in the worst of times.
With fires devastating much of America, Lark and his family first leave their home in Maryland for Maine. But as the country increasingly falls under the grip of religious nationalism, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe, not just from physical disasters but also persecution. The family secures a place on a crowded boat headed to Ireland, the last place on earth rumored to be accepting American refugees.
Upon arrival, it turns out that the safe harbor of Ireland no longer exists either-and Lark, the sole survivor of the trans-Atlantic voyage, must disappear into the countryside. As he runs for his life, Lark finds two equally lost and desperate souls: one of the last remaining dogs, who becomes his closest companion, and a fierce, mysterious woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek?
Lark Ascending is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship and bravery, and even more, a story of the ongoing fight to protect our personal freedoms and find our shared humanity, from a writer at the peak of his powers.
A timely, powerful story of survival set in the not-too-distant future, reminding us to always hold on to hope, even in the worst of times.
With fires devastating much of America, Lark and his family first leave their home in Maryland for Maine. But as the country increasingly falls under the grip of religious nationalism, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe, not just from physical disasters but also persecution. The family secures a place on a crowded boat headed to Ireland, the last place on earth rumored to be accepting American refugees.
Upon arrival, it turns out that the safe harbor of Ireland no longer exists either-and Lark, the sole survivor of the trans-Atlantic voyage, must disappear into the countryside. As he runs for his life, Lark finds two equally lost and desperate souls: one of the last remaining dogs, who becomes his closest companion, and a fierce, mysterious woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek?
Lark Ascending is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship and bravery, and even more, a story of the ongoing fight to protect our personal freedoms and find our shared humanity, from a writer at the peak of his powers.
Editorial Reviews
"In Lark Ascending, Silas House casts an irresistible spell, conjuring a near future that is both familiar and unbearable, illuminating the brutality and suffering that our own thoughtless age seems determined to invoke. But Lark Ascending is not merely, or even mainly, a tale of pain and grief. This beautiful book is shot through with such tenderness and humanity, such love and courage and beauty and hope, that it feels almost like a prayer."
―Margaret Renkl, author of Late Migrations and Graceland, At Last
"Silas House has always served as an ancestor from the past who has stepped into the present with rich lessons in tow. But with Lark House reveals himself to be an oracle from the future who has come back to illuminate our lived moment with a snapshot of what the years ahead could hold. The vision is terrifying and spare, but in House's capable and delicate telling, it is also beautiful and compelling. Lark marks a stunning turn in House's career, taking him from the Appalachian Mountains to a post-apocalyptic Atlantic crossing, but I have no doubt that readers will follow Silas House wherever he goes, whether into the past or headlong into the future."
―Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of When Ghosts Come Home
"A postapocalyptic epic that is quiet and lyrical…an emotional testament to the power of hope."―Booklist (starred review)
"A fiercely visceral reading experience."―Publishers Weekly
"A cleareyed and engaging apocalyptic yarn."―Kirkus Reviews
"The not-too-distant dystopia of House's latest becomes a vehicle for the author to tell a compelling story about a refugee crisis. Because House takes the story out of a contemporary context, readers can more easily empathize with the novel's refugees rather than focusing on real-world quandaries."―Library Journal
"Silas House's "Lark Ascending" is a dystopian classic, finding new notes of peril and possibility in the once-and-future homeland of Ireland and giving us the kind of richly observed alternative family that humanity of any era would call savior. It also has the best dog ever, excepting my own. Don't miss this one."―
―Margaret Renkl, author of Late Migrations and Graceland, At Last
"Silas House has always served as an ancestor from the past who has stepped into the present with rich lessons in tow. But with Lark House reveals himself to be an oracle from the future who has come back to illuminate our lived moment with a snapshot of what the years ahead could hold. The vision is terrifying and spare, but in House's capable and delicate telling, it is also beautiful and compelling. Lark marks a stunning turn in House's career, taking him from the Appalachian Mountains to a post-apocalyptic Atlantic crossing, but I have no doubt that readers will follow Silas House wherever he goes, whether into the past or headlong into the future."
―Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of When Ghosts Come Home
"A postapocalyptic epic that is quiet and lyrical…an emotional testament to the power of hope."―Booklist (starred review)
"A fiercely visceral reading experience."―Publishers Weekly
"A cleareyed and engaging apocalyptic yarn."―Kirkus Reviews
"The not-too-distant dystopia of House's latest becomes a vehicle for the author to tell a compelling story about a refugee crisis. Because House takes the story out of a contemporary context, readers can more easily empathize with the novel's refugees rather than focusing on real-world quandaries."―Library Journal
"Silas House's "Lark Ascending" is a dystopian classic, finding new notes of peril and possibility in the once-and-future homeland of Ireland and giving us the kind of richly observed alternative family that humanity of any era would call savior. It also has the best dog ever, excepting my own. Don't miss this one."―
Readers Top Reviews
J. Pembroke
Lark Ascending will tear you to pieces and then put you back together again. These characters are so memorable. Silas House’s writing is beautiful and moved me deeply.
Kindle
What a heartbreaking, beautifully sad warning of a glimpse into the future should we continue to be complacent about global warming, individual right, continue to elect leaders that devalue those things in the name of lust, greed and power.
openmypages
This is the story of Lark, a young gay man surviving with his family in very dark future times. Climate change has ravaged the earth and as is par for the course with these things the worst of the worst are running things. When he and his family attempt to escape America on a boat for Ireland things go from bad to worse and he is left on his own. His mother‘s last words to him are that he must go on. And so he does. In Ireland he finds a dog, long thought eradicated, and the two companions survive together on their journey to find safety. along the way they face all manner of danger. Oh my, I absolutely lost myself in this book. I wouldn’t consider myself an overly emotional person but this book made me feel like one. I’m not sure whether it was the bleakness of the environment, the resilience of Lark, the bald truth of humanity or the story of a man and his dog that hit me hardest… Who am I kidding? It was the dog of course! I know this is a dystopian and I totally get the comparisons to Station Eleven but this one also reminded me in a lot of ways of one of my favorites Dog Master by W. Bruce Cameron. I love the weaving of the survival aspects with the heavy expose on grief and the search for a glimmer of hope in the darkest of times. I feel like this one is an absolute masterpiece that will stick with me for a long time. Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. I’m not going to lie at times this book is quite bleak, but you will feel so many emoticons reading it and be better for it in the end. Thanks to Algonquin books for advanced access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.
